Language lessons: Say it the chinese way

Dubai : As Reem Mo'en Saleh, a Palestinian, echoes the words ni hao and keys them in English into her laptop, the same words appear in Chinese script on the screen in front of her.

"How are you?" she says, clearly satisfied with her progress, having just mastered the Chinese greeting from her teacher, Dr Mohayeedin Maxuezhong. The lesson is part of a course in Chinese being taught at a new Chinese Institute at the University of Dubai (UOD), set up by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Deira.

A branch of the official Confucius Institute Headquarters of China, the school is the first of its kind in the Gulf, said Dr Maxuezhong, noting that a 64-year-old Australian housewife was among those who had enrolled for the first semester (Dh3,150 fees for every semester). Although the term is slated to begin on February 19, 2011, the institute is already teaching Chinese to a batch of nine police officers at the Dubai Police Academy, said Dr Maxuezhong.

M. Omar Hefni, President of UOD, said there was rising demand for learning Chinese language and culture in the UAE. "The UAE and China have strong trade ties and it is important that students, businessmen and others are familiar with the language," he said.

Dr Maxuezhong said the course covers five levels with each extending over four months. "By the end of the five semesters, students would be able to listen, talk, read, write and translate in Chinese," he said, adding that students would be eligible for Han Yu Shui Ping Kao Shi, a globally recognised certification for Chinese.