I have been around here for a long time, but up to now, a few people here know Chinese, compared to English and French, I don't think Chinese is less important or influential, besides, Chinese is indeed not hard to learn, but why so many foreigners, esp. those who have never come to China, find it so hard to learn and master this actually simple language? This makes me pondering...
As a native Chinese, I can speak, listen, write, think and understand in Chinese in an outstanding way, but to my knowledge, the Chinese language is not further analysed as that in English or French, although Chinese language has its own grammar and syntax, I rarely know which body has ever collected materials to prove those and set a rule of how it should be. The Chinese langage is descended by oral bestow, exmaple-provided lecture, emulation and interractive communication, writing and modifying. Till now, I don't know there is really a systematic research of its existence and nature, despite its increasing presence.
For you who don't know Chinese and want to learn this language, at this time I have to say: Come to China, and the People is kind enough to Teach you!
But if you know Chinese, really I want you all to know this profound and content-bearing language so you will know a wider world of maturity... Then I can suggest you have a view on
http://www.pkucn.com/index.php
It's the supreme authority of the Chinese Language, about its Literature, Linguistic Research, in a professional and academic way.
If you know Chinese, please not miss this magic website.