From "Chinese Bridge" to Chinese Language Teacher – An Egyptian Girl's Story

In the global finals of the 22nd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, Malak Waleed Mohammed Abdelsalam, a student from the Confucius Institute at Cairo University in Egypt, won African champion with her outstanding Chinese language skills, and the title of "Chinese Language Ambassador". Her Chinese teacher, Passant Sayed Khalil Ahmed Ali (Chinese name "Shiyu"), excitedly shared this good news on social media.

Shiyu is a Chinese language teacher at the Confucius Institute of Cairo University in Egypt. She won the global champion of the 18th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students. From an introverted and shy girl to the global champion, then to a young teacher for one of the five continents' champions, she has transformed from a student to a teacher. She has realized her lifelong dream of becoming an excellent Chinese language teacher and fostering ambassadors of cultural exchanges between China and Egypt.

Standing on the Stage of "Chinese Bridge" Global Champion 

Shiyu's connection with the Chinese language was no accident.

In 2015, after graduating from high school, she was at a critical juncture of choosing her college major. Considering future employment, her father suggested she study Chinese or Japanese. At that time, the "Belt and Road" Initiative had been proposed for over two years, and China and Egypt were about to mark the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Seeing on TV that China and Egypt were tightening their ties for more cooperation, Shiyu chose Chinese, and was admitted to the Chinese Language Department at Cairo University.

In the first week of learning Chinese language greatly frustrated her. "Chinese character writing is very difficult, and there are significant differences between Chinese and Arabic, which made pronunciation a hurdle." Shiyu recalled that many of her classmates switched majors, and some advised her to do the same. "But I was quite stubborn. I believed that no matter how hard it was, I could overcome it," she said. Her persistence paid off. Encouraged by her teachers, she started from the basics, practicing stroke by stroke and sound by sound, eventually breaking through the initial barriers of learning Chinese language. By the end of the first semester, she had got the top grade in her class.

"The secret to learning Chinese is practice," said Shiyu. Since she couldn't immerse herself in a Chinese-speaking environment, she took the initiative to participate in Chinese proficiency competitions to improve her skills. The most unforgettable experience for her was the 18th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in 2019.

"Chinese Bridge" was not her spur-of-the-moment decision, but a long-cherished wish. Back in 2016, when she was still a freshman in college, she watched the overseas preliminary rounds of the "Chinese Bridge" competition, when the contestants' fluent Chinese and outstanding performances deeply impressed her.

"From that moment on, I was determined to stand on the stage of the 'Chinese Bridge'," said Shiyu. She made extensive preparations for it by participating in various Chinese proficiency competitions at Cairo University, such as singing, storytelling, poetry recitation, and skits. She believed that Chinese is not just a language, but about Chinese culture. "For example, the idioms and proverbs contain Chinese culture. I bought books of proverbs and applied them to my essays. I also tried my hand at writing Chinese poems," she said. These efforts gradually and significantly improved her Chinese proficiency.

In August 2019, in Changsha, Hunan, Shiyu won the global champion of the "Chinese Bridge" competition.

According to Shiyu's teacher, when they first met, Shiyu was an ordinary girl. Egyptian girls are relatively traditional, and Shiyu, an ethnic minority in Egypt, was particularly introverted and shy. Aside from her reserved personality, her Chinese proficiency was valued as average rather than outstanding. What surprised the teacher was how Shiyu had transformed into a fluent Chinese speaker, skilled in various aspects of language and performance, and confident and appealing now.

"Learning Chinese has improved myself," said Shiyu, who initially studied Chinese language for employment, then fell in love with it. Chinese has become an indispensable part of her life.

"Chocolate Girl" and Her Teaching Dream

The global champion greatly encouraged Shiyu, who gradually shaped her dream of becoming a Chinese language teacher to teach others. An story during her third year of university solidified the dream.

In 2018, she had the opportunity to study at College of International Education, Shandong University. During her studies, she served as the only foreign student in a volunteer teaching team to Ji'an, Jiangxi Province, for a 10-day teaching mission.

Reflecting on this teaching experience, Shiyu still found it incredible. She remembered that the interviewees were required to simulate a classroom presentation, and she prepared notes on the teaching process and how to connect different parts of the class. "I was worried that children in the mountainous area might be uneasy around me, a foreigner, so, I chose the theme 'Don't Be Afraid of Foreigners'. I printed photos of people from around the world, hoping to show the students the diversity of our world," she said. Ultimately, Shiyu was selected for the teaching team.

The class saw a minor incident. "The children seemed nervous with me, but my small gifts for them quickly bridged the gap between us. Although it started off a bit rocky, the children gradually grew to like me." She often showed them photos of famous Egyptian landmarks, and shared stories about the history and geography of a country thousands of kilometers away. She also taught the children simple Arabic songs, and they affectionately called her the "Chocolate Girl".

During the short period of ten days, Shiyu spent time with the children all day long, and gradually found her career path: an outstanding Chinese language teacher.

In September 2019, after graduating from Cairo University, Shiyu went to Beijing Normal University to pursue her master's degree. In July 2021, after two years of systematic study and internship at the Confucius Institute at Cairo University, she obtained her master's degree and became a Chinese language teacher at the Confucius Institute at Cairo University.

Today, she often tells her students stories about China and its culture in class. Her students, like she once was, face challenges with Chinese pronunciation, sentence construction, and writing. At these moments, she shares her secrets of learning Chinese with her students: practice more and face challenges directly, and shows them places of interest in Beijing such as Hutong and the Great Wall to experience excellent traditional Chinese culture.

Cultivate Ambassadors for Cultural Exchange and Mutual Learning

On October 18, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing, marking a new stage of high-quality development for the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

Shiyu found that the "Belt and Road" Initiative has already changed the daily lives of people in participating countries. In Egypt, China's aid is behind many of local impressive economic reforms. In 2016, China signed a general package contract with the Egyptian Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities for the country's new administrative capital, including the national conference center, office buildings for ministerial compounds, and the parliament building. A light rail project constructed by a Chinese enterprise was officially opened to traffic in September 2022, greatly facilitating travel for nearly 5 million residents along the route. The China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone has directly or indirectly employed over 50,000 Egyptians.

Beyond daily life changes, the two ancient civilizations of China and the Arab world, with their millennia of history, are closely interacting under the "Belt and Road" Initiative. The fifth Arab Arts Festival was held in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China. In a congratulatory letter, President Xi Jinping stressed that he hopes China and Arab countries will take this Arabic Arts Festival as an opportunity to implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit, carry forward the Silk Road spirit, enhance traditional friendship, and maintain close cultural and people-to-people exchanges, so as to provide a lasting impetus for deepening China-Arab strategic partnership, and contribute to building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.

Before that, Shiyu, as a representative of Egyptian youth, had a "Tiangong Dialogue" via video link with astronauts from the Shenzhou XIV who were stationed in the China Space Station (Tiangong). She sought advice from Chinese female astronaut Liu Yang on women's career development, to which Liu Yang responded, "As long as we have dreams in our hearts, we will have the strength under our feet." The answer greatly impressed her. 

"Liu Yang has delivered encouragement from space to women around the world." The "Tiangong Dialogue" became one of the brightest moments in Shiyu's life. "It was magical: my voice traveled to space, and the astronauts' words came back to me from space." As a Chinese language teacher, Shiyu has noticed that in recent years, Egyptian students' love for the Chinese language has extended to aviation, many of whom are fascinated by China's achievements in aerospace, bioengineering, information technology, and other scientific fields. They choose science and engineering departments when pursuing education in China, hoping to bring back the lessons of China's technological progress to Egypt.

The bond between nations lies in the affinity between their peoples. Language is an important carrier for cultural, technological, and civilizational dialogue. Shiyu hopes to guide students to the "Chinese Bridge", and to see educational cooperation programs and Chinese language and culture learning materials in the future, for they would provide Egyptian students with opportunities to study in China and learn about Chinese culture. May the Chinese language connect people of China and Egypt to cultivate ambassadors for cultural exchange and mutual learning between the two civilizations.