Current location:style >>
Feature: Angolan youth embrace Chinese language learning for future careers
style2People have gathered around
Introduction(Xinhua) 13:20, March 18, 2024LUANDA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- In the bustling streets of Luanda, Angola ...
LUANDA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- In the bustling streets of Luanda, Angola's capital, a wave of enthusiasm for learning the Chinese language is sweeping through the young population.
Inside the Agostinho Neto University (UAN), one of Angola's most prestigious higher education institutions, an entry-level Mandarin course is underway at the university's Confucius Institute.
"What's on the table? A bottle is on the table," Sun Yun said in Chinese, repeating and using body language to make it easier for her Angolan students to understand.
"They have only studied for three months, but they can already practice dialogues in pairs based on the textbook content," said Sun, a teacher at the Confucius Institute. She oversees three classes with more than 100 students, including university students from the UAN, other institutions, and high school students.
"Their passion for learning is strong, and they practice on their own after class. On the one hand, they have a passion for the language and the country; on the other hand, they believe that mastering the language could open the doors to Chinese companies in Angola, a career path they have dreamed of," she said.
Raul Carvalho, who studied Chinese at the institute a few years ago, now returns whenever he has time to help with teaching. For him, his initial interest in learning Chinese led to his professional success.
"In Angola, it's not easy to find a good job. But the Mandarin I have learned paves the way for a promising career," Carvalho said.
He began his journey of learning Mandarin in 2017, signing up for classes immediately after seeing the Confucius Institute's post online.
The first step is always the most difficult. Pronunciation, grammar and even sentence logic confused him. However, with perseverance, the young man got a scholarship in 2018 to study at Harbin Normal University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the cooperating institution of the Confucius Institute at the UAN.
"I would go out of class and chat with people I met, from street chess players to restaurant owners. Even though I spoke slowly, they were all very patient and taught me authentic Chinese expressions," he recalled.
He took high-speed trains, wandered the night market and became a regular online shopper. With recommendations from Chinese friends, he delved into the diverse offerings of Chinese cuisine, quickly becoming an enthusiastic aficionado.
In 2022, Carvalho nailed the interviews and got a project assistant and translator job at China Energy Engineering Corporation's Angola office, where he could use his professionalism while improving his Chinese at work.
He now teaches his 18-year-old sister Chinese, hoping to give her a bright future like his.
Carvalho's experience mirrors that of thousands of Chinese language learners in Angola. As the number of Chinese enterprises in Angola has exceeded 400, many Angolan youths believe that proficiency in Chinese is becoming an increasingly important skill in the southwestern African country's labor market.
According to Zhao Yufeng, co-director of the UAN Confucius Institute, China-Angola cooperation has deepened under the Belt and Road Initiative, and the interaction of language and culture is important.
"We are working with various government departments and academic institutions on language training projects to build a platform to advance cooperation between the two countries," said Zhao.
Since its establishment in 2015, more than 2,000 students have enrolled in the UAN Confucius Institute. Pedro Magalhaes, rector of the UAN, said Angola's development "cannot be separated from China" and hoped that exchanges between the two countries' higher education institutions will promote friendship.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Global Gaze news portal”。http://martinique.soorot.com/content-61a299896.html
Related articles
Benedict Cumberbatch looks suave as he joins his co
styleBenedict Cumberbatch looked suave on Monday at the UK premiere of his upcoming psychological thrille ...
【style】
Read moreThe habits that add decades to your life
styleAir pollution, plastic residues, worrying too much, sitting too much, forgetting to floss, drinking ...
【style】
Read moreNHL has no appetite to expand playoffs beyond its 16
styleSixteen teams, each one needing to win 16 games over four rounds of best-of-seven series to lift the ...
【style】
Read more
Popular articles
- I was 'brokefished' by my friend for £400
- Myanmar's jailed former leader Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest
- Mother who promised Taylor Swift tickets to her daughter to celebrate finishing her A
- A neglected burial ground for migrants on Greek island of Lesbos has been given a drastic overhaul
- This Week: Home sales, Fed meeting minutes and consumer sentiment index
- Toddler's mother claims his nursery asked her if her four month old baby boy was non
Latest articles
Adams, Reyna, Turner, Ream are US concerns ahead of Copa America
Garland defends Biden's mental fitness and says he has 'complete confidence' in him
Noah Eagle picked by NBC as play
Olly Murs' wife Amelia gives birth! Couple welcome a baby daughter and reveal her sweet name
Everybody may love Raymond, but Ray Romano loves Peter Boyle
Stephen Curry tells the AP why 2024 is the right time to make his Olympic debut
LINKS
- Artist's creative products bring loved ones closer to the departed
- One Extraordinary Photo: An AP photographer explains how he captured the total eclipse
- Xi extends condolences to Putin over deadly Moscow concert hall terror attack
- Improved ecological environment attracts common cranes to Karamay, NW China's Xinjiang
- Palestinian new gov't sworn in
- 'Lanting' cultural salon in Auckland celebrates Chinese calligraphy, traditions
- Surging popularity of Chinese books at Bangkok Int'l Book Fair
- UN court orders Israel to allow unhindered aid to Gaza
- Ukraine says to agree on military aid from US as loan
- Supreme Court rejects appeal from Black Lives Matter activist over Louisiana protest lawsuit