Most commentators, including academics and the media, believe that Chinese characters are relatively difficult to write. However, most discussions on the topic of Chinese characters establish concerns about “proficiency,” technological advances in language learning and use, the overfocus on Chinese characters, and the challenging features of linguistics. Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese writing system does not prevent Chinese from becoming a global language.
Most of the world’s languages are written using phonetic symbols, such as the alphabet. The Chinese writing manner is one of the few exceptions — it is logical, meaning that each written symbol or character represents the meaning of a word or part of a word, not a sound.
As a result, each word involves learning at least one Chinese character, making learning Chinese literacy a time-consuming and difficult learning process.
Learning and using Chinese characters is a huge challenge for foreign learners of Chinese. These challenges are often seen as insurmountable obstacles to Chinese becoming a global language. Jeffrey Pullman’s The Bad Chinese Writing System is a typical example of this view.
Proponents of this view seem to think that for Chinese to become a global language, everyone needs to learn to read and write at a native-language level. However, that is not how English works as a global language.
A cursory look at the use of English around the world reveals that not everyone can read and write the language, let alone reach a native level. One important reason is that, generally speaking, people only learn English as much as they need it for their purposes.
The same goes for Chinese as a global language — not all learners need to know how to read and write the language, and not all learners need to achieve a high level of literacy,（Gill, 2020）.
“The inconsistencies and irregularities of the English writing system suggest that linguistic features alone do not determine whether a language becomes a global language,” Dr. Gill said. He added, “My conclusion is that the Chinese writing system will not prevent Chinese from becoming a global language.”（* Dr. Gill is the author of The soft Power of Chinese Language Learning and Its Global Promotion: The Confucius Institute Project (Multilingual Matters), which explores China’s soft power in promoting Chinese as a global language.）
REFERENCE：
Gil, J. (2020). Why Chinese can become a global language – The China Story %.
[online] The China Story. Available at https://www.thechinastory.org/whychinese-can-become-a-global-language/
[Accessed 24 Mar. 2022].
Gill, J. (2020). Chinese to rise as a global language: Technology will help overcome barriers. [online] ScienceDaily. Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200518111712.htm
[Accessed 24 Mar. 2022].
