While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. “English is easier for me. Chinese characters(汉字) have too many strokes(笔画),” said Piao. “But I want to learn it. I want to study at Peking University when I grow up.” Piao is from South Korea. He came to China in 2008.
In South Korea, there are more than 300000 Chinese learners like Piao. Some South Korean students begin to learn to write the language on their first day at school. To help students learn Chinese, South Korea holds speaking competitions for high school students every year.
Chinese isn’t just popular in South Korea. People from all the world want to learn it. The Chinese Ministry of Education says that nearly 130 million people from 85 countries are learning Chinese. This number will be increasing to 800 million in the coming years.
In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. Some American middle schools have Chinese classes. Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots(中国结). Some even try to write and draw in Chinese way!
People want to learn Chinese because China is becoming such an important country. Foreign countries want to understand China better to help them with business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. It has sent more than 200 Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Many more Confucious College(孔子学院) will be set up in the world. These colleges will teach Chinese to foreign students.