Learn Chinese in 2025
The benefits of making learning Chinese your 2025 goal
Image by: WOKANDAPIX
According to this article, Chinese was the fastest growing language learning market in 2024, and for good reason. While everyone has different goals for 2025, and time is valuable in the busy modern world, learning Chinese can benefit you in a multitude of different ways. This article will explain 8 of the key benefits that learning Chinese in 2025 can bring.
Earn More Money
Everyone knows that bilingualism makes you a more attractive hire in most industries, but what about Chinese specifically? This analysis found that in Mexico, those who learned Chinese earned the most compared to those who learned other languages. A study from China offered similar results, claiming that:
“We found that improvement of both Mandarin proficiency and English proficiency can significantly promote the total income and wage income.”
Chinese Connects You to the World
Given China’s powerful influence on the international market, no business can deny the importance of being able to communicate with Chinese people. Statistics from 2024 show just 5% of Chinese are fluent in English, meaning if a company wishes to do business directly with China, speaking the most widely spoken language in China (Mandarin Chinese) will heighten convenience dramatically. Nobody ever achieved anything great alone, and with China’s population of over 1.4 billion people, speaking Chinese will give you access to significantly more people than English alone.
Brain Health
Reading can improve our brain health but this study shows that language learning can drive even more profound changes in the brain by enhancing its structural and functional adaptability. It can increase gray matter density, improve white matter integrity, and promote neuroplasticity across all age groups. Furthermore research suggests that bilingualism, particularly lifelong switching between languages, may enhance cognitive flexibility and improve mental shifting and executive function. This makes language learning a uniquely powerful tool for cognitive development.
Access a Rich Literary History
Learning Chinese is immensely rewarding because it opens the door to a vast and diverse literary tradition which, as discussed in A History of Chinese Literature spans thousands of years. From classic writers like Confucius with his Analects, Laozi and the Tao Te Ching, and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, to the great novels of imperial China like Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber, Chinese literature offers profound philosophical insights and timeless stories.
Modern Chinese literature also thrives with authors like Lu Xun, who pioneered modern Chinese prose, and contemporary works such as Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum or the globally acclaimed science fiction series The Three-Body Problem (San Ti) by Liu Cixin, which explores humanity’s place in the universe with stunning imagination. Whether you’re drawn to ancient philosophy, historical epics, modern fiction, cutting-edge sci-fi, or poetry, Chinese literature provides a rich, multifaceted world with something to captivate every reader.
You’ll look really smart when people see that you are spending your commute reading Chinese too!
Modern Chinese literature also thrives with authors like Lu Xun, who pioneered modern Chinese prose, and contemporary works such as Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum or the globally acclaimed science fiction series The Three-Body Problem (San Ti) by Liu Cixin, which explores humanity’s place in the universe with stunning imagination. Whether you’re drawn to ancient philosophy, historical epics, modern fiction, cutting-edge sci-fi, or poetry, Chinese literature provides a rich, multifaceted world with something to captivate every reader.
You’ll look really smart when people see that you are spending your commute reading Chinese too!
Image by: OpenClipart-Vectors
Many People Shy Away from Chinese
While the benefit of looking smart was not shared entirely seriously, it offers a reminder that many foreign language students shy away from learning Chinese, despite its inarguable utility. In fact, despite the surge in Mandarin mentioned in the introduction, there are almost 3 times as many French learners as Mandarin learners. This is likely because of the FSI language difficulty categorization, which puts Chinese at 2200 class hours and French at 600-750 class hours. Learning any language takes time, and Chinese fluency may indeed require more time than French, but with the abundance of interesting ways to learn Chinese in 2025, you can enjoy every second the process.
Countless Brilliant Resources
When new Chinese learners hit Reddit to ask what resources they should use, the HSK Standard Course textbooks are often recommended. There is nothing wrong with these books, and the HSK provides a well-rounded framework for measuring and improving your Chinese proficiency level (that is why all of our texts are graded by HSK level!). However, you can supplement traditional materials with a plethora of online resources that make learning Chinese engaging and accessible: which puts Chinese at 2200 class hours and French at 600-750 class hours. Learning any language takes time, and Chinese fluency may indeed require more time than French, but with the abundance of interesting ways to learn Chinese in 2025, you can enjoy every second the process.
- Reading: Platforms like Hanyu Tales, Chairman's Bao, and Du Chinese offer graded reading materials tailored to learners of all levels.
- Teaching: Websites like italki connect learners with professional tutors for personalized lessons.
- Podcasts: Shows such as ChinesePod and Mandarin Companion provide audio lessons on vocabulary, grammar, and culture.
- Movies/Shows: Streaming platforms feature popular dramas and films like The Untamed or Hero, which offer authentic listening practice and cultural insights.
- Language Exchanges: Apps like HelloTalk or Tandem let you practice with native speakers in real-time.
- Games: Apps such as Skritter and Pleco gamify vocabulary and character recognition, making study sessions fun and interactive.
It's Easy to Find Time to Learn
The number of excellent resources leads us on to the next benefit of making learning Chinese your goal, which is that learning Chinese can be extremely convenient and does not necessarily require you completely changing your schedule to squeeze in a study session. With some simple substitutions, you can improve your Chinese with minimal effort:
- Listening to music on the way to work→Listen to a Chinese learning podcast like ChinesePod or Mandarin Monkey.
- Scrolling through social media→Follow Chinese-language influencers or learn through short videos on apps like Douyin or YouTube’s Chinese language channels.
- Watching your favorite TV show at night→Switch to a Chinese drama or movie like Nirvana in Fire or The Wandering Earth.
- Texting friends in your native language→Use a language exchange app like HelloTalk to chat with native Chinese speakers.
- Playing games on your phone→Use language apps like Duolingo, Pleco, or HanziCraft to reinforce your Chinese vocabulary.
Get Started
There are countless reasons to learn Chinese in 2025. Regardless of what your motivation is, the most important thing is enjoying the process, and with the wealth of resources available to us in 2025, there truly is something for everyone. Don’t overthink it and just get started!