One of the more common questions asked by language learners in China is “Which language is best to study as a 2nd Foreign Language?”. The fact is, in China every student learns English as a Second Language. There has even been some controversy as to the wisdom of requiring ALL college students to reach a certain level of proficiency in English. Famous art professor Chen Danqing has criticized this policy of the the Chinese educational system, but there it is anyway. Students in China must study English, and demonstrate ability to communicate in English via a national testing system linked to graduation for Chinese students at high school and university. This applies to all majors, even painting. After learning English, many students wish to learn a Second Foreign Language. So what are the choices for Chinese students who wish to learn another language and increase the pool of potential communication and business partners even more? Let’s look at them one by one. By the way, English is the language spoken in the greatest number of countries (115).

Here’s the top five in terms of number of countries speaking a language:

• English (115)
• French (35)
• Arabic (24)
• Spanish (20)
• Russian (16)

By the way, Mandarin Chinese has the most speakers (over a billion) and is 7th on the list of languages in terms of the number of countries where it is spoken, which is five totally.

Spanish
Learning Spanish is a good idea for Chinese students. Not only is the language similar to English which makes it easier to learn, it is one of the most prevalent languages in the world. People all over South America and Europe can speak Spanish. It just so happens that these are 2 areas of potential growth for trading and business with China. The number of Spanish speakers in the world is over 350 million people. Spanish is the official language is these countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, United States (New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela.

French
French is also a strong choice for Chinese students who can already speak English. Since French is known as an international language, and is the diplomatic working language of United Nations, it is a very official and useful language to know. Many people in African countries can speak French, thus opening the channels for Chinese people who wish to do business, study, and exchange ideas with people in what may be the most important continent in the world, for the future and now. The number of French speakers in the world is over 67 million people. French is the official or national language in these countries: Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Guernsey, Guinea, Haiti, India (Karikal, Pondicherry), Italy, Jersey, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Monaco, New Caledonia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, United States (Louisiana), Vanuatu.

Arabic
Arabic, like Spanish and French, is spoken by large numbers of people across the globe. Learning Arabic is a good choice for Chinese students who wish to do business with and learn more about people in countries like Jordan, Turkey, and more. The number of Arabic speakers in the world is over 200 million people. Modern standard Arabic is used as the official language in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen. Hasaniya Arabic is used in Mauritania and Senegal. Arabic is the national language of Mali.

Hindi
India is one of the largest and most important countries in the world. The development of the world’s second most populous country has been foreshadowed in the 21st century only by China itself. So it is a natural that the language of India is important. One thing though, is that India also uses English as an official language, and most trade or other communication, be it educational or personal, can be carried out in English. So this may not be the best choice, but it is still a viable option for Chinese who want to take advantage of sheer numbers. The number of Hindi speakers in the world is over 370 million people. Besides India, Hindi is also the official language for Fiji.

Note about English:
Learning English is still the best choice for a Second Language for native Chinese speakers. Here is a list of countries where English is the official language: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China), India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Maritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevs, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somolia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.