Great Expat-Ations

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-27 10:37

Fernando Guzman Aranda, 35, is from La Paz, Bolivia, in South America. He is the director of the Academia de Idiomas R.G.A., the first Chinese language academy in La Paz.

What brings you to China?

I am here in China to take part in a three-month program called the Training Course on Chinese for Commercial Officials from Developing Countries. It is a program sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce.

I'm attending the Chinese language course at the Beijing Language and Culture University. Altogether 27 people attended the program this year, representing 17 countries including Benin, Vietnam, Ghana, Uruguay, Laos, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

What's the program about and how can you benefit from the course?

The Chinese language classes include reading, writing and listening. We learn about Chinese culture through lessons on Chinese history, crafts, calligraphy, painting, taijiquan, film, and also by taking historical and cultural visits. The program is basically a capsule of Chinese language and culture.

Personally, this program has helped me to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the Chinese language and culture.

It also provides me with a framework to teach Chinese to foreigners, a skill I will apply at my Chinese language academy in La Paz, Bolivia. I now have an opportunity to do comparative analysis of the techniques, materials and skills needed for teaching the Chinese language.

I will bring my experiences back to Bolivia to run the Academia de Idiomas in Bolivia, and teach Chinese as a foreign language.

What is the main objective of Academia de Idiomas R.G.A., the first Chinese language academy in La Paz?

Our objective is to help people in Bolivia learn about China's language and culture, especially those who trade with China or conduct business here. Learning Chinese, I believe, will greatly facilitate trade and business between the two countries.

How does the Chinese government help you promote Chinese language and culture in your country?

Through the Chinese Embassy in Bolivia, the Chinese government supports the academy by providing teaching materials and offering study grants for qualified students to further their study of the language in China.

What will you take back to your country after your three-month stay here?

The language program and the places we visited have expanded my knowledge of the country and its culture. I can see China's economic development and the opportunities for trade, and I hope it will enhance the positive relations between Bolivia and China.