Language crucial to China-France friendship

With President Xi Jinping's state visit to France to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, Nicolas Idier, inspector general for Chinese language teaching at the French Ministry of National Education, has highlighted the crucial role of Chinese language education in fostering robust bilateral ties.

"Every state visit has the potential to gain a historical echo, but needs symbols oriented toward the future," Idier said. "As our president was mentioning the importance of 'a patient path of mutual knowledge', President Xi will contribute to the promotion of cultural and educational exchanges.

"The best thing to do to enhance the desire to learn a foreign language is to keep the doors open and to facilitate academic exchanges between schools and students," he added.

Highlighting the significance of showcasing the creativity of the Chinese language, Idier emphasized the importance of involving writers and translators in Chinese language education.

He mentioned the Cite internationale de la langue francaise (International City of French Language), which will host the 19th Francophonie Summit in October, as an excellent opportunity to celebrate the long-standing friendship between the French and Chinese languages, dating back to the 18th century and the first translations from Chinese to French.

During French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to China in April 2023, he stressed the need for academic connections, understanding, exchanges and conversations of intelligence and learning.

In a world where judgments can fall abruptly, resuming the patient path of mutual knowledge becomes essential. To build this path to the future, Macron called for the development of language proficiency, with a focus on promoting the French language in China and the Chinese language in France.

According to the French Ministry of National Education, Chinese remains the fifth most-taught language, and the first non-European language behind English, Spanish, German and Italian, with more than 38,000 learners in secondary education, including private schools.

This year marks a significant milestone in language promotion with the introduction of the first session of the Bac Fran?ais International. The implementation of this program represents a turning point in the history of French education as it incorporates foreign certifications into the official framework of the French baccalaureate for the first time.

Idier said: "Requests to open international sections are growing in all languages and particularly in Chinese, with the opening of a complete course in Marseille, starting in September 2024. The course of study proposed by the international programs from the first grade to 10th grade is now open in more than 60 French schools. It is the best way to get access to perfect language ability in both French and Chinese."

Joel Bellassen, renowned French sinologist and a distinguished expert in Chinese language and culture, echoed the sentiment, saying there is a global surge in interest in learning the Chinese language, as evidenced by the growing popularity of Mandarin classes worldwide.

"The increasing popularity of Mandarin classes globally demonstrates the growing interest in learning the Chinese language," he said.

Bellassen's profound connection with the Chinese language dates back to his initial visit to Beijing in 1973 as an exchange student.

He emphasized the importance of continuous professional development to inspire future generations of Sino-French cultural ambassadors. "China and France will continue collaborating on Chinese language programs in France, expanding the number of Chinese language classes, training additional local Chinese teachers, and developing new teaching materials," he said.