Do I need to know Chinese to succeed in Hong Kong employment?
I'm a qualified accountant looking for my next career move and would love to spend a couple of years in Hong Kong, I don't speak any Chinese at the moment but want to learn when I'm out there. From a professional perspective, will I be able to work and play (and progress my career) just with English?
China - 10 Answers
People Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
english is the language of commerce in HK. you will do alright but picking up the basics will improve your connections and allow you to know when people are bad mouthing you behind the language barrier. It can pay major dividends if you understand and don't let anyone know.
Answer 2 :
Despite the Cantonese' notorious reputation for being ill-tempered, I don't think people will be bad mouthing you unless you give them a reason to. And I think learning language would be put to better use for understanding a new culture and making friends, not just to be on guard and spy on the conversations around you. What's the point of traveling if you approach offensively? To answer your question, for Hong Kong and South China, your studies should focus on Cantonese, because Madarin is pretty useless down there. On the other hand, Mandarin is more useful everywhere else in China, so if you anticipate moving or traveling later, then perhaps you should study both concurrently. But even if you only speak English in HK, you'd get by just fine because it is a very international city. Sincerely, Tom Carter p.s. be sure to look for my new photobook in the Hong Kong bookshops; that's where it was published. CHINA: Portrait of a People http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm http://www.tomcarter.org
Answer 3 :
I know someone who is a CEO in a financial institution there at the age of 37. He speaks no Cantonese so it is highly possible you can do the same. I worked in Central for a year and don't speak Cantonese either.
Answer 4 :
In China many people can speak Chinese my 6years old brother and my grandfand also can speak English(my grandfather not only can speak English but also can speak Japanese ^ ^)So don't worry about language it will be OK
Answer 5 :
Personally it will be ok with english,but it's really a good idea to learn some basic Mandarin,like thanks,where' s the bathroom...?
Answer 6 :
You can get pretty far in Hong Kong with English, but be reminded that it may not always work. If you seriously want your career to progress, you're spoken and written grasp of Chinese will need to be good. Not every client you encounter will know how to speak English, and even if they do, you may still need to speak a few words of Chinese. Your written Chinese has to be good too because you may need to type emails or write propsals in Chinese. I'm Korean-Chinese and have been exposed to Chinese all my life. But trust me, writing proposals in Chinese is no easy task.
Answer 7 :
My husband was an expat in HK, he doesn't speak any Chinese at all! However if you want to live there for long term learning Chinese is a plus, even though in HK people speak Cantonese only on daily basis but in business they use English or Mandarin with other people.
Answer 8 :
The HK Chinese like to gossip. A lot of business in HK is related to Mainland China, so knowledge of Chinese is needed in almost every company. Being able to read Chinese is more important than speak, because formal written Chinese is the same in all of China, including HK.
Answer 9 :
In hong kong everyone can speak english, especially proffesional people such as accountants. But if you were to go out there and work, you'd have to be careful as hong kong people will bad mouth you (i know cos my dad is an accountant from hong kong) When you get out there definetly try to pick up cantonese, but i wouldnt start learning until you are out there. But before you go i would try and learn mandarin, a fairly simple language to pick up if you already know english. From my perspective you would be able to work and play, but only to an extent where you would experience hong kong from a tourist view. So yes i would try and learn cantonese, but to give you a bigger edge learn mandarin, and if you have all 3 languages (cantonese, mandarin and english) you can get very far in hong kong, and potentially move over to China.
Answer 10 :
Hi "Stuck!", I've returned home from a 6 month work experience trip to Shanghai, it was fantastic and I strongly urge you to follow your dream. You will have a wonderful experience! I knew a few phrases of Mandarin before going to Shanghai and worked within my field for a Chinese company where only 3 people could speak English. I can now hold a conversation in Chinese and can also read and write. I have many non-chinese friends living and working in Hong Kong, they speak no Chinese at all, and have no problems there at all. I recommend you to; 1) Try to find employment with a 'foreign' (ie. American) company if you can. You may feel too isolated if everyone around you is speaking a language you do not understand. 2) Take up formal language lessons once you get there, in either Cantonese or Mandarin. (Spoken Mandarin I think is easier to learn). But only for your own enjoyment / self-development
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