Which Chinese language is more useful?

[Winterfell]

Right guys this is a really random thread I know.

I've been considering moving to China and teaching English for a while now, it's something I'd really like to do, I'm verry passionate about chinese culture, cinema and the lifestyle. However, if I'm going to do it I most certainly need to learn to speak Chinese right? But there are two Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese... So which do I learn...? I mean they're completely different languages, and both are considered to be among the hardest to learn in the World, and it would be an awful shame to spend a year learning one only to go "oops" at the end...

Any thoughts?

[Kazilan]

Mandarin. I taught english for a year in Shenzhen (right next to Hong Kong) and even there, Mandarin was the most useful. In Hong Kong itself people speak cantonese, but they also usually speak English at some level.

[Winterfell]

So Cantonese is more or less exclusive to Hong-Kong then?

Rather ironic when considering the origins of madarin as the language of the noble elite...

[Winter Wolf]

Mandarin, hands down. It's the national dialect, and while people in Guangdong or Hong Kong might not use it amongst themselves, they DO understand it. You go around speaking Cantonese in Beijing or Shanghai and you're not going to get near as far.

Also, and this is important, you can pick up other dialects of Chinese when you speak Mandarin. It does not necessarily work as well trying to go the other direction. I'm fluent in Mandarin, but I learned Shanghainese essentially by osmosis (no formal schooling, just paying attention), and ditto for the smattering of Cantonese I understand.

One last thing you should be aware of: China will be vastly different than your expectations. Yeah, even then. You CAN'T prepare for the culture you'll encounter. Once you can accept, believe, and know that simple fact, things will go much smoother for you. Oh, and welcome to Planet China, 'cause it really does feel like a different world.

[Kakero]

Ditto on the Mandirin. You can't go wrong with it. It should help you to converse with chinese all around the world too.

[Timber Loftis]

Chinese immigrants here in Chicago mostly speak Mandarin, and it seems to have the most uses outside China generally.

[Memnoch]

There's actually more than two Chinese dialects, but Mandarin and Cantonese are the two most popular. If you're planning to be in mainland China or Taiwan, Mandarin is going to be better for you. If you're planning to mainly reside in Hong Kong, Cantonese is the predominant dialect spoken there. If you don't know what part you will be, you're probably better off learning Mandarin.

[Winterfell]

Wow!!! :O

Thanks for all the replies, I didn't expect so many!
I guess my course is set then, I'm off to find a Mandarin tutor

As far as the culture and country in general go, while I don't know exactly what to expect,
I reckon I must have some sort of heads up from my chinese movie collection.
I have 1T of them and you can learn alot about a country/culture from its cinema no?
Or am I way off the mark for China there?

[Firestormalpha]

I suppose that depends, are you talking Mulan from Disney or something from Jet Li or Jackie Chan? but seriously, from what I've been told, in almost any culture, the only way to prepare for it, is to experience it.

[Kakero]

Which part of China are you going? Then again you should be fine. China is quite modern than you might think. Foreigners should be comfortable walking about. Spending a day or two walking about in your local china town should suffice.

Though there are certain things you should know.
1, Get use to see people spit left, right , up and down.
2, Get use to the loud car horns.
3, Don't make people lose face.
4, Always bargain.