New efforts are in progress in Germany, to introduce Chinese teaching in schools.

New efforts are in progress in Germany, to introduce Chinese teaching in schools.

This is the second time the town has hosted a seminar like this. There is a concurrent lecture series, teaching the rudiments of the Chinese language, the outline of China's history and its philosophical perspective. Students are also invited to sample Chinese food and to try their hand at writing Chinese characters.

On the practical side, students also are informed concerning employment opportunities that may be opened to those who are proficient in the Chinese language.

The recent seminar attracted 30 students. Some came from other middle schools around the region. Most of those who attended plan to enter college. Organizers invited some Chinese-language majors from nearby German universities for a question and answer session. The high school students were concerned about possible difficulties in learning Chinese, availability of scholarships at Chinese universities, and employment prospects for Chinese-language students in Germany.

Both teachers and students voiced their appreciation for the event.

Hans Jurgen Von Maercker, director of Halepaghen High School, said, "I was very much impressed with the exchanges between students and the Chinese majors. The students asked about career opportunities. I think the exercise was abundantly fruitful. The students had a lot of thought-provoking questions."

Kevin Thumann, student, said, "Prior to the seminar, I never seriously thought about studying Chinese as a major. Now I find it quite attractive to learn something about Chinese language and about China in general. I've always been interested in China. I'm not good at foreign languages. Chinese is very hard to learn. But today's lecture showed some of the charm and benefits of learning Chinese. I'm going to give it some serious consideration. Maybe I will go in that direction."

Milena Schulz, student, said, "My father is in business. His company has lots of operations in China. I help out at his office often, so I've had some contacts with Chinese people. I think it will be a great advantage for me to know some Chinese. That's why I came to the seminar. I am certain that someday I will work for my father's company."

As the seminar concluded, participants were handed a certificate by the organizers. Many of the students said they want to learn more about China, not only the history and culture, but also the language.

(CCTV November 6, 2008)