Canadian official praises Chinese English teachers

(ECNS)-- Governor General of Canada David Johnston on Thursday praised educators in China for helping a whole generation of Chinese master English as a foreign language.

Johnston made the remarks at a forum for Chinese and Canadian academics at Sun Yat-sen University.

"In the past three decades, over 10 million Chinese have learned to speak English fluently. I am impressed by the great contribution made by educators in China," said Johnston.

Johnston also said universities in both China and Canada should do more to help students learn foreign languages, in order to help "knowledge diplomacy" contribute to the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

He said that by promoting knowledge diplomacy among countries, people from different countries and regions can fully experience the charm of knowledge and civilizations.

Canada is home to 84,000 Chinese students, accounting for one-third of the total number of overseas students studying in the country. At the same time, 34,000 Canadian students are now studying in China, Johnston added.