Chinese Bridge competition ignites craze for Chinese language in Ghana

ACCRA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Bridge competition in Ghana concluded here Thursday with 12 Ghanaian contestants competing for the championship.

During the competition, the contestants not only recounted their love and passion for the Chinese language in their speeches but also put on a variety of talent shows to demonstrate their comprehension of Chinese culture including cross talk and Peking Opera.

"Since its launch in 2002, this annual event has become an important platform for international students to learn the Chinese language," said Wang Jimin, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana, adding that it has been an inspiration for students to pursue proficiency in the Chinese language.

Wang said the competition connects China to different parts of the world and hoped that this year's event in particular would further deepen the friendship between Ghana and China.

In her opening remarks, Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, vice chancellor of the University of Ghana, commended the Chinese language education in Ghana.

"Here at the University of Ghana, we continue to increase our efforts to support the study of Chinese with an enrollment of over 1,000 students for bachelor's degrees in Chinese. Other public universities are making similar efforts in the country, resulting in the establishment of more Confucius Institutes," she said.

Julia Duncan, the champion of this year's competition, told Xinhua that the event has inspired her to improve her language skills. "Preparing for the 'Chinese Bridge' competition has improved my Chinese vocabulary and grammar. There are many different things that you probably would not learn in a classroom or a textbook."