蒙古掀起中文学习热潮

According to the latest figures, Chinese has become Mongolia's third most popular foreign language, coming just behind English and Russian.

Asyet it's not listed as a compulsory subject for university entrance examinations, but it remains very popular, despite the high cost of tuition.

Duuranjargal is the director of the CRI Confucius classroom at Ulan Bator Yucai School.

"In Mongolia's state-run schools, basic education is free. But more and more parents are sending their children to private schools, as they want their kids to have opportunities to come into contact with Chinese culture, and get a solid foundation in Chinese language learning. Actually, the tuition fees are quite expensive for the average Mongolian household."

He also points out that there are at least 20 Chinese-Mongolian bilingual schools in Ulan Bator, far beyond the number of Russian, Japanese and Korean language schools.

China has for years been Mongolia's largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment.

Official statistics show two-way trade has expanded 50 times over the past two decades.

China's ambassador to Mongolia, Xing Haiming, says many Mongolian people believe mastering Chinese can lead to better job opportunities.

"One important characteristic of the China-Mongolia relationships is the rapid growth in cultural and personnel exchanges. This is reflected by closer ties between hearts and minds among people of the two countries. Speaking Chinese has already become a hot trend in Mongolia, and youngsters in the country are proud of understanding Chinese and having Chinese friends."

He also points out that by learning the language, people begin to respect and appreciate the essence of Chinese culture.

Tsetsegbayar has been learning Chinese for three-months, and is already listing Chinese in her future career plans.

"I plan to go to China to further my education next year, to study International Relations or some related majors. I really like the Chinese language and culture. Now Chinese can be used in many work places in Mongolia. I'll try my best to realize the dream of learning Chinese in China."

The National University of Mongolia has established the first Confucius Institute in the country.

Its director Zhu Lijun, says in eight years of operation, the institute has cultivated and trained over 7,500 students.