Chinese Government Advocates Investment In Language Preservation Efforts

The Chinese government has called for more Investment in language preservation efforts by encouraging bilingual education, to pave the way for a more inclusive society that values and celebrates its linguistic diversity.

The Director, China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Mr Li Xuda , made the call during the International Chinese Language Day celebration organized by the China Cultural Center, in Abuja, Nigeria.

Mr. Li Xuda also said that language is a great creation of mankind, that witnessed the evolution and development of human civilization. “language is not just a means of communication but also a vital component of cultural identity and heritage.

For example, the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria have been teaching Chinese over 10 years since its establishment in 2013. Many friends living or working in Abuja find their chances to learn Chinese here in our cultural center.

In my eyes, Nigeria is the cradle of African Civilization with about 250 ethnic groups and 500 languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba.

While we celebrate “International Chinese Language Day”, never forget to celebrate Nigeria’s amazing languages, which are definitely important parts of world culture”. He said.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Nigeria’s Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy , James Sule called on the Nigerian stakeholders to follow China’s lead in language preservation to avert indigenous language extinction.

According to Sule, there are about 250 ethnic groups and approximately 512 languages spoken in Nigeria, the urgency to protect and revitalize these languages has never been more pressing.

He added that China’s proactive steps, including the establishment of language schools, cultural centers, and the integration of indigenous languages into educational curricula, serve as a blueprint for Nigerian policymakers.

“Nigeria indigenous language is fast dying and we need to join all hands on deck to prevent it through sensitization. We realize that the younger generation are no longer familiar with their indigenous languages so we have to have a curriculum where we teach every geopolitical zone the languages that are there. We must not be ashamed of our language, not just the three major languages but others too. Teachers can learn and teach our indigenous language to ensure that they are preserved and passed onto the next generation,”. He said.

The Director General National Gallery of Art, Mr Ahmed Sodangi, while commending the Chinese government’s resilience in preserving its language towards UN acknowledgement by making it an International Day worth celebrating, added that to prevent the looming threat of indigenous language extinction, the Nigerian government must adopt measures similar to China’s successful language preservation efforts.

“China’s proactive approach in safeguarding its linguistic heritage has set a precedent worth emulating, especially in a country as linguistically diverse as Nigeria. We can urge the Federal Government to set aside days we can celebrate the various language across all the cultures in Nigeria. We should also embed it in our homes. Every parent should take responsibility in teaching children their indigenous languages and the school systems too so that our students can understand the basics,” He said.

According to the Vice Chairman, Nigeria-China Business Council, High Chief Mike Ugwu, speaking each other’s languages promote love and increase culture exchange.

Chinese Language Day celebrated every 20th of April yearly was first created by the United Nations in 2020, to celebrate multilingualism and Cultural diversity.

Olusola Akintonde