In the News
Mandarin's influence reaches deep (April 16)
Mandarin's status as China's standard language has been further enhanced as nearly 53 percent of the 1.3 billion Chinese in the country can communicate with others via Mandarin, said a national survey released here Sunday. The survey shows there are huge gaps in the number of Mandarin-speaking people if different resident localities, age groups, and educational background ... Read more »
Increasing Foreigners Show Desire to Learn Chinese (February 22)
Growing numbers of foreigners are showing a desire to learn the Chinese language, latest statistics from the Ministry of Education have shown. By the end of last year, nearly 30 million people from 85 countries and regions were learning standard Chinese -- putonghua. China is also witnessing a growth in the number of foreign students who come to study Chinese and ... Read more »
Where are the Chinese-speakers of the future? (February 16)
At a Chinese restaurant, third grader Catherine Conway surprised the waiter by speaking to him in his own language. "He was so happy, he gave me extra fortune cookies," she says. While most American children don't start language study until middle school, Catherine began Chinese in kindergarten at Potomac Elementary in Rockville, Md., which offers a Chinese immersion ... Read more »
Teaching of Chinese Spreads Worldwide (January 29)
China is spreading the Chinese language to keep up with the big interest in it which has followed China's successful bid for the Olympic Games 2008, its entry into the World Trade Organization and its sustained economic growth. Yan Meihua, director of the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOTCFL), said the above in Beijing Friday, as the final ... Read more »
Chinese Language Teaching Easier for Foreigners (January 26)
More than 60 experts from home and abroad shared their views and experiences on Chinese language teaching at a three-day international forum which closed in Shanghai Tuesday. The experts jointly called for the design of Chinese language teaching materials to take full account of the difficulties encountered by foreigners.
The teaching method for Chinese grammar is ... Read more »
Chinese Language Getting Popular in World (January 18)
The Chinese language will likely play an increasingly important role in Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation, senior officials said. Reducing the language barrier among more and more people allows for better cultural understanding between China and the world, and helps facilitate peace, said Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's ... Read more »
Chinese Language Courses in Demand (January 13)
The Chinese language will likely play an increasingly important role in Sino-foreign exchanges and co-operation, senior State officials said. Reducing the language barrier among more and more people allows for better cultural understanding between China and the world, and helps facilitate peace, said Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National ... Read more »
Chinese Grows in Popularity Worldwide (January 05)
China's growing affluence has led to the unprecedented popularity of the Chinese language, nearly 25 million foreigners are currently studying it aboard, eastday.com reported today. The nations' successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games and entry to the World Trade Organization has beefed up its profile worldwide. According to approximate statistics, more than 2,100 ... Read more »
Over 25 million foreigners learn Chinese (January 03)
More and more foreign learners are showing interest in the Chinese language, numbering more than 25 million globally, according to a source with the third "Chinese Bridge" world undergraduate Chinese competition. A Chinese learning upsurge is seen in many European, American and Asian countries today, said one of the people in charge of the competition here ... Read more »