Why Mandarin Chinese courses are growing in African schools

DW (English)

From Lagos to Nairobi, Mandarin is making its way into African classrooms. Nigeria's recent curriculum includes Chinese language courses alongside French and Arabic. What does this mean for a continent where China's influence is expanding?

Transcript

00:00China has established language schools in almost every African country,

00:04but why is Chinese becoming part of Africa's curriculum?

00:15From Lagos to Nairobi, Mandarin is no longer just a foreign language,

00:19it's entering the classroom. Is it a smart move or a sign of growing influence?

00:24If you understand their language, you have an advantage.

00:29Welcome to the flip side.

00:31In Nigeria, Mandarin has officially joined the school curriculum.

00:34Alongside French and Arabic, students can now choose Chinese as a foreign language.

00:39It's part of a broader push to prepare youth for a globalized future.

00:43It's good for us to learn their language too.

00:46Like in secondary schools, speak both in primary, but you cannot establish it in primary.

00:50So in secondary school, it's okay. So that's just like the way we learn French.

00:55Learning Chinese language is one of the things that will help our partnership with Chinese.

01:03They are our biggest trade partner in Nigeria. So most of the things we are using in Nigeria are

01:11usually produced by Chinese people. So I think it's an opportunity for us to learn their language also.

01:19Since the early 2000s, China has steadily expanded its cultural footprint.

01:23Confucius Institutes, China's cultural and language centers, have been established in 49 countries across Africa.

01:31They offer language classes, scholarships, and cultural exchange programs.

01:35For many students, it's a gateway to studying in China.

01:38The Chinese themselves learn a lot of African languages.

01:42Swahili, they teach Swahili in their universities. They teach Hausa, they teach Zulu and so forth.

01:50The Chinese learn a whole lot of languages because they've got a mission, right?

01:55Because they've got a template and what they want to achieve.

01:59And they know their local languages first. So my point is, learn that first.

02:04Having learned that, you can then expand and then learn other things, which I think is important.

02:09But it's not just about language. As China builds railways, hospitals,

02:14and signed trade deals across Africa, Mandarin becomes a tool of diplomacy.

02:19Is this soft power in action? Or are African nations simply adapting to a shifting global order?

02:25Learning Mandarin can open doors. Translators and cultural liaisons are in demand.

02:30But critics say Chinese companies often prefer hiring their own nationals.

02:35This raises the question, how much opportunity is actually available to locals?

02:40The Chinese approach every country on its own basis.

02:45So if the government, let's say in Kenya, which is my home country, is letting them come with their

02:54own people to hire for say the SGR, you know, the Standard Gold Railway, then it's up to the Kenyans

03:01to negotiate. If they don't negotiate properly, then they will have a lot of, you know, Chinese

03:07nationals coming for that project. But if they, even the contract, they say we are going to hire

03:1280% Kenyan people, then I think the Chinese will actually respect that.

03:16One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

03:21So I just said the number is one to ten in Chinese.

03:25For many students, Mandarin is more than a language. It's a bridge. A bridge to trade,

03:30travel, and global opportunity. And for many, it's a bridge they're eager to explore. And that's the flip side.

03:37You'll be right.

03:42In the States

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