Why young Scots ought to rise to the Chinese challenge

Published on Tuesday 25 March 2008 20:20

FRANCES CHRISTENSEN of the Confucius Institute explains why it is important for Scottish schools pupils to start learning Mandarin – and looks at what is being done to help them

LEARNING to speak Chinese may appear daunting, but the benefits of doing so have never been great-er. Scots are notoriously reluctant about learning and talking foreign languages. This lackadaisical attitude has undoubtedly been encouraged by the fact that English has traditionally been the language of business.

However, if we want to do business in the future with the emerging global economic powerhouse that is China, we need to make the effort to master the key language spoken by more than 1.3 billion people – even just the basics.

Boasting the largest population of any country in the world – an incredible 270 times that of Scotland – China has witnessed unprecedented economic growth in recent times. It accounts for 7.4 per cent of world trade and has contributed around a third of world economic growth since 2000 – achievements that are hard to ignore.

But if we Scots want to share in the business opportunities that are opening up in China, we need to start by pushing the teaching of Chinese language and culture up the classroom agenda.

The good news for anyone who struggles with the complications of French, German or Spanish is that Mandarin, the main language spoken in China, requires neither conjugations nor declensions. The absence of these idiosyncrasies can make learning Mandarin – contrary to popular belief – much simpler initially than the more common European languages taught in Scottish schools. Learning Chinese is a bit like building IKEA furniture – once you get the basic principles right, you can build up your linguistic abilities reasonably quickly.

China presents an enormous opportunity for Scotland and we are fortunate in already having strong ties in education, science research, culture and business between our two nations.

Huang Kang, the first Chinese student ever to study in any European university, graduated in medicine from Edinburgh University 150 years ago, before returning home to introduce western medical practice and train a new generation of doctors in China.

Today, there is a resurgence in interest from Chinese students wishing to study in Scotland, and vice versa. In 2005/06, there were 5,120 students from China enrolled at 20 Scottish higher education institutes. Last year, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) delivered higher national diploma (HND) certificates to 1,600 candidates at 16 centres in China, an increase from 700 candidates at eight centres in the previous year.

Many Chinese students stay on at the end of their studies under the Fresh Talent initiative, which enables graduates to work for two years in Scotland after they complete their degree. The value of these alumni to the universities is well recognised, but there are also benefits for employers who take on these graduates. Often, when their employee returns to China he or she wants to try to assist the company with any plans for doing business with China, providing a valuable foothold.

Conversely, more and more Scottish students are taking up opportunities to study in China. Chinese universities have international schools that draw people from all over the world. Students study their subjects in English but also have the chance to learn Chinese. This is a great way to gain both understanding of the language and insights into aspects of Chinese life. As China’s economic importance grows, the value of such exchanges of people also increases.

Meanwhile in Scotland there are now around 50 Scottish schools implementing Chinese in the curriculum. The Scotland-China Education Network (SCEN) – which includes 58 state and independent secondary and primary schools across Scotland – is setting itself the target of having at least 200 pupils studying for Chinese language national qualifications in Scottish schools by 2010.

The Confucius Institute for Scotland – established at Edinburgh University last year to promote economic, educational and cultural ties between our two nations – is working with other agencies – such as Learning Teaching Scotland, the SQA and the SCEN – on content development to support the new curriculum for Chinese that will be offered in schools by autumn. The growing number of Scottish schools offering pupils Chinese lessons has led to the development of a teacher-training course specifically to feed demand from those wishing to teach the language in Scotland. This summer, the first students will graduate as General Teaching Council-approved teachers of Mandarin from Edinburgh University’s Moray House teacher training college.

In addition, the Confucius Institute’s sponsor, Hanban – the Chinese government department responsible for promotion of Chinese language overseas – is planning to open more Confucius Classrooms in Scottish schools, following the success of the inaugural one, established at St George’s School in Edinburgh. These special hub classrooms enable schools to tap into resources, cultural and linguistic, while preparing young people to actively participate in a global society.

This year, the institute is co-ordinating China Now in Scotland, which runs until 30 November and includes a wealth of educational programmes around the country. Thanks to sponsorship from HSBC, it has been possible to offer grants to Scottish schools to host workshops on China. Education packs for primary and secondary schools have also been prepared which can be downloaded from the website.

The Scottish Government is also promoting increased educational collaboration between Scotland and China because of the expected mutual benefits. Its existing China strategy sets out targets to increase the number of Chinese students in Scotland faster than the UK average over the period until 2010.

In the year of the Beijing Olympics, an increased focus on our links with China has led to great strides being made, with the already robust educational links between China and Scotland being strengthened and expanded. Scotland is a small country but can punch well above its weight in education. It is possible to make the connections and, by speaking the same language, work together for mutual benefit.

&#149 Frances Christensen is general manager of the Confucius Institute for Scotland and project manager of China Now In Scotland, the largest festival ever devoted to China in this country, which runs a programme of events. More information is available at www.chinanow-inscotland.org.uk