In the next decade, he says the most important language to learn for job opportunities is likely to be Mandarin Chinese.

他预言十年之后，普通话可能成为能否赢得工作机会的最重要语种。

youdao

English, two clerks, a familiar e-commerce experience, priority will be Mandarin, there are more than one year work experience, women 25 years old, treatment Negotiable.

英语文员两名，有熟识电子商务经验，会普通话优先， 有一年以上工作经历，女性25岁左右，待遇面议。

youdao

It has never been a better time to be able to read Mandarin and a financial statement.

看来学中文和研究财务报告是没有时间了。

youdao

"We know the situation in Japan is terrible right now, so we hope that our activities can help the Japanese victims, " said Chinese organizer Jing Yao, a junior aspiring to be Mandarin language teacher.

CNN: Why China's help to Japan carries weight

So to justify the extra effort needed, the demand for fluency in Mandarin would have to be way above demand for, say, French.

ECONOMIST: The craze for teaching Chinese may be a misguided fad

In Mandarin, the future can be below and the past above.

WSJ: Does Language Influence Culture?