Luxembourgish, French, German, English, and Chinese? – The Confucius Institute
Published September 15, 2022
We all know that Luxembourg is a multilingual place, but while we’re all familiar with French, German, English, and (of course) Luxembourgish, very few of us are familiar with the second most spoken language in the world, Mandarin. Read on to find out more about how GradPack Partner the Confucius Institute at the University of Luxembourg is aiming to change that.
Since 2018
The team at the Confucius Institute has been sharing their love of Mandarin and Chinese culture since 2018. But it offers more than just language courses. To promote mutual understanding, it also provides a wide range of courses in calligraphy, tai-chi, and broader Chinese culture. It is also the only official HSK (standardized test of Mandarin) test center in Luxembourg, making it the place for anyone who is looking to seriously study Chinese.
Jauffrey Bareille, the Luxembourg Director, thinks that we should all try our hand at the language, saying that “People in Luxembourg are already multilingual, but they think that speaking Chinese is something special. No! It’s just like any other language.” Jauffrey became interested in Chinese at his collège in La Rochelle because it was something different. “Now, the idea of learning Chinese and its benefits is obvious but it wasn’t back then. I saw an advertisement, and out of pure curiosity asked my parents if I could sign up. It wasn’t until university that I realized there would be career benefits.”
Trying out Chinese is important because “Chinese isn’t the future, it’s right now.” Anyone working in business can benefit from the language, from individuals who are just interested in the language and culture to businesses who can benefit from group classes.
Exchange Preparation
Sophie Rasqui during her time in China
Uni.lu alumna Sophie Rasqui is a perfect example. She took Mandarin classes to prepare for a semester abroad in China during her time as a student. Since returning, she has continued her courses and just passed her HSK Level 3 exam.
She says that “the Confucius Institute is not only a great learning center for the Chinese language, it also helped me prepare for my exchange in China when I was a bachelor student by introducing me to Chinese culture. After my exchange and degree at the University of Luxembourg, the Confucius Institute remained my examination center for HSK certifications. It also became for me a place to exchange on Chinese culture and language at their various social events."
Chinese New Year
One of the Confucius Institute’s biggest social events is Chinese New Year, which they celebrate in Luxembourg City with the dragon and lion dance parades and fun events like calligraphy, tai chi, and Chinese paper cutting. The year of the rabbit began on January 22, 2023, which is why Jauffrey and the Confucius Institute are already hard at work planning for next year’s celebration.
Uni.lu Alumni Network and the Confucius Institute
The Confucius Institute is a founding partner of the alumni network and alumni can sign up for 12-week language classes with highly qualified teachers at a 40% discount when they show proof of their registration for the alumni network.
Because the Confucius Institute is a part of the University of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Learning Centre in Belval hosts the Confucius Institute Multimedia Centre, free for anyone with a Confucius Institute card and packed with over 5,000 books, magazines, newspapers, and films!
The Confucius Institute gives alumni the chance to broader their horizons beyond the Greater Region, beyond the Atlantic, and discover a global world that isn’t the future, it’s right now.
A scene from the 2020 Chinese New Year in Luxembourg City
