Hamilton will continue to be a 'city of the future' if more residents learn Chinese. That is the view of university students and co-coordinators of New Zealand Chinese Language Week (September 7-13) in Hamilton, Sarah Thomson and Zhixia Zhao.
"When we look to the future and at building trade and business relationships with our neighbours in the Asia Pacific region, we must realise English is no longer the language of business. If we want to trade on an international platform, we need to widen our understanding of other cultures and languages. People really appreciate it when you have taken the time to learn their language - even if it is just a few words or phrases, the effort goes a long way," Sarah says.
Sarah Thomson, a law student at the University of Waikato and Youth Ambassador for the New Zealand Chinese Language Week Trust, has been learning Mandarin for more than five years. She first found her passion for the language when she travelled to China for an English teaching exchange programme in 2010, and has returned to China several times, her most recent trip being to study law on a Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia.
Sarah decided to become involved in New Zealand Chinese Language Week as way to encourage more Kiwis to take up learning a second language.
"I think that when you learn a new language, you get to experience a whole new life. It opens up your eyes, and helps you to better understand not just other cultures, but your own too."