UG Confucius Institute commemorates Chinese Language Day

The Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana has celebrated the 15th United Nations Chinese Language Day, highlighting the importance of the Chinese language and cultural exchange in Ghana. 

In 2010, the UN Department of Public Information established the day, with the aim "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organisation".

April 20 was chosen as the date "to pay tribute to Cangjie, a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago" Then in 2013, the University of Ghana, in cooperation with the Zhejiang University of Technology and the Confucius Institute Headquarters in China, established the first Confucius Institute in Ghana, to promote the teaching and learning of the Chinese language and culture in Ghana.

The 15th UN Chinese Language Day was commemorated last Friday at the University of Ghana on the theme: "Chinese Language: Connecting Cultures through the Bridge of Mutual Learning."  

The Ghanaian Director at the institute, Professor Clement Kwamina Appah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, urged Ghanaian students to make an effort to learn the Chinese language, noting that it opened doors to high-ranked Chinese universities and employment opportunities with Chinese companies in Ghana.

"Learning the Chinese language creates a lot of opportunities for Ghanaian students. This includes scholarships, employment in Chinese companies and participation in the Chinese Bridge Programme at our institute," he said.

He also mentioned that students who won the Chinese Bridge Programme in Ghana went ahead to compete and represent Ghana at the global level. "Last year, the global Chinese Bridge Programme was won by a Ghanaian. A student from University of Ghana won it," he revealed.

Cultural exchange and education

The Chinese Director at the institute, Professor Jimin Wang, emphasised the role of the Confucius Institute in cultural exchange and education. "Through education and cultural programmes, the institute aims to strengthen ties between China and Ghana and provide valuable opportunities for students and professionals alike," he said.

The audience listening to the presentation of Prof. Jimin Want

He expressed the institute's commitment to expanding Chinese language education in Ghanaian society. He mentioned the opening of teaching sites in various locations and the recruitment of local teachers with master's degrees from China.

Prof. Wang also mentioned that the institute had programmes that helped entrepreneurs recruit talented individuals who could speak Chinese, noting that graduates from the institute often received higher salaries.

He further encouraged the Ministry of Education to include Chinese as part of the education curriculum for young children. "So, I strongly suggest that the Ministry of Education includes Chinese language as one of the foreign languages for young children so that as they progress, they have more choices in international languages," he said.

Contest

As part of the activities to mark the day, students of various educational institutions took part in a Chinese Proficiency Contest at the event. The contest aimed to reward students who showed fluency in the Chinese language and good understanding of Chinese culture.

The basic school category was won by Nyamedea Akua Akuokoh Acheampong of Rising Sun Montessori School. The university category was won by Habibatu Ibrahim of the University of Ghana.