Tanzanian university students excel in Chinese language competition

Participants of the 21st Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition 2022 pose for a group photo at the Confucius Institute of the University of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 17, 2022. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Twelve university students in Tanzania, whose faces glittered with broad smiles, on Friday gathered to compete in the 21st Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition 2022 at the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).

The contesting students, who competed via prepared video clips, came from the Confucius Institute at UDSM, Confucius Institute at the University of Dodoma and Confucius Classroom at the State University of Zanzibar.

After a two-hour grueling competition, Adam Nyenje, a second-year Chinese language student from Confucius Institute at the University of Dodoma was declared the overall winner. Nyenje will later this year travel to China to compete in an international Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition.

The main purpose of the competition is to assess the proficiency of students in various skills of the Chinese language such as Chinese speech, and knowledge about China as well as a talent show.

Vice-Chancellor of the UDSM William Anangisye thanked the Confucius Institute at the UDSM for hosting the competition, saying the event promotes and encourages more students who will be interested in learning Chinese and performing different talents, including Chinese culture.

Anangisye believed that Chinese language learning is an effective approach to further developing Sino-African ties.

He said the UDSM is offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (Chinese and English) to students who will later teach the Chinese language in primary and secondary schools across Tanzania.

Wang Siping, the cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, thanked the government of Tanzania, particularly the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Confucius Institute at UDSM for supporting the promotion of the Chinese language and Chinese culture.

Wang, who presented certificates to some of the winners, said the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania will support the teaching of the Chinese language in schools at all levels.

The competition was also witnessed by Aldin Mutembei and Zhang Xiaozhen, both directors of the Confucius Institute at the UDSM, who presented the winners with certificates. 

A Tanzanian student performs Chinese martial arts during the 21st Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition 2022 at the Confucius Institute of the University of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 17, 2022. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)