The first World Chinese Conference is scheduled to open today in Beijing.

Chinese language teachers, scholars and officials from across the world will gather to discuss teaching Chinese.

Such a conference, the largest of its kind, is timely given the rapidly growing number of foreigners picking up textbooks and learning to say nihao, or hello in English.

First-hand experience of Chinese teaching in China will be invaluable for foreign participants.

The "friends from afar" will in turn be able to brief their Chinese colleagues on their countries' Chinese language development plans and their experiences of teaching the language.

For China, the conference is a good opportunity to establish itself as the centre of Chinese teaching and learning.

More than 30 million non-native speakers are studying Chinese overseas.

At many foreign universities, Chinese has become the second or third most important foreign language to learn.

More than 90,000 people took the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) last year, the equivalent of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), compared to four-digit annual figures in the 1990s.

Surging interest in a language reflects a nation's increasing significance in the world and favourable prospects.

The economy's fast growth is a key factor stimulating interest in the language.

The cultural implications of an increase in foreign Chinese speakers could be wide ranging. Studying foreign languages helps increase understanding.

As demand for Chinese teaching increased, China began to raise standards in response. Universities have been expanding their Chinese programmes and more teachers have been sent overseas. Last year Confucius Institutes were established abroad.

Nevertheless, in this relatively new sector of education, China still needs to pursue pedagogy research, train teachers and produce high-quality textbooks.

Chinese teachers for overseas students are in short supply. Chinese textbooks used at universities have room for improvement.

As the homeland of this ancient language, the nation naturally should produce the best Chinese teachers, the clearest textbooks and the most advanced teaching methods.

The conference will definitely provide an opportunity to gear up the nation's efforts in all of these aspects.

The conference should also prompt us to reflect seriously on the development of our language the language of beautiful poems from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and elegant novels such as the Dreams of Red Mansion.

The influence of Chinese will certainly grow as long as the nation's overall strength continues to increase.

But the country may need to do more to maintain the charms of its language, for Chinese and foreigners alike.

Source: China Daily