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Jobs for Non-Executive English Speakers... NON-EXISTENT

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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    >> Been here almost 20 years and haven't picked up Cantonese and or Mandarin?

    As is my case too. My 7 year old knows more mandarin than I'd care to learn...
    Really?

    Twenty years and no Canto? I can understand the no Mandarin as it isn't really useful for daily life here, but seems Canto would really help. I notice that most of the population here speaks it.
    And, for full disclosure, my Canto is limited to a few words, but my wife's improves all the time.
    Last edited by Sleuth; 09-04-2010 at 01:00 PM. Reason: trying to correct all my typing errors....

  2. #12

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    >> Twenty years and no Canto?

    Well, ok, 17 years and a few swear words and a few plesantries....


  3. #13

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    Why are you referring to 1997? Its already more than 10 years and you only now asking this question if you are screwed?

    You should be ashamed of yourself. What do you expect is going to happen when everyone speaks Turkish in Turkey and you want to speak Dutch?

    Stop being lazy and learn the damn language for goodness sakes.

    If a job requires a particular skills (eg. project management) and you don't have it, then the most logical thing is to go and learn it.

    I'm tired of people who complain about how they can't do this and can't get that. If you need (want) to achieve something, then go out and learn it. Its so easy to learn.


  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    On a point of pedantry, The Philippines was part of the British Empire from 1762 to 1764.
    No, only under temporary occupation. We occupied Indonesia from 1945 until the Dutch came back, but you wouldn't count that as part of empire.
    Load Toad likes this.

  5. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by milanhk:
    I'm tired of people who complain about how they can't do this and can't get that. If you need (want) to achieve something, then go out and learn it. Its so easy to learn.
    I agree with the achievment statement, but Canto is not easy.
    Aside from the swears and pleasantries.

  6. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sleuth:
    I agree with the achievment statement, but Canto is not easy.
    Aside from the swears and pleasantries.
    I disagree, Cantonese is EASY to learn and I proved it to be by learning myself to an advanced level.

    I went from nothing and progressed to fluent extremely quickly. I also got to fluent level within 3 months of knowing a big fat zero. I have even put videos of myself on the cantonese.sheik.co.uk forum to prove my fluency.

    I once met an Indian guy who complained that he couldn't get promoted in the Government because he couldn't read Chinese and he didn't need it before 1997. Every year since then up to 2009 (when I met him), he complained to the government of being discriminated since he couldn't read Chinese. Though if he spent the last 10 years learning to read rather than complain, he could have already gotten that promotion.

    So the moral of this thread, stop being lazy and learn what is required in order to achieve what you want/need. The OP has identified a weakness in his/her competitive advantage to other candidates. So instead of being a lazy bugger and writing forum posts about how he/she cannot get work because he/she didn't need to learn Chinese before 1997 and magically 10+ years after the handover finds out that he/she now needs it, could easily study up on Stephen Krashen's language acquisition method and learn Cantonese to enhance his/her credentials.
    jayinhongkong and carmine like this.

  7. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by apple&dog:
    If you want to do business in China, the most important thing is Mandarin.

    HK soon be left behind.....
    However, do you think the OP needs to do business in China?

    For the OP, he/she needs to compete for (NON-EXECUTIVE) positions with locals who can speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin! I would be worried in how can I make myself on par with the other 1000+ people who apply for the same job who have better credentials.

    And "the most important thing is Mandarin" is so inaccurate its not funny. The most important thing to do business in china is the knowledge on knowing how to do business, not Mandarin. If Mandarin is the most important thing, then there would be an over supply of business people. Reminds me of people that simply just study Mandarin at university thinking its the key to a successful career but forget to learn a real skill.
    JonathanCC likes this.

  8. #18

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    round of applause to milanhk! we should all watch his video and applaud and envy his fluency!

    and poor me (& others our there) for being lazy buggers.....

    Last edited by gadriel; 11-04-2010 at 10:52 PM.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by gadriel:
    round of applause to milanhk! we should all watch his video and applaud and envy his fluency!

    and poor me (& others our there) for being lazy buggers.....
    Not sure where you are getting this attitude from. I don't need to show off to you or anyone else here.

    I was only trying to help you, and you are ungrateful in your childish reply. I meant no negative innuendos. You think I'm showing off? Do you think I give 2 shizens to show off to people on an internet forum? I didn't even put a direct link here to my video on youtube to even bother to show off here.

    If you wonder why some people are successful, and you are not, then you only need to look at what the successful people have and what you don't have.

    You seriously need to stop blaming other people and Hong Kong. If you don't like it you have 3 options:

    1) leave Hong Kong
    2) learn Chinese and to better your chances and skills
    3) keep whinging and blaming others

    Seriously, I'm sick of people who blame others and carry on like kids. Regardless, I am not going to bother to check back here to your thread.

  10. #20

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    Milanhk

    couldn't agree with you more.
    Some people think the world owes them a living and use the victim mentality when things don't go there way.

    Put up and shut up if you're not prepared/willing to learn Cantonese to further your career. You only have yourself to blame and nobody else.
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