Chinese Lessons in Uganda: Mandarin language adopted into country's curriculum

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03:24

Teachers in Uganda are now being taught Chinese. The country's education ministry added the language into its curriculum. Authorities hope to bridge the gap between Chinese investors and Ugandan workers looking for jobs. CGTN's Hillary Ayesiga reports.

SHOTS OF TEACHERS SINGING IN CLASS "Hitting the right note in Mandarin. Music is setting the pace for the day's lesson for these Ugandan teachers. These Chinese language instructors are helping them polish their skills in mandarin."

GAO YAHUI INSTRUCTOR "They are now able to communicate with us especially in those daily conversations. And they are able to understand our instructions though it is totally in Chinese. They can grasp the key idea of sentence."

And they are eager to learn the new language.

CHRISTOPHER IBINGIRA TRAINEE "It is the most interesting language because it is full of pictures and I am sure for students out there, it will be easy for them to master the Chinese language."

JACKLIN AKELLO TRAINEE "When our teachers speak even in Chinese we are able to pick the words, when we see the characters we can recognize, we can make sentences."

HILDA AYEBARE TRAINEE "I believe that since it's an intensive kind of training by the nine-month we shall be very good at Chinese."

HILLARY AYESIGA KAMPALA, UGANDA "In a few months these teachers will have gained enough knowledge to begin teaching mandarin. They then hope to pass on the language skills to their students to help their chances of finding jobs and business opportunities at home - and even in China too."

The learning program has been structured in four parts.

QIAN MINGMIN INSTRUCTOR "The first part is learning the pronounce part and we've just finished it, the second and third part we will give the students grammar structure things and more vocabulary. The final part is how to manage students, engage them and so we will more focus on teaching skills."

The Chinese language and culture is fast growing in Uganda. China has also pledged to continue expanding education cooperation with Uganda. And as more Ugandans pick up Chinese language skills the hope is there'll be a growing exchange of ideas and customs between the two countries.

HILLARY AYESIGA, CGTN, KAMPALA.