Language contestants strive to gain deeper understanding

The enthusiasm for learning Chinese characters and literature is growing among foreigners worldwide, as the language used by the largest group of people around the globe conveys the most profound cultures from the Eastern world, according to experts.

The fever for learning Chinese is evidence for the country's rising overall strength and competitive power, said Yang, cultural ambassador for this year's Chinese Bridge competition and professor at the College of Literature and Journalism at Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province.

"When the world is setting a spotlight on China, the language and culture of the country are sure to catch people's attention thereafter."

In the past 10 years, the number of Russians learning Chinese has more than tripled from 17,000 to 56,000. That number was only 5,000 in 1997, according to a survey conducted by a Russian research center specializing in linguistics.

The survey report said that Russia will include Chinese as one of the key tests in the country's college entrance examinations.

A vital international competition for language professionals, Chinese Bridge serves as a key platform for cultural communication and promotion of the language.

Since 2002, the event has attracted millions of contestants around the world.

"Many contestants said at the beginning they learnt Chinese by accident, through songs or kung fu movies. The more they study, the more they like the language and the related culture," Yang said.

This year's contestants are gifted in various aspects of the Chinese language, she added.

"Some of them are masters in local dialects from Guangdong, Hunan and Guizhou provinces. Others can use popular internet slang.

"Our tests cover a wide range of topics in fields including history, literature, astronomy and geography, which are difficult for foreign contestants," Yang said.

She added that the contestants not only aspire to communicate with Chinese people but also wish to integrate into traditional Chinese culture.

"Some of them said they want to be cultural ambassadors, foreign diplomats for their home countries and China, which makes us feel proud about being Chinese and possessing such culture," Yang said.

Bernhard Haefne, a contestant from Europe, said the toughest part for him is the one-word competition, in which contestants should use a chosen Chinese word to answer questions about language and culture. Haefne is an outstanding contestant and the only one who has passed level 6 of the HSK Chinese language test for foreign learners.

"I am very interested in Chinese culture and so is my father. We are obsessed with kung fu and enjoy watching Bruce Lee's movies," he said.

Malaysian contestant Muhamad Shahmeer Bin Mohd Nashrul won the championship in the Asia group.

He started to learn Chinese at the age of 7 and is a big fan of the musical live show I am a Singer.

"My grandfather whose ancestral home is Tongan, Fujian province, influenced me a lot in learning Chinese. He is a teacher and guide for my knowledge on the country and the language.

"He told me that China is a great place, and I must learn the language well and visit the Great Wall in Beijing in the future," he said.

Mohammed Elmoiez Mohammed Suliman Hussain, an African contestant who studies Chinese at the University of Khartoum in Sudan, won the overall championship for this year's event.

His Chinese short play Such a Packaging made the audience laugh uproariously during the event.

"I am very interested in Chinese short plays and comic dialogues, and this competition is a good platform for me to show my understanding of the culture and more importantly to make friends.

"The biggest achievement is the enhancement of cultural confidence. The culture and history of China is precious both for foreigners and the Chinese people," he said.

wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn

(HK Edition 08/18/2017 page22)