Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. More than 1.2 billion people speak it as their native tongue and it is fast becoming one of the world's dominant languages for business. However, it is a difficult language to learn, and so the Chinese people are very happy to hear any foreigner speaking it, no matter how little or how badly. My husband says that one of the most common phrases he hears in his daily life here is "You speak Chinese very well," and people often say this when he just says "Ni hao"(Hello)! It is a wonderful country in which to learn a new language, because whether you're talking with a taxi driver, a business colleague, a government official, or even ordering a coffee at Starbucks, the fact that you can speak even a little Chinese will immediately bring a smile to a Chinese face, and significantly more warmth to any conversation.

(selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China Intercontinental Press in 2012)