Re: OT: languages (was chip designs)

Hello Spehro,


This is getting way OT.


T'is quite normal 'round here.


A teacher should not be hard to find- most any native speaker with a
good Beijing accent and a university degree (and hopefully some
teaching skills) would do.


A native speaker is an absolute must, IMHO. I have learned foreign languages and the long term success was directly proportional to exposure and not at all to academic grades. If you don't use a language among natives of that country or, ideally, by living in that country for a long time, most people will lose those skills fast.

One language I learned from native teachers and lots of exposure. Worked very well, completely fluent. Another I kind of had to learn because I moved there. Forgot most of it 10 years later but surprisingly when I went there for a biz it all snapped back after two beers in the pub. That blew my mind as well as that of others in the pub. Learned Spanish from a native speaker but never used it in practice. The result is dismal, I basically do not master it anymore.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
.

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