China-France Ties: Language education helps boost Sino-French cultural exchange

World
Europe

02:25

Nowadays, more and more Chinese people are learning French. Some pursue it ahead of studying abroad, while others just learn for fun. CGTN reporter Su Yuting went to a non-profit Chinese-Foreign cooperative school to find out more.

Making a difference by learning French. Alliance Française of Beijing offers courses in both French and cultural cultivation to more than 6,000 students each year.

TONY STUDYING FRENCH "My job is mainly focused on European tourism, so learning French makes me more competitive. And I find myself getting more interested in listening to French music and watching French movies. And there are more opportunities to discover France."

WANG TONG STUDYING FRENCH "I study French because I find it's much easier for me to better know the history of France. I can better understand French culture by reading newspapers in French."

Teachers say promoting the French language, French-speaking culture, and inter-cultural dialogue are very important. They also say the result will be much more than that.

VINCENT TEACHER, ALLIANCE FRANCAISE OF BEIJING "More and more French people come to China to train Chinese professionals. For instance, many Chinese professionals are also interested in wine. So learning French is not only about the culture, but also about business. Because Chinese people are more pragmatic in that field."

With the mission of language education and cultural exchange, the world's largest non-profit organization has set its goal higher.

THIERRY LASSERRE DIRECTOR, ALLIANCE FRANCAISE OF BEIJING "Our goal is to increase the number of people learning French, and we will increase that number. We are going to teach French in public schools in Beijing."

SU YUTING BEIJING "Since China and France established diplomatic ties, the two sides have made continuous progress in cultural and people-to-people exchanges, promoting innovative cooperation in various areas and generating tangible benefits to both Chinese and French people."

Su Yuting, CGTN, Beijing.