A Ghanaian student delivers a speech during a commemoration of the United Nations Chinese Language Day at the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana, April 19, 2024.(Photo by Seth/Xinhua)
ACCRA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- As the relationship between China and Ghana grows stronger, more and more Ghanaians are falling in love with the Chinese language.
Alving Quartey, a 10-year-old pupil at Happy Hearts Montessori School in a suburb of the Ghanaian capital of Accra, said on Friday that learning the Chinese language is fun and knowledge-based.
Quartey told Xinhua that he started learning the language in his first year of primary school and is pleased to have another foreign language besides English and French.
"We learned pinyin (Chinese alphabet) and then moved on to the characters used to form Chinese words. I want to continue learning the Chinese language to a high level," he said during a commemoration of the United Nations Chinese Language Day, which falls on Saturday this year, held at the University of Ghana.
Eight-year-old Princess Briana Arthur, another student at Happy Hearts Montessori School, said a variety of interesting activities in the school's Chinese Club boost her morale as she learns the Chinese language.
"The Chinese have a very nice culture, and their language is not too difficult to learn. They are nice people, and that's why I like Chinese," said Dorcas Ntim, a second-year Chinese language student at the University of Ghana.
In addition, Ntim said she has been exposed to Chinese culture, which helps her understand the Chinese people.
For Jesse Twumasi-Ankrah, a third-year Chinese language student at the University of Ghana, the international exposure and opportunities that come with studying Chinese are great motivators.
"What makes me stick with learning Chinese is the opportunity. The world is changing, and China is developing fast, so even though the language is difficult to learn, it is worth it because, in the end, you win," said Twumasi-Ankrah.
"Through the study of the Chinese language, we are able to access some of the opportunities that China offers to the world," said Clement Appah, the Ghanaian director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana.
Appah urged more and more Ghanaians to learn Chinese in order to gain more advantages in the future. ■
