China and Canada have jointly published, for the first time, a
Chinese language textbook, sources from the National Office for
Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOTCFL) say.
Three top Canadian universities, namely, the University of Toronto,
the University of British Columbia, and McGill University will
adopt the textbook for their new semester in September. The
University of Montreal and the University of Quebec in
French-speaking areas will also use the textbook in its French
version.
Canadian officials say in their letters to NOTCFL that the textbook
opens a new path for exchanges between Canada and China, and has
created long-term and mutually beneficial opportunities for both
sides to cooperate in the fields of cultural, educational and
economic sectors.
According to the NOTCFL, Canadian teaching staff specializing in
Chinese have also warmly welcomed the book and congratulated its
publishers, saying it is easy to understand and practical providing
the North American region with a new way of learning Chinese and of
teaching it.
Officials with NOTCFL say the book not only promotes the learning
of Chinese worldwide, but also increases cooperation between China
and other countries in the field.
So
far, European, North American and Latin-American regions like
Britain and Spain have started cooperating with the NOTCFL in order
to produce Chinese-language textbooks appropriate to the particular
needs of their country.
Experts say with China's developing economy and its rise in
international status, especially its entry into the World Trade
Organization, the Chinese language is attracting more attention
from foreign governments as well as from people from all walks of
life. The number of people learning Chinese has grown rapidly.
(China
Daily June 13, 2002)