"If you specialise in China, you will definitely have a job"

The courses are structured in a modular system, which corresponds to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the internationally recognised Chinese HSK language exam requirements. Students can go from complete beginner level to advanced level (HSK 6) within five years by regularly attending and preparing for classes. The course is taught in 2 x 45-minute classes twice a week, with a final exam at the end of each module. The programme uses the institute's self-developed textbook series "Chinese for Hungarians", which is taught by native Chinese teachers. The course aims not only to develop language skills but also to introduce Chinese culture through interactive methods. Each level of the course is structured over an 8-week period, where students can continuously improve their skills. The background language of instruction is essentially English.

The language classes are hosted by the Confucius Institute of ELTE. The leader of Tuesday's group of 7 students, teacher Wen Kexin, came to us this August from Beijng Foreign Studies University, where she specialises in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. She will spend a year with us to teach Chinese to Hungarian students in a course based on the same principles and methodology worldwide. There are more than 500 Confucius Institutes worldwide, and the initiative, which started 20 years ago, is now present in 160 countries with the support of China's government agencies to promote Chinese language and culture. Since 2006, the Hungarian Confucius Institute has been led by Professor Dr. Imre Hamar, a world-renowned authority on Buddhology, Tibetology and Sinology, and Vice-Rector for International Affairs of ELTE, who has been supportive of the Eastern language learning programme for GTK students from the very beginning.

In 2018, in an interview for GTI Be magazine, which was launched at the time, he highlighted not only the importance and usefulness of language learning, but also the professional benefits of learning about the Chinese world and business culture. "China is the strongest economy, even ahead of America. In terms of trade and economy, China is inescapable. Anyone who specialises in this will definitely have a job. But the Chinese are tough businessmen, you can't fool them. There is a lot of Chinese money waiting to be invested, especially in technology investment, high-tech penetration, research and development, while they are equal partners with anyone in the world market. In the case of universities, there is also much more money for research, they know that innovation, IT is the future." – he stressed at the time.  

Our students seem to have a similar view, because when we asked them about the background to their language choice and their future plans, almost all of them had some kind of plan to use the knowledge they had acquired to develop their personal careers.

Anna Apró, Bachelor of Trade and Marketing

I was very pleased to see that among the seven optional languages, there was the possibility to study oriental languages, including Chinese. I have always been interested in Eastern culture and felt that Chinese was a difficult language that would challenge me. That's why I decided to go for it. I have a friend who speaks Chinese and I wanted to understand her better, so that was one of the reasons I chose this language. When I reach that level of proficiency, if I have the opportunity in the future, I would like to study in China. 
If I stay for a Masters, I would of course continue to study the language. I'm a bit nervous because Chinese is very different from a Western language. Writing is particularly difficult, but I hope I will be able to overcome the obstacles.

Soma Tomaschof, Master of Management and Organisation

Chinese was the closest to me of all the Eastern languages and I thought it would be a big challenge, which I was happy to take on. I am a soldier and such a special language opens up huge opportunities in my work. I don't necessarily plan to make a career out of it, but it will definitely be useful for me. The classes are after work, and my free time is now taken up with learning Chinese. The learning itself was a bit daunting at the beginning because it's completely different from Western languages, but as we progress I'm enjoying the challenge more and more. I think Chinese is a language to learn. The way we learn is very good and the teacher is very nice.

Oliver Váraljai, Bachelor of International Business Economics

There were two main reasons why I chose Chinese. On the one hand, I see a huge potential in it economically, and on the other hand, I have always been interested in Chinese culture. This language can be a tool for career building, especially in the field of business relations in the Far East. Chinese popular culture, TV series and music are less familiar to me, but I think that I will get closer to them as I learn the language. I am interested in culture and I feel that it will be an important tool for the future. I would definitely like to continue studying next semester and use the knowledge I have gained to build relationships in the Far East. I hope to use my language skills as a career building tool in the future.

Nikolett Kósa, Bachelor of Finance and Accounting

I graduated from a technical school of economics, so I already had some insight into the economic world during high school. This background helped me to better understand how the economy works, which helped me to choose a direction for my further studies. People who have not studied economics and therefore do not have a professional overview of the world, usually choose a field of study according to their interests, be it humanities or arts. But my choice was a conscious one, as was my choice of a language that could be relevant to the global economy and international business relations. While I am studying at the faculty, I would like to continue to take advantage of the language learning opportunities supported by the scholarship programme.

During the spring 2025 semester, applications will be open again for language courses supported by the faculty scholarship program, including Chinese. Of course, those who have already started their studies will be able to continue, but new students will also be able to join. The courses and the scholarship scheme are being further developed on the basis of the experience of the first pilot semester. 

Photos by Péter Horváth