From Korean to Chinese: Vietnam's language learners follow the jobs
HANOI — “Chinese is definitely the trend now.” At a Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) testing center at Hanoi University in Vietnam on Sunday, 23-year-old Vu Thi Thao had just completed the Level 6 exam, the highest level of the test. “I quit my job at a Chinese railway company and am now preparing to become a Chinese-language instructor,” she said. “As Chinese companies expand into Vietnam at a…
Hanoi — "Chinese is definitely the trend now," observed 23-year-old Vu Thi Thao as she finished the Level 6 Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) at Hanoi University on Sunday. She had relinquished her position at a Chinese railway company to pursue becoming a Chinese-language instructor. Vu Thi Thao explained, "The market for Chinese speakers has swelled rapidly due to the expansion of Chinese companies into Vietnam."
A Chinese language surge is currently spreading across Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations. Unlike the Korean language learning boom that coincided with the Korean wave in the past, Chinese is rapidly becoming an essential foreign language for employment opportunities. This trend has been fueled by Chinese companies recruiting numerous Chinese speakers as they relocate production facilities to Southeast Asia to circumvent U.S. trade restrictions.
The increasing popularity of Chinese in Southeast Asia is evident in the statistics. According to data from the Chinese Testing International, Vietnam saw 146,000 HSK test takers last year, surpassing any other country in the region.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- From Korean to Chinese: Vietnam's language learners follow the jobs koreatimes.co.kr
