"Lighting Students' Dreams with Chinese Language" - My Teaching Story in Nigeria

The article "Chinese Teachers Open the Door to a New World for Me" published in the "Chinese Learning" section was written by my student, Zhang Hongyi. His article brought back many memories of my time teaching in Nigeria and interacting with the students.

Learning Chinese Brings Hope

Despite facing difficulties such as limited family financial support, long commutes, and inadequate electricity supply, the students persisted in learning Chinese because it brought them hope and illuminated their path forward.

Dreams are the best direction. The students were very diligent, and the classroom was always full, with some even sitting in the corridors to attend classes. The teachers' offices were also constantly crowded with eager students seeking knowledge. Due to the insufficient local electricity supply, there were occasional power outages. Some students bought rechargeable emergency lights and used them to study when there was no power at night. Witnessing their thirst for knowledge filled us with great inspiration and motivation.

"Diligence is the path up the mountain of knowledge." Many students were able to speak fluent Mandarin after just one or two years of study, showing significant improvement in their Chinese proficiency. Learning Chinese helped them realize their dreams, and they became the pride of the school and role models for their juniors.

Wu Wenzhong, who received a scholarship to study Chinese at Hebei Normal University, continued his study at the same university, pursuing a bachelor's and master's degree in international Chinese language education. Upon arriving in Hebei, he fell in love with the Chinese comic dialogue, and even hosted his own comic dialogue show with his diligence.

At the age of five, Xia Xiaoli injured her right hand in a car accident, which made her feel somewhat inferior. However, as her Chinese proficiency improved, she gradually became more confident. Benefiting from her Chinese learning, Xia Xiaoli was hired by a local Chinese-funded company. Later, she received a scholarship to study Chinese at Xiamen University and obtained another scholarship to pursue a bachelor's degree in international Chinese language education at Hebei University.

There are many more Nigerian students whose lives have been changed by learning Chinese, including Han Maoyu, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in international relations at Nankai University, and Ding Jiaming, who won the championship in the 17th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Africa. The scenes of these students diligently studying Chinese are my most unforgettable memories.

A Portrait of Deep Affection

In Nigeria, Chinese teachers poured their passion into their work, watching the students grow day by day, and in return, experiencing a sense of fulfillment and inspiration.

Teachers often say, "We are the happiest people because we give love to our students, change their lives with Chinese, and in turn, the students pass their love back to us." The teacher-student relationship is more like that of a family. The students often call me and Tang Qiaohua "Chinese Dad" and "Chinese Mom."

Wu Wenzhong, a comic dialogue talent, once told me, "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Mr. Wu Qunbin, my dear teacher, I will never forget the dedication of you and Mrs. Tang. You have helped me realize my dreams, and I promise to study harder when I go to China. I will make you proud."

As Tang Qiaohua and I were about to finish our teaching work here, the students were very reluctant to say goodbye. They organized a farewell party for us and presented us with a carefully prepared portrait. As we reminisced about the days we spent together, tears welled up in our eyes. These experiences are not just unforgettable memories but lifelong treasures for us.

Tang Qiaohua and I were classmates, and although our romance did not begin during our time teaching in Nigeria, our bond became stronger because of our shared experience of teaching Chinese there. After returning to China, we held our wedding ceremony but did not take wedding photos because the portrait brimming with the affection of the students was the best wedding photo for us.

During my time teaching in Nigeria, I made a promise with my students that when they come to China to study, we would meet again in Xiamen. Later, students from Beijing, Jilin, Hebei, Shandong, and Hubei all came to Xiamen, and we gathered together to catch up on each other's lives, as if we were back to the days when we were learning Chinese together.

Students' Employment Prospects Are Bright

For me, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing students succeed and secure satisfactory job positions based on their professional skills.

Indeed, students who learn Chinese have become highly sought-after in the Nigerian job market. Many students have found satisfactory jobs thanks to their Chinese language skills.

Qi Xiaotian, a handsome and talented student, fell in love with the Chinese language after enrolling in a Chinese language course with his classmates. He later received a scholarship to study Chinese at Xiamen University for one year. Upon returning to Nigeria, he quickly found a satisfactory job, improving his family's living conditions.

Liu Ying, a graduate of Hebei Normal University, returned to Nigeria and worked for several Chinese companies, participating in their registration and operation in Nigeria. She accumulated rich work experience, earned the recognition of her colleagues, and was hired as the assistant general manager of a Nigerian project by a Chinese-funded enterprise. With excellent communication skills, she not only provided translation support for the project's landing but also handled the project's external liaison affairs in Nigeria. Liu Ying said that the more she understands China, the more she realizes the significance of China's development experience for Nigeria's development. She admitted that working in a Chinese company had always been her dream.

Similar to Liu Ying, Chen Sisi also graduated from Hebei Normal University. She returned to Nigeria and joined the Nigerian division of a Chinese-funded enterprise, becoming the project manager responsible for cooperation and liaison between large enterprises in China and Nigeria. As the project continued to develop, she also invited five Chinese learners to join the team.

Many students, such as Ye Wenting, Lin Siyi, and Shen Yuanlan, went on to work as translators in Chinese-funded enterprises after completing their Chinese language study. Cultivating outstanding and versatile Chinese language talents is the goal of Chinese teaching institutions in Nigeria and is actively put into practice. They have actively established cooperative relationships with Chinese and Nigerian companies, recommending thousands of Chinese translators to over a hundred companies. This not only helped to solve the students' employment issues but also promoted the localization of Chinese-funded companies in Nigeria, making contributions to the economic cooperation between China and Nigeria and facilitating friendly exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.

Looking back on my journey of teaching Chinese in Nigeria, I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to help Nigerian students realize their dreams through teaching Chinese. I am truly blessed to be the teacher of this group of lovely students.

(Text & Photo: Wu Qunbin)