Decades ago, although there were very few people learning Chinese in France, there were still a few who loved it, such as ordinary French young people, like Mr. Bai Lesang, the current Chief Inspector of Chinese Language of the French Ministry of Education. He was still a college student at the time, but he had a special liking for the mysterious Chinese characters and culture. He went to Beijing to study in the 1970s and studied Chinese hard. After returning to China, he has been vigorously promoting Chinese culture and is keen on teaching Chinese, making great contributions to promoting the development of Chinese teaching.

There were also scholars who studied Chinese culture and history with great diligence and perseverance, studying Chinese and their profession, and achieving considerable success. For example, the renowned sinologist Madame Bastide, president of the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and Professor of Ming and Qing Dynasty Chinese History, Professor Ville, could read a wide range of Chinese books (including ancient Chinese texts), write papers and research reports in Chinese, and even converse and teach in Chinese. However, the four tones of Chinese were difficult for foreigners to master, making listening to them speak Chinese extremely painful. They rendered the beautiful Chinese pronunciation and intonation so unpleasant and off-key that it became a veritable "pidgin Chinese." At the time, French middle schools offered no Chinese courses, and only the Faculty of Oriental Languages ​​and a handful of ordinary universities offered Chinese majors and courses on Chinese history and culture. These were small, with few students. Beyond that, there were only a few Chinese schools run by overseas Chinese communities to teach Chinese to Chinese children. Consequently, the French had little understanding of China and the Chinese language, and were completely unfamiliar with it.

Over the past two decades, China's rise and global reach have fueled its growing influence. Accompanying this has been a surge in the popularity of Chinese language learning in France. Statistics show that the number of students studying Chinese in schools has grown by 8% annually, from less than 5,000 a decade ago to 44,000 today – a truly encouraging development. This success is due to the inclusion of Chinese language instruction in French secondary schools. French secondary school students are required to learn two foreign languages, starting with the first in the upper grades of elementary school. Most elementary school students choose English. After entering junior high school, they begin learning a second language alongside English. Generally, students prefer Spanish (which is widely used and widely spoken in South America, with the exception of Brazil) and German (Germany boasts high-quality universities and is a wealthy country), followed by Italian and Russian. Chinese is a minority language. Initially, only a handful of secondary schools offered Chinese courses, with limited teaching staff and a small student population. However, in recent years, enrollment has grown exponentially. In just a few years, 500 middle and high schools in France now offer Chinese language courses, and in the near future, Chinese language instruction will be available in all French teaching locations. Learning Chinese will become more convenient in the future, and more and more people will learn it.

Why are the French so keen on learning Chinese these days? Wang Peiwen, a Chinese teacher with seven years of experience, believes that "France's enthusiasm for Chinese is simply the result of both rational and emotional choices. China is strong, and the Chinese market is so large that it requires a large number of professional talents. France's current economic downturn and employment prospects are very bleak. Learning another language provides another possibility and means of making a living. Young people can go to China to develop and seek opportunities. Learning Chinese has only advantages and no disadvantages." This is the truth, and it is also the most fundamental motivation for French children and parents to learn Chinese.

Secondly, the French are fascinated by the vast and profound Chinese history and culture. The internet has brought the world closer and smaller, bringing the mysterious and distant China within easy reach. Touching and understanding it has become an lingering dream for some young French people. Guillaume, a Chinese language student at Paris VII University, took Chinese as an elective in high school. Over the course of three years, his fascination with Chinese characters evolved into a love for Chinese culture. He chose the playful name Ma Dou, explaining, "Ma is an animal, and Dou represents humor. I love my Chinese name so much." When he traveled to Shanghai and noticed many Shanghainese people staring at him, he simply wrote "I am French, Ma Dou" in Chinese on his sweatshirt. This French humor quickly won over many Chinese people, who became close friends, accompanying him on street tours and helping him understand the history and current state of Chinese society. Ma Dou embodies the perspectives of some French people.

Learning Chinese is not easy, as difficult as climbing to heaven. This is the unanimous view of the French. Chinese and French are two completely different languages, making writing difficult. Most French people's Chinese writing is awful, but there are exceptions. I once met a middle-aged French woman learning Chinese. We started chatting in Chinese. Hey, she was quite nice, knowledgeable about Chinese culture and history. We exchanged names and addresses before leaving. Her name was Xia Ermeng, a pleasant and elegant Chinese name that pronounced the same as her French name. Even more surprising was her beautiful handwriting; it was hard to believe it came from a pure French person. The most difficult thing for French people to master in Chinese is quantifiers. The sheer number of quantifiers leaves them bewildered. They have no idea which quantifier should precede which noun, which often leads to absurdities. My son sometimes even speaks incoherently. Watching him say such funny things with a serious face makes me burst into laughter. The funniest thing happened: a French person, noticing I was Chinese, approached me to chat. Although she didn't have a good grasp of the four tones, she could still understand the Chinese characters she was talking about. Six months later, I ran into her again, and conversation was difficult. Her Chinese was so confusing I had no idea what she was saying. I wondered if her Chinese had deteriorated, or if she had given up on learning. After some comparisons and speculation, I realized she had changed her Chinese teacher. This teacher, a native of Wenzhou, spoke Mandarin with a local accent. No wonder her students spoke a jargon-filled Chinese. Therefore, accurate pronunciation and teaching experience are the most important qualities for a Chinese teacher.

Chinese teachers in French secondary schools and universities are generally Chinese. Many of these teachers have passed the rigorous French Chinese Teacher Qualification Examination and obtained their diplomas, demonstrating their high level of teaching experience. To foster French students' interest and enthusiasm in learning Chinese and help them improve their proficiency, Chinese teachers diligently develop engaging teaching methods. My friend Min, a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and a doctorate in France, now teaches Chinese in secondary schools. She is a highly creative teacher who incorporates drama into her Chinese language instruction, using engaging voice and simple explanations to inspire students' passion for learning. She is deeply loved by her students, and many have since developed a genuine love for Chinese culture and art.

Learning Chinese is just the beginning. After mastering Chinese, many French people hope to go to the next level and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, art and history. The Confucius Institutes overseas were born against the backdrop of the Chinese language craze, making it easier for Westerners to systematically learn the profound Chinese culture.