BBC learning english - words in the news - China's language challenge | Текст песни

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• BBC learning english - words in the news
• China's language challenge

It's one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. But a third of China's population are unable to speak Mandarin. And according to officials, many of those who speak the language do so badly.

China is home to thousands of dialects and several minority languages. In the southern province of Guangdong, Cantonese is widely spoken. For decades, the ruling Communist party has promoted Mandarin in an attempt to unite the most populous nation on earth.

But government efforts have been hampered by the sheer size of the country and a lack of investment in education, particularly in rural areas. And despite the benefits of having a billion plus people speaking the same tongue the government's policies have long been contentious - particularly among the country's ethnic minorities.

In 2010 there were protests in Tibet over the use of Mandarin in schools.

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