DAR ES SALAAM: AT least six Universities in China including Beijing Foreign Students University have set up the faculty of Swahili Language, purposely to teach the language among Chinese and other international students.
The Cultural Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, Mr Che Zhaoguang said the universities are already enrolling students for Kiswahili courses.
He was speaking during the commemoration of International Chinese Language. Mr Zhaoguang said many graduates were dispatched to work in governments, organisations, institutes and companies and they play important roles in promoting the friendship between China and Tanzania.
“When Tanzanians walk around in Beijing or any part of China, they find some Chinese who speak, it is always a wonderful feeling to meet someone who speaks your language in a foreign land,” he noted.
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He said ten years ago the Confucius Academy which is an Institute for learning Chinese language was set up at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) purposely to enable Tanzanians to learn Chinese language and thus enable smooth interaction.
“Today we are happy as many graduates are employed as Chinese teachers in some schools and others in different Chinese companies,” Mr Zhaoguang stressed.
The Counsellor said they believe that the future cooperation between their two countries in the fields of education, culture, tourism economy among others, will surely be promoted.
The UDSM Deputy ViceChancellor (Academic) Prof Boniventure Rutinwa said that Tanzanians have a preference for employment in Chinese companies therefore those who know the Chinese language have priority to be employed. Prof Rutinwa said the celebration of multilingualism and cultural diversity promotes equal use of the seven official languages in the United Nations Kiswahili inclusive.
One of the first-year Chinese students at UDSM, Glory Kahulo said that learning Chinese will help her to know their culture and how they live.
“I have a passion to know the Chinese language, thus it will be easy to get employment with them and also intermingle internationally since it is among the international languages.
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