Learning Chinese not so hard

Looking at the horizon of Chinese-language teaching in the English-speaking world, anyone with knowledge of both languages cannot but feel disappointed.

I obtained most of my basic English during the "cultural revolution" in the 1970s, when any overseas contact, direct or indirect, was difficult. But still, more and more people realized that English was going to be useful and started to prepare themselves.

It is amazing, in fact, to see language learning finally moving both ways more than 40 years later. A growing number of students are studying Chinese in US schools. But despite all the progress in technology, especially the Internet, students are still experiencing many unnecessary difficulties.