And, yet, 大山 can read the websites of manufacturers, their specifications and documentation, can interact directly with the people involved in the design with lower language barriers, etc. I've been researching contracting a manufacturing partner in China for a variety of products I'd like to see but don't exist (or do exist, but at a price point that is absurd, given cost of manufacture); nothing all that complicated, really, but I still find I'd like to be able to dig deeper into the manufacturers reputation and I'd like to be able to interact with them in a way that insures we're actually talking about the same things, and that's challenging for an English speaker.
Realistically speaking, I probably just need to find a business partner who is fluent, maybe someone in China near the relevant manufacturing region. It'll take years to be fluent..Though I recognized 大, as I've been doing Chinese words in Memrise.
You'll still have lots of problems in China even if you speak fluently; most of the problems we encounter are cultural and not linguistic. You'll get ripped to shreds unless you can find an honest but savvy local partner.
If you do intensive for a year at BLCU, you could get fluent. I did intensive for 6 months at PKU, and my Chinese has gotten worse since I started working here 7 years ago. You don't have that much time to practice chinese and do your job at the same time (my Chinese today is limited to communicating with taxi drivers).
