"We love to study Chinese…"

One August day, a Chinese song reverberated through the air of a classroom at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. The 20-plus students in class varied in skin color. Some were lighter tones with dark hair, some blonde with blue eyes, and of course, and others were native Africans. The tune they sang was about Chinese pinyin. The song had become part of their routine to kick off each class.

Pola, after completing her fourth Chinese-language class, could already communicate in simple Chinese — although her fluency left something to be desired. She dreamed of visiting Beijing to see her parents, who were working there at the time. She began learning Chinese because she wanted to "talk with locals" during her visit. Luc, a sophomore at the Confucius Institute, already fluent in Chinese, said, "I stayed in Guangzhou for a while, and the experience made me fall into love with amazing Chinese culture. Maybe I will look for a job in China in the future." The oldest students in the class were a couple of Korean descent. After retirement, they enrolled as students at the Confucius Institute. For them, the most attractive feature of the institute was Tai Chi classes.

Named after the most famous thinker of ancient China, Confucius Institutes are global branches of the Confucius Institute Headquarters aiming to teach foreigners the Chinese language. In June 2004, the first Confucius Institute of Africa opened in Nairobi. Since then, Confucius Institutes and classrooms have popped up all over the continent. Confucius Institutes have flourished as China continues becoming a more influential global player. The success of Confucius Institutes has accelerated the desire to learn Chinese.

Founded in 1866, Stellenbosch University of is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in South Africa. The Confucius Institute at the university is the first of its kind in the country. As early as 1998, the university's China Research Center began to offer Chinese programs. In 2008, it signed an agreement with China's Xiamen University to jointly establish the Confucius Institute.

According to Xie Zuoxu, president of the Confucius Institute, they now have 123 registered students. Also, it cooperates with two high schools and one primary school to further spread Chinese language education. Each year since 2005, the institute has sent its best students to Beijing for advanced Chinese education. In the future, the institute will offer postgraduate programs in Chinese language and culture.

Presently, faculty includes five teachers. "The biggest challenge our institute faces is a shortage of personnel," reveals Ms. Yu, a teacher from Beijing, "and every teacher works non-stop like a machine these days." Yu's responsibilities not only include classroom instruction, but myriad other institute-related affairs.

In addition to teaching Chinese, overseas Confucius Institutes also offer other studies related to China. Sometimes, local residents come to consult Chinese teachers for tourist advice about China. Some business travelers come to learn common expressions and study various Chinese customs and taboos before they visit. Some only seek translation for the instructions of a Chinese product they bought.

Professor Russel Botman, vice chancellor of Stellenbosch University, hopes that the Confucius Institute will not only serve as an institution to spread Chinese language education, but also as a bridge to enhance cultural exchange between China and South Africa.