Mandarin learning boom as China extends its soft power in Middle East

There has never been a more obvious indication of China’s effect in the Middle East. Xi flew to Riyadh in December to meet with leadership from the oil-rich Gulf Muslim countries while his nation was still under COVID-19 lockdowns.

Beijing shocked the earth three months later by mediating a peace agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

This was followed by a number of reconciliations in the tense area, such as Iran’s commencement of diplomatic ties with Morocco and Egypt. Along with Turkey and Egypt, the UAE and Qatar even consented to reestablish political relations.

Beijing is likely to change its attention to Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America– regions where China you” exercise soft energy through Foreign language education ,” according to Gil, as there is no indication that conflicts with the West will soon worsen.

He said it was still up in the air whether Mandarin may establish more firmly entrenched ties to the Middle East.

Ma predicted that teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia, which has 37 million people and the second-largest oil reserves in the world, had a promising prospect. In June, the country also opened its second Confucius Institute at Prince Sultan University.

In a plan for financial growth supported by bin Salman, the longtime US friend wants to strengthen ties with China beyond the oil industry to include technologies, system, and even arms.

Six nations were invited to join Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa in an enlargement of the Brics partnership of major emerging markets past quarter, along with Iran and the UAE.

However, Ma claimed that there are severe shortages of Chinese language instructors in the Middle East and that regional governments should spend more money finding qualified instructors.

Additionally, he pointed out that some people in the Middle East still thought of China as a far-off nation with an extremely unique cultural background and that Mandarin was one of the most challenging languages to learn.

Foreign language classes are taught from school to high school in the UAE, where the majority of people are expatriates, with students being required to take two lessons per year.

Many Chinese language instructors working in the UAE claim that due to teacher shortages and financial constraints, no every class can give the speech programs.

Due to the high demand for Chinese language classes, the teachers claimed to work between 26 and 28 hours per week. There are a maximum of 30 regular time allowed.

One of several teachers interviewed by the Post said,” This is really heavy, to be honest, because we are short on hands, and I don’t even have time to use the room during the split.”

A program funded by Confucius Institute Headquarters, formerly known as Hanban, which changed its name to the Center for Language Education and Cooperation after the a & nbsp in 2020, sent some teachers from the UAE there; worldwide retaliation.

The requirements for Chinese teachers are strict; the majority must have completed at least three years of Taiwanese education abroad, ideally in Western nations.

According to several professors, some individuals are also required to provide a Mandarin Standard Certificate and English-language exam results in addition to obtaining their master’s or higher education.

Despite the lack of Chinese language teachers, Aria Meng, a 27-year-old preschool teacher in Abu Dhabi, claimed that the common was rising.

Only 100 to 200 applicants [ made ] the final round of applications to the Ministry of Education last year, according to her.

” Almost 99 percent of the instructors are Chinese.” Although some are from Singapore, they are all of Taiwanese descent. I have

Despite the lack of Chinese language teachers, Aria Meng, a 27-year-old preschool teacher in Abu Dhabi, claimed that the common was rising.

Only 100 to 200 applicants [ made ] the final round of applications to the Ministry of Education last year, according to her.

” Almost 99 percent of the instructors are Chinese.” Although some are from Singapore, they are all of Taiwanese descent. I have only seen one Arab teacher. She is Tunisian, but her Chinese is as good as a native.”

Not many native students were actually interested in learning the language, according to Michael Li, a public school teacher in Dubai, the most popular city in the United Arab Emirates.

” They go to the classes because it is required. The majority of students who are interested in learning Chinese are non-local individuals, particularly those from Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Palestine, because, according to him, doing so can actually alter their future.

Some of the instructors also claimed that because younger people in the Gulf states prioritized English over China, they were more interested in traveling to the West to further their education.

Why can’t we just know English as everyone can talk English, yet in China? asked Megan Wei, 29, a Chinese teacher in Abu Dhabi. “”