China-Latin America cultural exchanges flourish in 2015

LOCALIZATION OF CHINESE-TEACHING

The Chinese-teaching pattern has undergone great changes in 2015 and gradually entered into local public education system of Latin America. In March, the world's first Chinese-Spanish bilingual public school marked its anniversary in Argentina.

The educational experiment there has been progressing smoothly, with the number of students doubling this year, and half of them are Chinese.

"In the past, one learned French for literature and English for business. What is the language of the future? Maybe Chinese," Mauricio Macri, mayor of Buenos Aires wrote on his social network account.

Student enrolling for Chinese lessons in 2015 has increased at least by 30 percent compared with last year, according to the statistics of Chinese Culture Association in Argentina.

In February, Brazil opened its first Portuguese-Chinese bilingual high school, officially adding Chinese teaching into its basic public education system.

Meanwhile, as the largest institute for Chinese learning and with the most flexible Chinese teaching patterns, the Confucius Institute has also developed by leaps and bounds in the region this year.

The Confucius Institute has built 35 branches and 11 Confucius Classrooms in 15 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2006, with its first facility opened in Mexico City and millions learning Chinese in Latin America at present.

The second training program for local Chinese language teachers in Latin America was held in a Confucius Institute of Lima, capital of Peru in August, to help 49 local teachers with the latest teaching methodology and Chinese culture.

Training programs for Chinese teachers are necessary as they improve the teaching quality, promote the sustainable development of Chinese teaching, and deepen mutual understandings, said Jia Guide, Chinese ambassador to Peru.