The Reasons to Select Chinese as Major /Minor Subject; A Study of Selected Foreign Language Students in Sabaragamuwa University

Abstract

Throughout the twentieth century, our views on life and education have drastically changed. The modern sense of education is not only the knowledge acquired in school or university, but also how the students make use of their knowledge in practice. Modern education inspires the spread of modern languages. Sri Lankan education system could be traced back to two millennia. In contemporary education system, students demonstrate their interest in learning modern languages. Chinese is one such demanded language. Chinese language could be considered as a world popular language due to the power of Chinese republic. Chinese language is one of the five major languages of the United Nations Organization and it is the second language of Australia and United States of America. Though Chinese is not one of the official languages in Sri Lanka, a considerable amount of universities have decided to offer Chinese special and general Degrees. At present, several institutions along with the universities offer Chinese language diplomas. This research will provide an insight into the Chinese language learning inclination among Sabaragamuwa university students. The aim of this study was to find out the reasons behind the tendency among the Sabaragamuwa university students to select the Chinese language as their major or minor. Data for this study were collected from internal students who are reading B.A General and Special degree in Chinese and from the annual reports (2011-2015) of department of Modern Languages, and University of Sabaragamuwa. Students ponder studying of Chinese has advantages for finding jobs in tourist industry and getting scholarships for higher education in China. These findings will help to promote Chinese as a foreign language