Languages in Spain 2

Guest   Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:17 am GMT
<< True, I was wrong, i said the 9% but is 6%. But you have to look more far. In 2000 was 3% and only 15 European countries, arround 300 million people. In 2005 was 6%, THE TWICE IN ONLY 5 YEARS and with 27 European countries and more than 400 million people. These data show us that spanish is the faster growing language in the europe of 27.
Still far away from French and German but if the trend continues, in 15 years spanish will end to the hopes of the grandeur people.

IN THE NEXT EUROBAROMETER SPANISH WILL HAVE ARROUND 9-12% OF SCOND SPEAKERS AND WILL OVERTAKE RUSSIAN

In 2000 bad, in 2005 spanish overcome italian, in 2010 will overcome russian, 2015 near the German and french, 2020 will overcome german, 2025 will overcome french, 2030???? Who know, WE HAVE TO WAIT TO THE NEXT EUROBAROMETER. >>

Really Spanish will overtake Russian. Keep on dreaming and don't wake up from your deep siesta after taking huge dosage of cocaine and marijuana your national product.

Remember that Spanish is just studied in the UK, Frnace, Germany, Itlay and Portugal. But in the Nordic counries and Eastern Europe it's virually unknown.

As of now, eurobaromeer shows increase in Spanish speakers but in reality it's Russian that will pose threat to the Spanish language here because of Eastern Europewhere Spanish is not studied. In the next Eurobarometer Russian will cause the shrinking of the number of Spanish speakers in Europe. Before the percentage of Spanish was higher than 6% but it went to that figure when Eastern European countries were admitted because of they speak Russian and the trend will continue in favor of the Russian language.

In the next few years German will retake it's position in France and UK as the 2nd most studied foreign language because of Germany's role in EU which Spain cannot duplicate.

There's no truth that Spanish is becoming popular in Germany. Germans still prefer English and French because these 3 countries serve as pillars of EU while Spain is not. Even if there are large speakers of Spanish in Latin America but still English and French are the most popular here.

And waht the fukin' shit are talking that Spanish is more popular than French in Portugal? Spanish will never become popular in both Portugal and Brazil because they see Spanish as a wird Portuguese dialect.

Keep on waiting with your expectation that Spanish will become the 2nd most popular language and it will never come true because he grandeur people will enf the hopes of Spanish fanatics.

How can Spanish become popular among Europeans when the whole Spanish speaking world have weak economy plus they are all technologically lagard? It's impractical to study that language just because of entertainment.
Guest   Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:42 am GMT
HOW CAN SPANISH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY HISPANIC AMERICANS(BEHIND ENGLISH AND FRENCH)?

Across Latin America, Mandarin Is in the Air
By Juan Forero
Washington Post
September 22, 2006
Elizabeth Zamora is a busy mother and executive. Still, for three hours every Saturday, she slides into a battered wooden desk at Bogota's National University and follows along as Yuan Juhua, a language instructor sent here by China's government, teaches the intricacies of Mandarin.

Zamora already speaks German and English, but she struggles to learn written Chinese characters and mimic tones unknown in Spanish. She persists for a simple reason: China is voraciously scouring Latin America for everything from oil to lumber, and there is money to be made. That prospect has not only Zamora but business people in much of Latin America flocking to learn the Chinese language, increasingly heard in boardrooms and on executive junkets.

"It's fundamental to communicate in their language when you go there or they come here," said Zamora, 40, a sales executive for the German drugmaker Bayer, which is growing dramatically in China. "If you don't know their language, you're lost."

Latin America, with its vast farmlands and ample oil reserves and mineral deposits, has become a prime destination for investors and others from China, whose economy has been growing at 9 percent annually. The total value of trade between China and Latin America rose from just over $10 billion in 2000 to $50 billion last year, according to Chinese trade data.

"Latin American countries want to diversify their markets, and they see a huge opportunity, not just in the present but in the potential for growth," said Chris Sabatini, a senior director of policy for the New York-based Council of the Americas, a business association that encourages trade in the Americas. "Latin Americans, as people in any country, should be opportunistic, and they see opportunity with China."

Chinese companies are investing in farmland and energy installations in Brazil. Beijing has signed a free-trade agreement with Chile, its first with a Latin American country, while announcing investments in the Chilean copper industry and gas and oil fields in Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia. Beijing has also cemented a $5 billion oil deal with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, which is seeking to diversify exports to other countries beyond the United States.

The arrival of China in a largely Spanish-speaking region half a world away might seem unusual. But Beijing is in a relentless quest for oil, coal, iron ore and copper for its factories, soybean and poultry to feed its 1.3 billion people, lumber for housing, and fish meal for its livestock. President Hu Jintao's government, which two years ago pledged $100 billion in investments for several South American countries, said it also wants to bankroll road, port and railroad developments that would help bring exports more quickly to China.

Veering toward China, though, is far from easy for entrepreneurs and students from a region that has long been intertwined with the giant to the north. The United States remains the biggest investor in Latin America, its trade with the region eight times that of China's. English prevails as a second language.

Mandarin, on the other hand, is considered far harder to learn, with dialects and a tenor significantly different from the phonetic cadences of Spanish and Portuguese. Yet the Chinese language is making gains, as is the revolutionary idea of looking west across the Pacific for business opportunities.

"The world is divided into east and west, and the culture is completely different," said Miguel Angel Poveda, president of the Colombo-China Chamber of Commerce in Bogota. "The only way to get around it is to understand the culture and learn to do business with them, but in their language."

Many of those taking up the challenge are young, like Leidy Catalina Ortega, 17, who recently dropped an English-language class in favor of Mandarin. Her parents want to import clothing from China to sell in Bogota. If she learns the language, she will help manage the business. "If you're interested and work hard, you can learn and talk almost like they do," she said. "You are afraid at first. Later you get it and move on."

Universities across Latin America, from Mexico to Buenos Aires, are founding Asian studies programs and teaching Chinese. Institutions of all kinds -- some are expensive one-on-one tutorials and others are fly-by-night language academies staffed by illegal Chinese immigrants -- are being inundated with new students.

The University of Buenos Aires started its Chinese-language department in 2004 after Hu led a high-level delegation to Argentina, Brazil and other countries. "It generated so much interest, and people started to say, 'Where is there a place to learn Chinese?' " Maria Chao, the coordinator of the department, said by phone from Buenos Aires. "They see the language as a way to communicate and cut some distance between the two countries."

But in her wildest dreams, Chao said, she could not have foreseen how intense the interest would be. Instead of twenty students, as she expected, more than 600 signed up for classes. Now there are more than 1,000 students studying Chinese at the university, she said, in nearly 70 classes. Chao, who was born in China and immigrated to Argentina at age 5, said she has been astounded by the interest people have in China. She recently asked a policeman for directions and, without missing a beat, he responded: " Ni hao ma ," Mandarin for "How are you?"

In Peru, which has a dynamic Chinese immigrant community and an economy that is growing at 5 percent annually, business people are looking for classes that can quickly give them an advantage as the country's trade with China grows. Joseph Cruz, 46, who has been teaching Chinese for 23 years, will soon launch a course for executives costing $2,200 a year, a hefty sum in Peru.

The course, to be taught at Lima's Catholic University, will not just deal with grammar and vocabulary, but with the trappings of Chinese culture and history, from Confucian philosophy to the importance of tea. "The idea is to use these courses to teach people how Chinese thinking is reflected in modern China," Cruz said. "We're not going to waste their money."

China, too, sees great opportunity in Latin America, said Zhao Xingtian, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Bogota. He spoke on a recent night as a Colombian-Chinese salsa band -- singing in both Mandarin and Spanish -- prepared to play at a cocktail party given by the Colombo-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

"Many Chinese would like to come to this country, know its people, drink its coffee," said Zhao, speaking a fluid Spanish. "It makes us very happy that many Colombians want to learn Chinese. It's a good beginning. It's a good cultural exchange between Latin America and China."

China is dispatching teachers abroad, sending people like Yuan Juhua to countries that just a few years ago gave short shrift to the idea of strengthening ties with Beijing. Yuan arrived here just two years ago to help launch the National University's Mandarin program. Now, her 12-year-old daughter speaks fluent Spanish, and Yuan divides her time between teaching university students during the day and business people on weekends.

The university "didn't have any resources for the Chinese program, so after I came here, everything was a challenge for me," Yuan said. She also found teaching Spanish speakers a challenge. "These two languages are very different, and because of that, it's difficult for Chinese people to study Spanish and people here to study Chinese," Yuan said. Many drop out after level one, the first of four offered. "If they don't have patience and enthusiasm, it's hard to get to level two," she said.

In a break from Yuan's class, Miguel Aroca, a petroleum engineer for France's Total oil company, recounted the difficulties of reaching level two. Aroca, 33 and fluent in ENGLISH and FRENCH, said he wanted to study Mandarin as a hobby. Now he realizes it is a career tool. Mastering it will not be easy. "It went from being a hobby to being real work," he said. "The last exam, I was really stressed out."

http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/cultural/2006/0922mandarin.htm
Guest   Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:44 am GMT
Hispanic America Bets on Chinese Lessons


These days, all roads in international trade seem to lead to China, even in the case of a small country like Chile, which recently signed a free-trade agreement with the Asian giant. It was China’s first free trade treaty with a Western country, and it opens new international routes for its products. In addition, Chinese authorities say the agreement will make Chile a bridge for investments from China into the rest of Latin America. The agreement was signed on November 18 between Chinese president Hu Jintao and Chilean president Ricardo Lagos at the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Pusan, South Korea. Even before the treaty was signed, the companies of the region had already begun to do business with China.


This much is certain: Both China and the dynamic Southeast Asia region are the focal point for Latin American exports. However, the road to Asia is filled with cultural challenges and stereotypes that must be overcome in order to understand the business people and consumers in such a diverse geographical region.



What factors must be considered when for doing business and training human capital in Asia? Academics and Latin American specialists have already given a great deal of thought to the strategies that companies must undertake to achieve success in this area.



A Great Cultural Distance



Manfred Wilhelmy, a professor at the Catholic University of Chile and director-general of the Chilean Foundation of the Pacific, says that the distance that separates Asia from Latin America is not merely physical distance. There is also an enormous “cultural distance” that is “vital” for companies to overcome when they engage in bilateral trade. As a result of his many years of studying and traveling to that region, Wilhelmy believes that the public-to-public perception -- between individuals in Asia and Latin America -- is plagued by stereotypes and prejudices.



According to Wilhelmy, Asians see Latin Americans as “politically unstable, economically incompetent; argumentative and ideological; not very reliable, and very dependent on the United States.” Aside from being removed from reality, these images reflect a large deficit of information. They also focus only on negative factors. It is hard for Asians to view the region except as a land of caudillos and military coups, a land filled with people who make short-term promises and fail to follow through.



On the other hand, “We Latin Americans see Asians as inscrutable and enigmatic; as pragmatic and focused only on their own interests; as authoritarian and inflexible; and ostentatious in displaying their wealth. And we do not differentiate between the various peoples of the region, identifying them all as ‘Chinese.’” A good example of that is Alberto Fujimori, ex-president of Peru. Although his Japanese origin is well-known, he goes by the nickname, “El Chino” – ‘the Chinese man.’ The deep-rooted notion that all Asians are the same is the product of ignorance, since in China alone there are more than 55 different ethnic groups.



Wilhelmy notes, however, that when it comes to personal relationships between Asian diplomats and businesspeople and their Latin American counterparts, “perceptions are more nuanced because people are behaving at a level where there is more information.” Anyone who needs to establish a more direct relationship, as in the case of trade negotiations, must become familiar with the local culture and behave in a more professional manner. That means leaving behind those widely shared stereotypes.



“The cultural divide is a major problem that we have to overcome,” notes Luis Cortés, a professor at both the Universities of Chile and Diego Portales. “The cultural aspects of Asia are reflected at the negotiating table,” adds Cortés, who is also a member of the Latin American Association for Asian and African Studies. For example, he notes, “The Korean businessman is looking at his counterpart as a potential friend, while the Chinese businessman is studying him in terms of conflict.” How can you negotiate with an Asian? Cortés says that any intercultural negotiation, such as that between a Latin American professional or entrepreneur and his Asian equivalent, must initiate a critical and self-critical dialogue; must eliminate negative stereotypes that each culture products; and must abandon arrogance. In other words, you cannot believe that the truth is always on your side. The negotiation must develop personal contacts that show people as they really are, without assuming that the other side thinks exactly the same way that they do.



Religious beliefs also play quite a different role in Asia when it comes to defining social behavior, says Alejandra Vásquez, a professor at the University of Chile who earned her MBA at Waseda University in Tokyo. Vásquez has studied the misunderstandings about beliefs and values that can lead to frustrations and poor results when it comes to selling products to Asians. Such misunderstandings may even be responsible for business failures. Unlike the case in America, explains Vásquez, “In Asia, a wide range of religions has always co-existed, including such contrasting beliefs as Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto, Islam, and many others.” However, Vásquez argues that the Asian values that are discernible throughout much of the continent are derived from Confucianism – “not in its religious form but in its philosophical precepts and style of life.”



According to Vásquez, some Asian intellectuals argue that the Confucian emphasis on hard work, frugality, loyalty to the family, and national pride have had a strong influence on economic development in Asia. “In Asia, the interests of the community come before individual interests. As a result, it is always preferable that decisions made in any organization are based on consensus, not on confrontation.” Vásquez suggests that cohesion, order and social harmony are priorities achieved through moral principles and as a result of strong government. Moreover, she notes, “The main components in the so-called ‘neo-Confucianism’ shared by China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam are the following: Respect for authority and tradition; respect for education, and a preference for moral government.” In contrast, Western values cry out for individualism, liberty, enjoying life, and living in the present. These values make it hard to understand how enjoyment of the present can be significantly postponed for a better future, concludes Vásquez.



Two Styles of Negotiation: Koreaand China



According to Cortés, Korean businessmen are known by Western colleagues for being difficult, competitive negotiators. Typically, they introduce a large dose of sincere patriotism into their commercial negotiations based on the principles of Confucianism. “A Korean negotiates for himself, for his family and for his country,” and “loyalty is critical.” Along with these factors, one must be aware that the underlying commitments in any commercial negotiation are an integral part of the agreement. “Everything you say involves a commitment, including even a conversation at dinner, or when you go out together for ‘karaoke,’ which is a widespread pastime in Korea,” says Cortés. That means that if one behaves in an upright way, he or she can acquire a business partner and even, perhaps, a relationship for the rest of his life.



Communication also plays a key role -- through personal contacts, not through the telephone or other means. When this happens, people must share information about their families, where they come from, where they studied and so forth. From the Korean perspective, this process is not something superficial. Sharing information and daily activities with someone turns him or her into a trustworthy partner, adds Cortés. From a broader perspective, Vásquez notes that because of the importance of forging a strong and durable network of personal contacts, one can understand why Asian cultural messages are not explicit. One can also understand why people “are accustomed to deciphering a considerable part of communication from subtle gestures and from ideas that are not verbally articulated.”



Another direct influence of Confucianism on Korean culture, adds Cortés, is called ‘kibun.’ This means always maintaining the harmony between the individual and one’s location. For Westerners, this is a major challenge, because it only takes one word to disturb someone and break that harmony. “That’s why it is important to cultivate a personal relationship so you can detect when you have made your partner uncomfortable.”



For Latin Americans, the process of negotiating in China can become tedious and wind up in a labyrinth that can easily be frustrating. As a result, one must develop a good measure of ‘Oriental patience,’ and forget about quick negotiations that get right to the point. China is a country with more than 3,000 years of history and it has a different perspective about what constitutes the short term. “They see Latinos as very anxious to do business, and they use that as a means for achieving power,” says Cortés. “The Chinese are likely to fail to come to an agreement if their counterpart does not seem trustworthy.”



When it comes to the Chinese culture of negotiation, Cortés adds that it is critical to develop ‘guanxi’ – that is, a network of personal relationships. “Every Western business person must construct his or her world or network from the moment he or she arrives in China. Each negotiation will depend in good measure on the level of ‘guanxi’ that is created. And at every level, this involves relationships with companies as well as with individuals.” Second, adds Cortés, one must consider ‘mianzi’ -- that is, the social prestige or capital of each person. “Every executive or official in China tries to construct and maintain his or her social status. As a result, we must take care not to damage that reputation.” This advice even applies at the negotiation table for a trade agreement, notes Cortés. “Because they behave humbly, top officials don’t readily let you know who they are, and you have to collect information in advance about which person at the table is the one who can make the decisions.”



That was the experience of Viviana Araneda, director of Asia and Oceania at the Chilean foreign ministry’s bureau of international economic relations. At a recent forum on Asian markets at the Catholic University of Chile, Araneda noted that during the first round of the free trade agreement negotiations with China, all the negotiators sat around a long table. While the Asians maintained their expected silence, the Chileans presented their proposals, providing proof of the great expertise of a group of specialists who had negotiated more than 40 trade pacts. “The longer these rounds of negotiations went on, the more specialized they became,” confessed Araneda. “Ultimately, they became better negotiators than we were.”



Improving Education and Linguistic Skills



To overcome cultural distance and stereotypical perceptions, Latin American institutions of higher education need educational programs focused on Asia, argues Wilhelmy. “The Asia-Pacific specialty is not very well developed at universities in the region. However, Mexico is a notable exception. For example, the Colegio de Mexico has areas of specialization, and it grants scholarships throughout Latin America, as do other institutions in that country. Peruvian universities also stand out. In Chile, there is the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile, whose small Asian program has a long tradition. Somehow, it anticipated events and had the vision to worry about that region.”



Without doubt, language mastery is a key asset for any Latin American business person or professional in Asia. “English is not enough,” says Alvaro Echeverría, Chile’s director at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. “For professionals and entrepreneurs from a country like Chile, the ideal thing is to learn Mandarin Chinese or Cantonese.”



Reflecting that trend, centers for studying Mandarin Chinese are booming throughout Latin America. “This is fine if you manage to match up the supply with the demand. However, this can wind up being a mere passing fad that is going to leave a lot of people on the road, in ruins,” warns Wilhelmy. He believes it would be a mistake to teach Mandarin Chinese to large numbers of people. It is better to have a selective focus, oriented toward those who can use it effectively for their work or job functions, as well as others who are going to need some knowledge of an Asian language.



Wilhelmy emphasizes that you have to start at the beginning, not at the finish line. First, people should learn Spanish well, and English after that. “I am speaking seriously because in Chile even advanced students have serious problems in [Spanish language] composition. You have to do things in the right order. It would be a waste of money if high schools in every town in the interior of the country offered the option of studying Mandarin Chinese.”



For Wilhelmy, this topic is a source of concern. At the APEC forum in Santiago, Chile, last year, Wilhemy managed a research project on English language achievement. The study showed that those people who learn Spanish best are the same people who achieve the most in English. “This gives you exactly the order to follow: First, develop a strong base in your own language and from then on, continue with other linguistic skills.” According to Cortés, mastering an Asian language is not a requirement; only English is indispensable. “You have to acknowledge China’s great culture, and if you learn a few words of Mandarin Chinese, you will be very well received there.”



Publish Date: Dec 14, 2005


http://wharton.universia.net/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&id=1073&language=english&specialId=
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:06 pm GMT
HOW CAN FRENCH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY FRENCH PEOPLE (BEHIND ENGLISH AND SPANISH)?

Chinese language popular in France
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"It is ten minutes to seven. What is the time now?" Listening to the standard Chinese mezzo-soprano female voice, a whole room of French examinees concentrated on their test. This was a scene of the Paris examination room of the 2004 France HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) test. The test, which has existed for ten years in France, was held on May 15 in seven places in France.

Examinees increased by 20 percent
"I was worried that the number of registered examinees would decrease only to see so many people coming" said Joel Bellassen, inspector of Chinese language teaching at the French Ministry of Education. Joel Bellassen has been studying Chinese since 1973 and can speak fluent Chinese.

It could be seen that the whole room was filled with examinees. Among them were young middle school girls, tall twenty-plus boys as well as retirees with white hair.

Joel Bellassen said there are altogether 600 French taking the elementary, medium, high and juvenile level tests. Juvenile level is a pilot program. The number of examinees increases 20 percent over the previous year and examination spots increased to 7 from last year's 6 covering whole France. France has by now become the largest HSK examination country in Europe. "Since some European countries don't have high level Chinese test, examinees from countries such as Italy and Switzerland came to France to take the test.

As learned HSK test is the only international Chinese language level test organized by China's Ministry of Education. The Chinese Level Certificate thus gained can not only be used as proof of one's Chinese language proficiency when entering a Chinese higher education institute, but can also be used as proof of qualification when an organization recruits Chinese language personnel.

Employment trump card for French youth
The increase of examinees is in direct proportion to the number of French studying Chinese.

Joel Bellassen said the number of people studying Chinese in France grows at a rapid speed and covers a large area. As for now there are 149 French primary schools, which offer Chinese courses have 7,631 students. French account for 90 percent of them and only 10 percent are Chinese offsprings. Thirteen French universities now offer Chinese Specialty curriculum around the year. Among them Paris Oriental Languages College (INALCO) enlarged its recruitment to 2,000, which is 400 more than last year. Its Chinese Department for the first time surpassed the Japanese Department and became the largest department of the school.

"More and more French are learning Chinese because as globalization is picking up speed some minor types of language are disappearing whilst the extent of internationalization and use value of Chinese is growing increasingly. Needless to say the all-round opening up of China makes Chinese language acquire a kind of fascination beyond the scope of language and culture. From now on, it represents the economic strength of the Chinese-speaking world and makes Chinese skill an employment trump card for the French youth as well as a "symbol of alienism" in the eyes of French people, said Joel Bellassen. A counselor with the Chinese Embassy to France, who stood beside Joel Bellassen, said the heat of studying Chinese in France is inseparable from the good term of Sino-French relationship and the holding of China-France Culture Year in France.

A 21-year Paris student said after the examination that his goal is to work in China some day in the future.

Teachers of Chinese in great demand
Since more and more people are learning Chinese many schools offer Chinese as required or elective course. The Paris school arrondissement each year see a large gap of teachers of Chinese. Qualified teachers of Chinese are of course in great demand, which provides good employment opportunities for many Chinese living in France.
FRENCH IN A FUKING LANGUAGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Teacher Lin, an invigilate in this year's examination is from Beijing Xicheng Foreign Language School. Since she came to France she has been teaching Chinese at a middle school in the No.9 district of Paris for 7 years. There are 109 students this year, who are studying from Chinese spelling to high-school-level Chinese. She said during the Spring Festival French TV-1, which has a high audience rating, shot a program of their students learning Chinese and performing drama.

Teacher Zhou, who came to take the test with her daughter on Saturday, is now teaching Chinese in the No.78 province of France. She said she teaches five classes with more than a hundred students. All of them are teenagers who keep her extremely busy. The school has now made Chinese the second foreign language in junior high school education and the third foreign language in senior high school education. As for next year the junior high education plans to make Chinese the first foreign language.

By People's Daily Online

http://english.people.com.cn/200405/19/eng20040519_143793.html
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:07 pm GMT
HOW CAN FRENCH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY FRENCH PEOPLE (BEHIND ENGLISH AND SPANISH)?

China to Set up Chinese Language Learning College in France
2005-04-25

China will establish its fifth Chinese language learning college in France this year to promote Chinese culture overseas.

The prestigious Wuhan University in central China's Hubei Province took the responsibility to jointly set up the college, which is named after the world-renown Chinese philosopher Confucius, with the Universite de Paris 7 Denis Diderot in France,said Peng Yuanjie, director of Wuhan University's international education college on Friday.

The college, which is scheduled to open in the second half of this year, will compile special textbooks for local students and Wuhan University will send experts to take part in the teaching and administration of the college, said Peng.

The reason why we chose the Universite de Paris 7 as a partner is because it already had a department of Chinese learning and it is one of the overseas sites for the Chinese Proficiency Test set up by China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, he said.

More than 25 million foreigners are learning Chinese and the figure is likely to hit 100 million within 5 years as more teachers and facilities will be available, according to the Ministry of Education.

The ministry said at its website that some 139 Chinese languagetest centers have received around 370,000 participants and more than 2,300 colleges of some 100 countries offer Chinese language courses.

As an important channel to promote the education and exchange of Chinese culture, the first Confucius College was set up in the Republic of Korea set up in December 2004. The Ministry of Education plans to establish 100 such colleges worldwide.

http://www.edu.cn/Internationaledu_1499/20060323/t20060323_123979.shtml
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:08 pm GMT
HOW CAN FRENCH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY FRENCH PEOPLE (BEHIND ENGLISH AND SPANISH)?

Professor Bellassen, Winner of Chinese Language and Culture Friendship Award, Visits NOCFL

Chinese Language and Culture Friendship Award winner Professor Joel Bellassen, who is the Chinese-language education inspector for the French Ministry of Education and former president of the French Chinese-language Teachers Association, visited the NOCFL on July 26. NOCFL Director Yan Meihua and heads of relevant departments had a meeting with Professor Bellassen.

Professor Bellassen first briefed his hosts about the Symposium on The Training of Chinese-language Teachers jointly sponsored by the French Ministry of Education and Chinese-language Teachers Association in March as well as the 20th anniversary celebration of the Association. He also introduced in great details the favorable conditions for Chinese-language education in France. He said the French Ministry of Education has officially promulgated a Chinese-language syllabus. The number of people studying Chinese, 90 percent of whom are not of Chinese descent, has surpassed that of those studying Japanese. Headmasters of the top middle schools in France's Eastern School District have all requested the opening of Chinese classes in their schools. This indicates not only the growing popularity of Chinese, but also its rising status in present-day France. The two sides exchanged ideas on cooperation in dispatching volunteer Chinese teachers to and training Chinese teachers in France.

http://french.hanban.edu.cn/market/HanBanE/411930.htm
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:09 pm GMT
HOW CAN FRENCH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY FRENCH PEOPLE (BEHIND ENGLISH AND SPANISH)?

[Photo] Poitiers Confucius Institute in France Sponsored Spring Festival Activities


Before the coming of the traditional Chinese New Year, "Chinese zeal" in Poitiers, France, peaked with a series of activities including Chinese Culture Festival, Spring Festival evening party, books-donation ceremony and a seminar for local business people, all sponsored by Poitiers Confucius Institute in France.

Beginning from January 28, in collaboration with Poitiers Chinese students association and local artists, the Confucius Institute held a 2-week Chinese Culture Festival in the Spring Department Store, where traditional Chinese music being played added much festivity to the place ornamented by Chinese paper-cuts, Spring Festival paintings, couplets, lanterns, Chinese knots, teapots and cups, traditional Chinese clothes and clothing for Chinese ethnic groups. Chinese cuisine was much welcomed that on-site tutoring for making Chinese dumplings and spring rolls drew much interest from visitors. Also in this 2-week long festival programs were "Do you know the year of your birth in Chinese 12-Animals", "Getting a Chinese name", a book fair and a display of tea art, paper folding and cuts.

The Confucius Institute held a Spring Festival Party on February 6 at Poitiers Karlmeland Middle School, attended by Mr. Gesson, president of the Poitiers University, Ms. Lucas, principal of Karlmeland Middle School, and Gan Xiaoqing, vice president of Nanchang University and concurrently chairman of Poitiers Confucius Institute, all the three giving warm holiday greetings to the audience. Gan Xiaoqing's playing of two-stringed Chinese fiddle, "Horse Racing", won a warm applause. Manlei, a Chinese language teacher, led her students in a shadow boxing show accompanied by Chinese Zen music. French Chinese language students performed comic cross talks, classical poetry recitation and traditional Chinese women's clothing. All the performers offered holiday greetings in Chinese.

Entrusted by NOCFL, Gan Xiaoqing presented 200 copies of books as gifts to Karlmeland Middle School. The ceremony was attended by local celebrates in education and over 200 teachers and students. The Karlmeland Middle School, currently having 200 students learning Chinese language, had established a close relationship with the Poitiers Confucius Institute. The institute had organized Chinese students into a program to help these kids in pairs.

On February 7, in collaboration with Poitou-Charentes Business Association and Middle and Small Business Association, the Poitiers Confucius Institute held "China and I" seminar, attended by over 60 local business people, including Mr. Percheron, president of the Business Management College under the Poitiers University. At invitation, Gan Xiaoqing briefed about Sino-French cooperative programs by his university, investment environment in Jiangxi and the orientation of Chinese economic evolution as well as the work of Poitiers Confucius Institute. Chen Mengwen, an assistant from the institute, talked about contemporary Chinese social etiquette, which drew a big interest from the business people. They asked many questions about the business cultural difference between the two countries, management-employees relationship in China and how to locate a right business partner. Gan Xiaoqing and Chen Menglin answered these questions in great details. After the seminar, the French business people aired an earnest wish to see more activities by the Confucius Institute, hoping to have compact discs of the seminar to popularize Chinese culture among more business people.

http://english.hanban.edu.cn/market/HanBanE/431001.htm
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:10 pm GMT
HOW CAN FRENCH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY AFRICANS (THAT CAN'T SPEAK FRENCH AND BEHIND ENGLISH AND SPANISH)?

Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) and Chongqing Normal University of China on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will see the former offer Chinese language lessons, starting in the next three months.

KIE Rector Emmanuel Mudidi said the programme will run under China's Confucius Institute, which will open its branch in Kigali soon. He said the Confucius Institute will operate independently at KIE. China will provide lecturers, books and all scholastic materials.

"We have finalised everything and only await the contract to be approved by the Chinese government. We hope that students will benefit a lot especially those who would want to go to china for further studies," Mudidi said. He added that it will also become cheap for students who go to China for further studies because they will have first learnt the language.

China's Ambassador to Rwanda Sun Shuzhong, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said that his government was committed to assisting Rwandans learn the Chinese language. He said: "It will be exchange of cultures between the peoples of the two countries and the initiative will enhance our cooperation."


http://allafrica.com/stories/200802010282.html
Guest   Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:11 pm GMT
HOW CAN FRENCH BECOMES POPULAR WHEN MANDARIN CHINESE IS STUDIED BY AFRICANS (THAT CAN'T SPEAK FRENCH AND BEHIND ENGLISH AND SPANISH)?

Ghana to integrate Chinese language in university curriculum

APA - London (United Kingdom) The University of Ghana, Legon would, at the beginning of the 2008/2009 academic year, offer courses relating to the Chinese language and culture, sources at the Language and Cultural unit of the Chinese embassy in London said here Friday.

To this effect, a Memorandum of Understanding between the University and the Chinese Language Council in Beijing would be signed in August when a team of Chinese specialists, including lecturers, will head for the West African nation to work out modalities for the commencement of the programme.

Chinese officials hailed the role of University of Ghana as one of the global leaders in higher education, describing it as having a good reputation with its ‘open-door’ policy.

Frequent invitations to external panels to review the institution’s academic and administrative structures, have made recommendations that usher in positive changes reflecting its status.

http://sociolingo.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/ghana-to-integrate-chinese-language-in-university-curriculum/
Guest   Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:07 am GMT
Plan for Training French teachers in China

Illust: ©Alliance française, 43.3 kb, 150x113
©Alliance française de Pékin
In March 2006, the Embassy of France in Beijing presents a next plan for the further training of French teachers in China. Designed along with Chinese educational authorities, this training plan will rely on the network of ten French Alliances in China.

This pluriannual training plan only concerns university professors. It seeks to provide them with tailor-made skills by offering:

- weekly training modules designed and taught in the French Alliances participating in the project
- grants for short educational visits, allowing teachers to do the training modules not offered in their respective French Alliances.

The French Alliances in Beijing and Chengdu have already started this training programme and other others belonging to the network will join the system in autumn 2006. It is expected to train around 350 professors (out of 750) in three years on about ten different sites.

Despite the system’s short-term development potential, many teachers will still be too far from the French Alliance centres to attend training courses on a weekly basis. Two solutions have been designed for these teachers:

- On-line access to training currently given in the Alliances
- Intensive courses covering all the module content over short periods of time (summer and winter holidays)

Besides the expected results in terms of improvement of training methods of French teachers in higher education, this initiative also has the advantage of creating a joint and lasting collaboration between the network of French Alliances in China and the departments within the Embassy of France committed to French cooperation This partnership also aims to become a reference in terms of educational training for Chinese educational authorities.

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/francophony-french-language_1113/french-language_1934/promoting-french_4450/regional-initiatives_4453/asia_4458/plan-for-training-french-teachers-in-china_6910.html
Guest   Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:15 am GMT
I thought the Spanish fanatics insist that the Spanish is 2nd most popular in France. How come that they posted a crappy website that Chinese is popular in France. Don't they feel jealous that an Asian language is more popular in France than Spanish.

I know, they're happy that Chinese is popular in France because the whole of hispanic america will become chinese speakers because China is pouring in huge investment since hispanic americans don't have money to invest in their own countries and the western world is fed up in investing in that region and transferred their establishments in China.

To hispanic americans: say "Adios to hola" and say "Bienvenidos to Ni hao". Chinese will take over hispanic america through investments.
Guest   Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:47 am GMT
FRANCE IS PATHETIC, FRANCE NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO TEACH THEIR LANGUAGE. IS PATHETIC. NOBODDY IN AFRICA NAD THE REST OF THE WORLD WANT TO LEAR FRENCH, THAT'S WHY FRENCH GOVERMENT NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO COUNTRIES LIKE KENYA.



Kenya-France -Language -Donation


French gov’t donates 200mn Euro to facilitate French teaching in Kenya


APA-Nairobi (Kenya) The French ambassador to Kenya Mrs. Elisabeth Barbier on Monday donated 200 million Euros (1.9 billion shillings) to the Kenyan government to facilitate the teaching of the French language in the country.

Making the announcement in Nairobi in the offices of Kenya’s minister for Education, Sam Ongeri, Mrs. Barbier said that the funds will go towards improving the quality of teaching French lessons in Kenyan schools, noting that the language was important globally.

Ongeri pledged that his ministry will make sure that the funds are well utilized and will benefit young people in schools across the country.

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=64772
Guest   Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:48 am GMT
FRANCE IS PATHETIC, FRANCE NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO TEACH THEIR LANGUAGE. IS PATHETIC. NOBODDY IN AFRICA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD WANT TO LEARN FRENCH, THAT'S WHY FRENCH GOVERNMENT NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO COUNTRIES LIKE KENYA.



Kenya-France -Language -Donation


French gov’t donates 200mn Euro to facilitate French teaching in Kenya


APA-Nairobi (Kenya) The French ambassador to Kenya Mrs. Elisabeth Barbier on Monday donated 200 million Euros (1.9 billion shillings) to the Kenyan government to facilitate the teaching of the French language in the country.

Making the announcement in Nairobi in the offices of Kenya’s minister for Education, Sam Ongeri, Mrs. Barbier said that the funds will go towards improving the quality of teaching French lessons in Kenyan schools, noting that the language was important globally.

Ongeri pledged that his ministry will make sure that the funds are well utilized and will benefit young people in schools across the country.

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=64772
Guest   Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:49 am GMT
FRANCE IS PATHETIC, FRANCE NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO TEACH THEIR LANGUAGE. IS PATHETIC. NOBODDY IN AFRICA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD WANT TO LEARN FRENCH, THAT'S WHY FRENCH GOVERNMENT NEED TO GIVE MONEY TO COUNTRIES LIKE KENYA.



Kenya-France -Language -Donation


French gov’t donates 200mn Euro to facilitate French teaching in Kenya


APA-Nairobi (Kenya) The French ambassador to Kenya Mrs. Elisabeth Barbier on Monday donated 200 million Euros (1.9 billion shillings) to the Kenyan government to facilitate the teaching of the French language in the country.

Making the announcement in Nairobi in the offices of Kenya’s minister for Education, Sam Ongeri, Mrs. Barbier said that the funds will go towards improving the quality of teaching French lessons in Kenyan schools, noting that the language was important globally.

Ongeri pledged that his ministry will make sure that the funds are well utilized and will benefit young people in schools across the country.

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=64772
Guest   Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:54 am GMT
Poderoso Caballero es Don Dinero.