Prof. Wang Yongjing, the Director of the
Confucius Institute at the University of  Lagos(UNILAG) on Tuesday
revealed that about 14, 000 Nigerians had in the last three years
learnt  Chinese Mandarin language in Lagos.

Wang told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there was
currently a growing interest of Nigerians in learning to speak and
write in China’s official language, Mandarin.

According to her, parents of children in primary and secondary
schools; undergraduates, graduates, universities, governments, school
operators, business owners and other Nigerians are increasingly
approaching the institute to learn the language.

“We are happy that today, there are more and more Nigerians becoming
interested in learning to speak and write in the Chinese Mandarin
language.

“And this is one reason that the Confucius Institute was established
at the University of Lagos, as requested for by Nigerians.

“The institute is being co-operated by the Beijing Institute of
Technology and the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

“Let me say that since 2016, when I was posted to this institute, until
this year, 2018, about 14, 000 Nigerians have learn to speak and write in
Mandarin,’’ she said.

Wang said that the Nigerians that had been taught by the institute
were currently happily speaking and writing in the Chinese language.

The Chinese official, who was deployed from the Beijing Institute of
Technology, said that the institute had expanded its semester courses
from two to three semesters, to accommodate more Nigerians.

Wang said that there were already positive evidences in Nigerians
learning the language, as the knowledge had started promoting more
people-to-people relationships and economic relations between Chinese
and Nigerians.

She said that as much as the institute would want to train more
Nigerians in the speaking and writing of Mandarin, it currently had a
dearth of trainers.

Mandarin is one the of Chinese language forms which developed from
the regional variants of the Chinese people.

The language is famous for being the most natively spoken in the world,
with nearly a billion speakers.

Mandarin is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and is spoken
in China, Taiwan and Singapore. (NAN)

– Jun. 26, 2018 @ 15:39 GMT |