Confucius Institutes diversify as language program grows

Publications on Chinese-language learning are displayed at the Confucius Institute Conference in Kunming early this month. [Photo/VCG]

That branch was founded in 2014 and is the first topical Confucius Institute that features a business program in France.

"There are now eight business Confucius Institutes around the world," says Zhang. "We formed a union to share resources and host international seminars."

Besides language-related courses and activities for around 700 students per year, Zhang's institute offers training for companies who want to do business with China

"We teach them the business norms in China, such as the seating order at a Chinese banquet, and give them an orientation of the city they are going to and an analysis of the local market they want to enter," says Zhang.

According to Hanban, an affiliate agency of the Ministry of Education that oversees all the Confucius Institutes, there are now 67 topical Confucius Institutes around the world.

Localization has been another trend for the Confucius Institute: More local textbooks are being published and local teachers hired.

By the end of next year, there will be textbooks and reference books in 80 languages, covering all countries that have a Confucius Institute.

"We had textbooks only in nine languages when we started," says Zhang Tonghui, director of the department of teaching material at Confucius Institute headquarters. "Before, students in many countries had to learn Chinese through English materials."

Guruuchin Tsogzolmaa is the director of the Confucius Institute at the Mongolian National University of Education, where 600 students are learning Chinese.

Tsogzolmaa has written two Chinese books about Mongolian culture, so that her students can learn how to use Chinese to talk about Mongolian arts, music and folklore.