<p>My friends’ blond D took Mandarin all through school, including HS & all of college, went to China to teach English to improve her Mandarin. She still finds it a very challenging language. I think it’s MUCH easier for them to learn English fluently than us to learn to read & translate their language, especially the writing. My neighbor is from Hong Kong and still speaks with a HK British accent. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, & Cantonese as she grew up tri-lingual.</p>