Could Chinese people speak excellent English?

Lots of things are possible. But the languages are rather different, and not just in terms of accents and alphabets. Plus the older you get, the less likely it is that you'll be fluent in another tongue.

If a person learns a new language early enough (especially before their teenage years), the better their understanding of said new language. There isn't any reason a native speaker of Chinese could learn to read and speak English at a professional/native level.

Is it possible for me to learn Chinese? I personally have a hard time with learning and maintaining an understanding of French (not that I'm that to disciplined or willing to try to maintain the use and understanding of French as a second language).

I'll wait for the technology that downloads learning and understanding of subjects directly into ones brain via the Matrix style fictional tech used in said movie before I tackle the Chinese language.

Why not?

Learning and speaking a second language with that qualification of 'pure' is a relative and a loaded term. However, over time and with exposure (immersion) both a native-speaker of English and of Chinese language could get very good. My guess is that even after awhile, there'd still be an accent or certain differences would be detectable but not to the point of being clear communication. Beside the size of working vocabulary, phrases, slang and idioms are very hard to learn about totally.

In my case, being in my '60s, I'd consider learning a language at that level relatively futile. In my early teens, I might've had the facility to do it. Furthermore, understand that little children from age 4-12 yrs of age are amazing at what they can learn as far as second languages.

Yes they can but not that much fluent as british or americans speak. Now a days Chinese Govt is promoting English language in their schools and education institutes.

Sorry, that should have read:

Like Ragman, I'm still struggling to learn English!

Every time I think I've mastered it, McT and JTT start up with a heated discussion about where to stick their apostrophes and I'm back to square one.

You have a more better chance than me do.

U fink sow?

I started learning and using French when I was 10 and French people tend to think I am Swiss...

Interesting. My sis in law is almost Swiss (born and raised right on the French Swiss border, in the Jura) and her style of French is considered "sing song", meaning the tone goes up and down repeatedly during a sentence.

My present next door neighbour is Austrian, and says that a German would always be able to tell an Austrian accent because of the same sing song style.
Is it a mountain thing?

Are you a mountain lad, contrex?

Yes. Some of them DO.



No chance; turn lead into gold first.

Well, I was raised in Herne Hill (the one in Lambeth, not the one in Australia) at about 60 feet above sea level, but I don't think that really counts as mountain country. I am aware that my French accent is a bit sing-song; I was always getting corrected for it at school. Something I found very funny was Jacques Villeret in a film (of a play) called "Le diner des cons". There is a priceless bit where he has to pretend to be Belgian on the phone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K_3aq2dChU

I love that film! The remake was awful.

La Cage aux Folles
Jean de Floret
Manon des source....all brilliant!

Oh, and anything with Louis de Funes in it.

Chinese born in the U.S. speak perfect English. However, I was told by an educated Asian that Asians don't seem to have the gift of gab that other Americans might have? Amongst each other they seem to chatter away, but they might have some hesitancy to be as vocale with other Americans? I think few can out-talk many an American non-Asian women, in my opinion (especially from NYC (including Long Island) or nearby New Jersey).