Life of Guangzhou - Language Expert Reveals Secret to Success

According to modern theories, a language is either acquired - absorbed subconsciously and a part of you - or merely learnt, says Huang Gaowen, professor of linguistics at the Foreign Language Institute at Sun Yat Sen University.

Up to a certain age - about the mid-teens - a language can be acquired, but this window of opportunity disappears after the age of 18 years. For most foreign learners, the dream of speaking Chinese like a native is probably out of reach and explains why their early age of learning, rather than the length of stay in China, separates "Guangzhou Dashans" from the rest of the pack.

However, "no language is spoken only one way", says Huang. "British English is not spoken the same way as American English," he says. "Indian English and Singapore English are not the same as British English. Even within China, there are so many dialects. So who is to say Chinese spoken by (skilled) foreigners is not Chinese?

"Communicative competence, rather than particular skills in one area, is more important. Foreign students should learn survival patterns first, then start speaking everyday."

For those who might need additional inspiration to continue their quest, Huang did a blind assessment of some Chinese spoken by Burton, Condrell and Hood, the latter two of whom had already passed the theoretical acquisition age before they started their studies.

All three displayed advanced Chinese language skills with zero grammatical errors, says Huang. And of the three, Condrell appeared indistinguishable from a native speaker.