Long-Term Language Students

The opportunities in China to teach or work using only the English language are clearly limited. As a response to this, FOC facilitates the study of Mandarin and minority languages by introducing students to selected universities. We usually advise at least two years full-time formal language study as a foundation for achieving adequate fluency to function in Mandarin. Many continue for up to 3 or occasionally 4 years of study to achieve better levels in language. This emphasis on good language acquisition is part of what FOC believes is involved in becoming a true “Friend” of China.

To help facilitate the language study and progress of the foreign experts we introduce to China, FOC has appointed one of our personnel as Language Consultant. She is based in the Shaanxi Representative Office. As well as providing consultancy services for foreign language students during 2007, she also provided free and informal consultancy to the Shaanxi Normal University International College of Chinese Studies on matters of language study, and helped to arrange the classes for each new semester.

Most of those students introduced by FOC are well-qualified experts in fields other than Chinese language. Their goal in studying Mandarin is to facilitate their future work in China either as teachers, as entrepreneurs, or in development work. In an effort to prepare them even better for their future work, FOC is taking steps to provide more extensive orientation and cultural training for these students. It is FOC’s sincere desire that these individuals will make a long-lasting contribution to China’s development.

As part of our commitment to developing the West of China, FOC also facilitates the study of minority languages by introducing students to selected universities. Some of these students have reached a high level of proficiency in minority languages. For example in 2007 the South West Minorities University in Chengdu published a phrasebook for students of Kham Tibetan written by foreign student introduced by FOC. With FOC’s growing involvement in working with local governments for sustainable development of minority areas, fluency in both Mandarin and a minority language is required. FOC usually advises that any study of the minority languages would occur after achieving at least a basic proficiency in Mandarin.

The table below shows the provinces and municipalities where language students who were introduced through FOC were studying during 2007.

Province/Municipality	Number of Students*
Henan	9
Qinghai	1
Shaanxi	25
Sichuan	21
Xinjiang	12
Yunnan	4
Total	72