Expert: Nicola Zheng - 10/2/2008

Question
NI HAO!
i m a medical student.i will be becoming doctor in few years.Since childhood i have been very interested in chinese language,people and culture.What is the scope of chinese language in medicine and medical field?If i learn chinese language will it prove to be useful for me in the near future as it takes alot of time to learn a language specially chinese, which i have heard is very dificult??

Answer
Hi Amna,

I believe that with regard to the medical field, the scope of the Chinese language is similar to that in English.  After all, professional jarson and terms exist in all languages.  

In terms of usefulness, there's no doubt that learning a language spoken by 1.3 billion people, and a nation on a meteoric rise in the world stage, is helpful in any case.  

However, as learning any language demands a significant investment in time and dedication, I would suggest that you consider exactly why you want to pursue this particular language.  If you think it MIGHT be helpful in your medical career, then do some research on the link between the two, what career options would this open up, and etc.

If it's just a personal interest in the culture and its people, learning the language will certainly afford you a better understanding, and perhaps help with your travel within China if you do plan to visit.

In terms of difficulty, it is relative.  If you already have a background (speak fluently) another Asian language, it is helpful as you would be familiar with a non-Western language's grammatical structure.  The best source of information is someone who is a non-native speaker but who has learned and mastered the language.  As I'm a native speaker, I'm not sure my perspective would have a whole lot of reference value for your decision.

Good luck in your endeavors!

Regards,
Nicola