"Ni-hao", the Chinese way to say "hello", is now become a popular greeting for many people in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan. After China began the ambitious 'Belt and Road' initiative, the country has witnessed a growing number of Chinese language learners. In today's episode of our special series Silk Road Journey Central Asia, our reporter Han Peng travels to the economic heart Almaty.
Simple Chinese sentences for these students are like tongue twisters. Each day, their class begins with practicing pronunciation. But the students say that repeating phrases after the teacher, is not the hardest part of their lessons.
The next thing -- writing. To ensure the students remain enthusiastic, this international Kazakh-Chinese College, located in Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty, has developed an all-rounded method of teaching.
After reading and writing, learning traditional paper cutting gives the students a much-needed break. But they continue to practice their Chinese skills during the activity, only speaking in Chinese.
"I chose Chinese because it seemed complicated and very interesting. And I really liked it. And when you learn it more, it opens up a new world, and the whole history of China unfolds in front of you," Jasmine Kaharov, student of International Kazakh-Chinese College, said.
The school now employs around 30 teachers. Almost half of them are native Chinese speakers who have doctorates in language teaching.
"The biggest problem we face in teaching is the lack of a language environment. Outside the college, they do not hear much Chinese. That is why we try our best to completely immerse them in the language during school times," Guljan Orazgali, teacher from International Kazakh-Chinese College, said.
The students are encouraged to speak Chinese whenever possible, even during the breaks.
The college now has around 500 students. After just two or three years of study, most of them will graduate as fluent Chinese speakers.
Talgat Mamyruly came up with the idea of creating this college.
He's an ethnic Kazakh, born and educated in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonoumous Region, and was a teacher at a university there. In 1993, he became a citizen of Kazakhstan, and set up his own school in Almaty in 2001, dedicated to the teaching of Chinese.
"We decided to set up this college because the relationship between China and Kazakhstan has begun to develop rapidly. But without understanding each other, there can't be a strong partnership. And now, we have another incentive to keep continuing our work and expanding the college. That is China's initiative of "One Belt One Road". That will give our students much greater prospects," Talgat Mamyruly, principal of International Kazakh-Chinese College, said.
Every day, the Principal is busy observing classes or teaching on his own. Planning lessons with his teachers is also an important part of his role.
Today he is holding a Chinese language competition among his students.
The contestants would either sing Chinese songs or perform traditional Chinese dances. Their performances, particularly the language skills, will be evaluated by the faculty.
And whether they win and lose, Mamyruly says he's proud of his students. He says after they graduate, some would receive scholarships and further their study in China. Others may choose to stay in Kazakhstan and find jobs in Chinese multi-national companies.
But there are also those who went to China, only to return to Kazakhstan to set up their own schools.
After Medina Almuhambetova graduated, she worked for five years in China's southwest city of Chongqing .
Now with her fluent Chinese, she has returned to Almaty and started her own language training center, "The Beijinger."
"I only just started to teach. It's always not easy when start, but I'm confident, because the market demand is there, when both our President and yours vowed to boost connectivity between us," Medina Almuhambetova with Beijiner Language Center said.
Connectivity is not just about building roads. The most important factor is people. Here in Kazakhstan, the number of Chinese learners is growing at a staggering pace... We've visited several Chinese language training schools and all of them have witnessed their enrollment doubled or even tripled last year. Many young people here are aspiring to visit China and ride the wave of the revival of the legendary Silk Road.
