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Chinese-Speaking
Fascinating Facts
1. There are 7 officially recognised spoken dialects (Mandarin, Yue, Wu, Min, Xiang, Hakka, Gan) and Chinese linguists also add Jin, Huizhou and Pingua. 
2. Roughly 1/5 of the world speaks Chinese, making it the most widely-spoken language amongst native speakers. 
3. The language itself makes a sharp distinction between its written and spoken forms. 
4. Although there are a variety of spoken languages in Chinese, there is only one written form. 
5. It is common for speakers of Chinese to be able to speak several variations of the language. Typically in southern China, a person will be able to speak the official Putonghua, the local dialect, and occasionally either speak or understand another regional dialect, such as Cantonese.
  • Neat Nanjing

    Written by  Natacha Cullinan Thursday, 12 May 2011
    Richard spent his year abroad in Nanjing, China. Read on as he fills the year abroad blanks...
  • Pete's Beijing Journal

    Written by  Lizzie Fane Wednesday, 12 May 2010
    After a semester in Dijon, France and a thorough exploration of Europe, Pete (who's studying for his BA (Hons) in French and Chinese at the University of Manchester) has now arrived in Beijing for stage two of his third year abroad.
  • Week 3 - The Cold War

    Written by  Peter Gentle Wednesday, 24 March 2010
    I am woken in a haze by the usual “*knock knock* Fuwuyuan, keyi dasao ma? *two seconds, definitely not enough time to respond; knock knock*, fuwuyuan, keyi dasao ma? *knock knock*” No fuwuyuan, you cannot clean my room, I reply through the medium of not replying at all and lying motionless in bed. For the first time the maid disappears without me having to do anything, and I relapse back into a fuggy and slightly hung-over dreamland. How did I get there, I hear you ask? I guess the situation is pretty self-explanatory (but my first night out in the Jing is worth recounting), my blog title less so. Here are the events of the weekend, in no particular order - though I’ll try and stick to the characteristic chronological.
  • Week 1 - A New Start

    Written by  Peter Gentle Saturday, 06 March 2010
    And so another journey comes to an end, and almost immediately another begins. On returning from Europe I have one day back home (or a mere thirty-two hours) back on English soil before my feet once again leave the ground for the Orient. At twenty past five I am on a plane not only saying goodbye to England, but to Europe, to the Western World and all that I have ever known - not to return for another six months. Just to completely immerse myself before even entering Asia, I am flying for ten hours with AirChina, virtually all the on-board entertainment is in Mandarin (Chinese films, Chinese music) and my neighbour is a friendly, chatty Korean girl. This is going to be a long journey.
  • Beijing, China – lively, historical, urban, Far Eastern

    Regrettably the second part of my year abroad – in Beijing, was a short one – I was limited to a month in the city due to health problems. However, a month was certainly enough to get more than just a feel for one of the world’s biggest and most mysterious cities.
  • These are reviews by students who have spent a year abroad in China.  They have passed on what they've learnt during their experiences, packing ideas and accommodation tips to help you choose where to go and advice about how to settle in faster.

    Use the list below or search our handy map for more information.

    We are on the lookout for writers for this section; if you are interested in contributing, please get in touch!
  • Week 2 - (Already) Bored of Noodles

    Written by  Peter Gentle Saturday, 06 March 2010
    I guess the fact that I have already become bored of noodles suggests that my life in Beijing is becoming rather mundane - and I guess this is a good thing - it means that I am settling in quickly. After a completely disorienting but ultimately rewarding first taste of Beijing, the Chinese capital is beginning to taste a lot less exotic - something other than pot noodles and sitting in my flat all day is desperately needed. It is high time I explored Beijing. Don’t get me wrong - the city keeps throwing up surprises, mainly in the weather stakes - what appears to be a clear sunny day is freezing cold and blustery, followed by the murky fog and grimy snow that I am accustomed to the following day.
  • Urumqi (Wulumuqi) in Xinjiang, China – busy, 2 million people, foodie's heaven
    There were plenty of bars and clubs (both Western and Chinese-run) as well as heaps of restaurants (it's China after all). There were good Korean and Japanese restaurants nearby too. There are ski-slopes in the winter (both near and far from Uruqmi), and desert trips/tours etc. in summer.

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