STORY: Chinese language teachers in short supply in Zambia
SHOOTING DATE: July 30, 2024
DATELINE: August 1, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:53
LOCATION: Lusaka
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia
2. SOUNDBITE (English): DAVID MWANZA, Zambian director, Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (UNZA)

STORYLINE:

Amid growing public interest in learning Chinese, Zambia is experiencing a high demand for capable teachers.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (UNZA) offers both short and long-term courses and is the country's primary institution for Chinese-language instruction.

SOUNDBITE (English): DAVID MWANZA, Zambian director, Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (UNZA)
"So, in terms of the challenges in Zambia, there is an opportunity which has also presented a challenge. The opportunity which gives us a challenge is that the interest among Zambian children and adults to learn Chinese language is too big and the challenge that we have had is not having adequate teachers to teach Chinese language to respond to the demand. So, the University of Zambia has two bachelor's programs: 1. A Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Chinese Language, and another, a Bachelor of Education in Chinese Language Teaching. In these two programs, we are teaching people that can work as interpreters, translators and, normally, they work for the Chinese enterprises. We are proud that, since we started, we have actually also invested our efforts in training people that can speak Chinese in the hospitality and tourism industry. What we are doing is that we are writing seven books that will enable people to learn Zambian languages and the Chinese language in the same book. So that even a Zambian without the knowledge of English can still learn Chinese. When they use the books we are writing, depending on which area they're operating in Zambia, they can easily learn some useful phrases or learn the language so that they can have direct contact with the local people. So that is also one of our contributions to the relationship between China and Zambia."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lusaka.
(XHTV)