Feature: Bangladeshi Confucius Institute sets up bridge for people to know Chinese culture

Bangladesh North-South University, located in the capital of Dhaka, is not only famous for its good teaching reputation, but also for the Confucius Institute established in the university on Feb. 14 this year.

The North-South University Confucius Institute was established by North-South University and Chinese Yunnan University authorized by the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. Its aim is to make more Bangladeshi people learn Chinese and know Chinese culture.

Khaliquzzaman M. Elias, director of Confucius Institute, said while being interviewed by Xinhua recently that Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Chai Xi has played an important role in establishing the Confucius Institute in the country.

Elias said, "Bangladeshi people love China, love Chinese people. They want to know China, know Chinese culture, and to see this great country."

He said he believed the Confucius Institute has set up a bridge for Bangladeshi people to know Chinese culture.

Elias said since the establishment of the Confucius Institute, they have received a lot of consulting telephone calls. There are more than 300 people applying for studying in the Institute.

"In consideration of the shortage of teachers, we cannot admit all the applicants," he added.

Professor Zhang Gaoxiang who is from Yunnan University is the only Chinese teacher in the Confucius Institute.

Elias said, "Professor Zhang is an excellent teacher. His teaching method is very good, very acceptable by students. He can mix with the students, the students like him very much. He gives most of his spare time to the students. He usually tutors the students in his apartment. Under his help, many students improve very quickly in Chinese studying."

Elias said North-South University and Yunnan University have good cooperation. He thanked Yunnan University for their help in providing dictionaries and textbooks as well as teaching materials.

He said he hoped Yunnan University can establish a listening lab for them as soon as possible.

Zhang Gaoxiang said some of his students have made marvelous progress in learning Chinese in such a short time of four months.

"The students come to study at night from 7 pm to 9 pm. Most of the students work during the day time. Although they feel tired after a whole day's working, they still insisting on studying," he said.

Professor Zhang said the Chinese government gave six scholarships to the Confucius Institute this year and that the students are greatly encouraged by this. Their enthusiasm to study Chinese has been greatly promoted, he added.

Professor Zhang has 60 students in two classes. He gives each of the students a Chinese name.

Sha Hu is the best student and also Chinese scholarship recipient.

Sha Hu is 23 years old. He spends more of his spare time on studying Chinese, often surfing some of the Chinese websites, reading news in Chinese.

"I read the news in Chinese, if I don't know the word, I will find it in the dictionary," he said.

Sha Hu is very active. He likes to speak Chinese. When interviewed, he answered all the questions in Chinese. Most of them could be understandable. It is hardly to believe he can learn so well in four months.

Ma Jiaqi has also got the Chinese scholarship. He will go to Fu Dan University in Shanghai, east China, this September.

Ma said he will study Chinese language for two years in Fu Dan University.

The oldest student in the Confucius Institute is Nadeem Rahman who is 61 years old. As a poet, he said he loves Chinese culture very much.

"I am planning to write poems in Chinese," he said.

Professor Zhang said they are considering establishing a "China Research Institute" in the second largest city Chittagong, 264 km south-east of Dhaka.

The Nor-South University Confucius Institute is the first Confucius Institute in South Asia. According to statistics, there are more than 2300 universities all over the world that have opened Chinese courses.

In order to meet the requirements of the people who want to learn Chinese, The China National Office of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language has begun to cooperate with educational institutes of different countries which desire to open Chinese courses by establishing Confucius Institutes. The first Confucius Institute was established in Seoul, capital of South Korea, on Nov. 21, 2004.

Source: Xinhua