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Society

Chinese language learning recommended in Bangladesh

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-18 20:48

DHAKA:CRI-SMF Confucius classroom, one of the official Chinese teaching institutes in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, recommended learning Chinese at a press conference here on Monday.

Yang Weiming, director of CRI-SMF Confucius classroom, told reporters from nearly 20 local media that learning Chinese is not so difficult as people thought.

She said, "There is a common understanding among the foreigners that crossing the Great Wall is easier than crossing the Chinese language barrier. But it must not be forgotten that some 1.4 billion people have this language as their mother tongue."

According to Yang, the CRI-SMF Confucius classroom, which kicks start on October 29, 2009, now offers four different kinds of classes for businessman, children, tourists and people who wants to learn common Chinese. Recently the classroom has introduced a Bangla- English bilingual class for non-English speaking Chinese nationals.

Presently, there are 25 Bangladeshi students studying Chinese in CRI-SMF Confucius classroom while 20 Chinese students are learning Bangla language.

Yang said the CRI-SMF Confucius classroom has set up a communication platform for Bangladeshi people to know China and Chinese culture. It also became a window to let Chinese people know Bangladesh.

"Chinese language skill will open the doors for Bangladeshi people to prospects of versatile exchanges with China including cooperation in diplomacy, construction, industry, agriculture and technology." She said.

Ferdous Kamal, a businessman who has several factories and one office in China, said, "Actually I do business with China for a long time. For this reason I have to go to China almost every month. After going there, I feel very difficult to exchange my views and my business with Chinese people. So I think it's better to learn Chinese."

As one part of Confucius Institute, the CRI-SMF Confucius classroom was established on February 14, 2009, jointly by China Radio International and Shanto-Mariam Foundation of Bangladesh which is a non-political and non-profit organization dedicated to offering creative and job-oriented education.