Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg recently visited China’s?Tsinghua University for a 30-minute question and answer session and he shocked the audience members by conducting?it in Mandarin.
He shocked me, too, actually.?I knew he had learned Mandarin. His girlfriend of many years (and now his wife) Priscilla Chan is Chinese and presumably, he had the opportunity to practice a lot at home, which is the best way to learn a language. Linguists call it immersion. However, learning a language and speaking a language at home is one thing. Answering the unscripted questions of a room full of strangers — for 30 minutes — is another. I formally studied linguistics and dabbled in a few?languages, but I would neverrrrr have the guts to do this, even in Spanish, which I actually speak very well.
Love him or hate him, Mark Zuckerberg just reminded us that he’s no slacker. It’s not like he has nothing else to do all day and can go learn languages. He reportedly works 10-hour days at the office like many of the rest of us.?Check it out below.
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Tiffany Willis is a fifth-generation Texan and the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
h/t Nextshark
