Nine Tanzanian students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam were declared winners of a Chinese language proficiency contest held on April 19, 2023. The competition was part of the celebrations for UN Chinese Language Day, which took place on April 20.
Assessing Chinese Language Proficiency
The aim of the competition was to assess the proficiency of the students in various Chinese language skills, including Chinese speech, knowledge about China, and a talent show. The event was attended by 29 students who had the opportunity to showcase their skills in the Chinese language.
One of the top winners of the competition was 20-year-old Sharon Emmanuel Munisi, a first-year student pursuing political science and public administration at the university. In an interview with Xinhua, she expressed that learning Chinese is essential for employment opportunities in Chinese companies operating in Tanzania. She also noted that the Chinese language has many other opportunities, including in diplomacy.
Effective Approach to Developing Sino-Africa Ties
Pendo Malangwa, the University of Dar es Salaam director for Quality Assurance, explained that Chinese language learning is an effective approach to further developing Sino-Africa ties. The competition, which was established in 2013, has helped promote and encourage students to work hard and inspired potential students interested in learning Chinese.
Malangwa represented the Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for Academics, Bonaventure Rutinwa. He said there are over 10,000 Chinese people and at least 500 small and large Chinese-run enterprises in Tanzania that need a large number of Tanzanians who have different talents and can speak Chinese.
Multilingualism and Cultural Diversity
Zhang Xiaozhen, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam, explained that the Chinese Language Day, launched in 2010, aims to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and promote the equal use of the six official languages of the United Nations, which include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Overall, the Chinese language proficiency competition held in Tanzania was a success. This competition is a way to encourage Tanzanian students to learn Chinese and prepare them for job opportunities in Chinese companies.
