Xinhua Net News – Staff Writer
“Most people, including the Chinese, would agree that Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to learn in the world. And they are right. Though the beauty of the Chinese characters is indisputable, the writing system, which is not a phonetic one, could be daunting for any beginner. Not to mention the language’s tonal feature, which means that words differ in meaning based on tone as well as pronunciation. Therefore, when Kara Babb decided to learn Chinese in her second year in university, feedbacks from people around her were not that supportive. “How can you get that? It’s the most difficult language ever. Only super geniuses learn Chinese,” they said. Babb survived the seemingly formidable learning process, and the hard work she had put into the learning not only helped her gain an edge by grasping a useful foreign language, but also boosted her confidence.”(more)