People talk during the 8th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in Schnepfenthal Salzmann School, Walterhausen, central Germany, on June 21, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)
As trade and cultural ties between China and Europe are getting closer, more and more students in Germany choose to learn Chinese, which they say will bring future career opportunities.
"I think Chinese is a very important language because it opens doors for career opportunities," said Patrick Martin, a 17-year-old teenager who won the German Final of the 8th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students on Sunday.
Martin started learning Chinese three years ago, and has been to China twice. He said he would like to study international business in the future and to work for companies doing trade with China. "Because of that work, I think that the language is a very important part," he said.
For Josefine Dittmar, the other champion of the German final, Chinese language means opportunities to experience a "colorful and interesting culture" and make more friends.
"China is so different from Germany, which is so far away and I knew little about it," said the 15-year-old Bavarian girl. "But now I've got many friends from there and we write to each other," she said.
In October, Dittmar and Martin will represent Germany to compete in the world final of the "Chinese Bridge" competition in China.
"Sino-Germany relations are at its best now. It significantly inspires enthusiasm of youngsters in both countries for learning languages of each other," said Dong Qi, Minister Counsellor for Education of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, noting an upward trend in the number of Chinese learning students in Germany.
According to him, around 10,000 students Chinese in over 300 primary and secondary schools in Germany were being taught Chinese by the end of 2014. Counting university students, the total number of Chinese learners in Germany exceeds 30,000.
In Schnepfenthal Salzmann School, a leading special secondary school for languages in Germany, 130 out of the 400 students chose Chinese as their second foreign language.
"In almost every year, Chinese is the most popular second foreign language here," said Dirk Schmidt, headmaster of the Waltershausen-based school.
Schmidt explained that China is playing an increasingly important role in the globalized world, learning Chinese is expected to bring more opportunities for his students.
Anna Hersener, a 19-year-old graduate from Schnepfenthal Salzmann School, said she would like to study law in the university. After learning Chinese for six years, she expected her language skill to be a plus in her future job.
"As more and more Chinese companies start operation in Germany, I think a lawyer who speaks both German and Chinese will be welcomed in the future," she said.
