Mandarin: Bringing China-India closer

Sandeep Biswas, a Chinese language teacher in India, during the third Visiting Program for Young Sinologists in Beijing on July 7, 2015. [Photo by Jiang Wanjuan/chinadaily.com.cn]

There was a time when Mandarin was considered an alien language by Indians. But with the rise of China as a global power, it is not true anymore. China now is everyone’s destination. Well aware about its potential, countries across the world are looking at China with new hope.

The 21st century witnessed new economic developments and China made tangible achievements in all fields, especially in the establishment of Confucius institutes across the world. But the biggest hurdle one usually faces is language, because there are not many English-language speakers in China.

In order to overcome the language hurdle, the government is taking a series of steps to promote Mandarin in foreign colleges and universities, including India. The biggest reason why many Indians are studying the Chinese language is because they believe it would improve their job prospects.