Everyone say "Nihao"

(l-r) Mandarin students Megan Kane and Nitin Anand with Dr. Shao-Pin Luo

Student Nitin Anand, who speaks French and Spanish, says Mandarin is the most difficult language he has ever learned, but also the most fun. "The characters are so cool, but they present a bit of an obstacle at first," he says. "For a person who likes studying languages as I do, Mandarin is a challenge - but one that I enjoy."

Dalhousie began offering Mandarin classes last September, and the response from students has been overwhelming. In fact, in 2006-2007, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will expand the program to two beginners' classes and one intermediate class.

One of the reasons for the popularity of the class is the "fun factor," says Dr. Shao-Pin Luo. Students in the class can take part in conversation clubs, Chinese movie nights, guest lectures, and other activities. Recently, two students from the class participated in a Chinese Language Speech Contest at McGill University in Montreal.

Dr. Kuan Xu, a professor in the Department of Economics, thinks that offering Mandarin classes at Dal is a great idea. "Globalization is making the world a much smaller place," he says, noting China's emergence as a world economic power.

"Chinese is an official language of the United Nations, and the language spoken by 1.3 billion people. By offering Mandarin classes, we are preparing our students, not just for the European and North American economies, but the Asian-Pacific economies as well," says Dr. Xu, adding that he knows several Dalhousie students who are working in China.

Dr. Luo agrees with the importance of offering Mandarin classes at Dalhousie. "The fact that Dalhousie is offering classes in a major Asian language is exciting," she says. "This fits with the university's larger vision of globalizing its curriculum and meeting the changing needs of its students."

*Nihao means 'hello' in Mandarin