By Nyima Sillah
H.E Ma Jianchum, the Chinese Ambassador to the Gambia has called on more Gambians to learn the Chinese language, as it will help to ease the communication barrier between the people of the two countries.
The Ambassador made this remark Wednesday, as Chinese Language Day was commemorated at the country’s embassy in Bijilo.
Speaking to the press at the event, Ambassador Jianchum said “learning Chinese language will be helpful to us to understand each other and to expend our cooperation in various fields and develop our friendship further. Language is a significant symbol and culture imprint of civilization. Chinese language is one of the United Nations officials,” he added.
He pointed out that Chinese language plays important role in promoting the people, exchanging and communication among different civilization among countries in the world. He, therefore, said learning that kind of language is a better way for people to understand a certain civilization.
“Promoting exchange and mutual learning of the language is an important way to a better work and better life for people in all countries. I hope today’s event will be helpful for them to boost their eagerness and interest in learning Chinese language,” he said.
He disclosed that Chinese language teaching was introduced in the Gambia 6 years ago when H.E Adama Barrow visited China and had a signing ceremony with the president of China on the agreement of the Confucius Institute in The Gambia.
He mentioned that the Confucius Institute in The Gambia at the University is cooperating from the Chinese Confucius institution in China, that “one of the missions to introduce Chinese Language to the Gambian students is that, the Gambian students are very talented as they already made a great achievement in learning the Chinese Language.”
He noted that more and more foreign countries globally started learning the Chinese language it is helpful to them that they can understand Chinese better and for effective and easy communication.
He disclosed that Chinese language is observed annually on April 20th which was established by the United Nation Department of Public Information in 2010 seeking to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization.