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Q: How many expats in China learn to speak Uyghur, Kazakh, or minority languages?
I have been trying to learn the Uyghur language as well as Mandarin while in China. The Uyghur language is quite similar to Turkish. In Turkish the number 5 is bes and in Uyghur it is besh. The alphabet Uyghurs use is similar tp Arabic, farsi, and Urdu. When I go to Uyghur restaurants I can sometime read the menus that are written in the Uyghur script. Xinjiang food is my favorite. I especially like naan. I like to spread yogurt on top.
I know some 10 Uyghur's words ...
(phon.) 'rahmet', 'merhaba', ... which I 'studied' while being in Fuk ... (-ang) for the entire contract in 2013/14.
Then, Chinese stopped offering job vacancies in Xinjiang entirely.
I guess, laowai in Xinjiang could/would interrupt 'reeducation/indoctrination-Slick-Roady' program ...
Most expats I know learn whatever language they need to buy stuff, order a beer, flirt with girls, give directions to a taxi driver etc.
If everyone where they live speaks a minority language, then that's what they'll try to learn.
