The Growth of the First Local Chinese Language Teacher in Mauritania

A brief exchange between a teacher and a student made it clear to Mohammed, a Chinese learner from Mauritania in West Africa, that "learning Chinese well will make a difference to his future". To that end, he spared no efforts and finally got a bumper harvest. Because of Chinese, he started a new chapter in his life. 

Encounter

Mohammed is the first local Chinese language teacher in Mauritania and the incumbent Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya in the African country. When he first came into contact with Chinese, it never occurred to him that he would go so far on the road of learning and teaching Chinese.

"When I started to study at the Confucius Institute, I didn't know much about China and the Chinese language. I was completely motivated by my interest and learning experience. It was my Chinese language teacher who was then teaching in Mauritania that saw my talent in Chinese. 'I think you will have a bright future if you choose to learn this language' he said to me." 

The teacher's words not only fueled Mohammed's expectations for the Chinese language, but also bolstered his determination to learn it well. The word "future" motivated him to pursue a new dream of life. Since then, he has been engaging in an enduring quest for the Chinese language and culture.

"In the beginning, it was very difficult for me to learn Chinese well. In our opinion, writing Chinese has nothing to do with speaking Chinese, so we have to learn the language in two directions at the same time." "Because if you learn Arabic, what you say and what you write are related, but this is not the case for Chinese." 

Although the study of Chinese brought many difficulties to Mohammed, with the dedication to his dream and the longing for the future, he slowly found a learning method suitable for him. Gradually, he mastered more and more Chinese characters, and became more and more proficient in Chinese. His interest in Chinese and Chinese culture gradually evolved into a deep love, too.

"I worked really hard then. I got a scholarship and went to study in China. And I'm still learning Chinese today," said Mohammed. 

Change

"Spring Festival, Tomb-sweeping Day..." "Hello, people-to-people bond..." Walking into Muhammad's Chinese class, you will find that his students are working hard to learn Chinese. As the first Mauritanian to become a Chinese language teacher, Mohammed is deeply respected and admired by his students. 

"Mauritania began to offer optional Chinese courses in 1987. At the beginning, very few people chose to study Chinese, and a class might have only two or three students. But now, Chinese language teachers are not enough here, because the number of students is particularly great, up to 300-400." Mohammed said that Chinese has become a popular choice for local students to learn a foreign language. "Many students want to study in China, pursuing a master's or doctoral degree or doing something else. The whole world knows that Chinese is as important as French and English. Many students have the belief that ‌'if I learn Chinese, I may get more job opportunities'‌." 

Chinese has not only opened a new chapter in Mohammad's life, but also made him an idol of many local students, encouraging them to pursue their own dreams. 

Omar is a student of Mohammed and is eager to learn Chinese and Chinese culture. "I want to learn Chinese well and study in China like my teacher. I want to work in China, too." he said. Many students who study Chinese have the same dreams. "We are all very optimistic about the future of China, because China is a big country, has a deep and charming culture, and helps to develop our country, too." 

Mohammed said that today, many local youths believe that learning Chinese can improve and change the course of their lives. 

Witnessing

As stated before, Mohammed's bond with Chinese can date back to a brief exchange with his teacher. After graduating from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, Mohammed studied in China for nine years and got a master's degree and a doctor's degree at Hebei University. Then, he returned home and taught what he had learned. Along the way, he has witnessed the increasing popularity of Chinese in his country. 

"The relationship between China and Mauritania is long-standing. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1965, the two countries have enjoyed a long and good relationship. As Mauritanians, therefore, we should communicate with China and learn more about China and Chinese culture." 

Mohammed said that many people now know the benefits of learning Chinese and are willing to learn the language. "I think many Chinese companies will be able to do business here in the future, and young people who learn Chinese will have more diverse opportunities." 

Since August 2023, the Center for Language Education Cooperation (CLEC) has held several rounds of consultations and reached a consensus with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Mauritania, Hebei University, the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya, etc. on the promotion of all-round cooperation in Chinese language education in Mauritania. 

At the 2023 World Chinese Language Conference, Niang Mamadou, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mauritania led a delegation to Beijing and on behalf of the Mauritanian government, signed the Agreement on Cooperation in Chinese Language Education with the CLEC. 

Niang Mamadou said that Chinese language education is a link between Mauritania and China and a bridge for students to broaden their horizons. As Chinese language education has a promising future in Mauritania, he hopes to strengthen the cooperation and exchanges between China and Mauritania in the field of education and jointly promote the development of Chinese language education, so as to benefit more students and contribute to the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. 

Speaking of the future, Mohammed said, "I hope that through my efforts, more local youths and students will become interested in China and its language, and that learning Chinese will prove to be a great help in their future careers and lives."