A total of 27 students study Serbian language at the Beijing International Studies University /BISU/, thus they are interested in using their language skills in several different fields, Kosara Cvetković, a professor of Serbian language at the BISU, told SRNA in Beijing.
Cvetković stressed that there are 16 regular students studying the Serbian language, and 11 more in the 2nd seven-year programme.
“They are interested in different things; some of them are interested in studying the language linguistically in order to stray in university and work. Many are interested in tourism and would like to get employed in that sector, while some are interested in the programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in order to have career in diplomacy,” Cvetković said.
She explained why the Chinese choose foreign names.
“The Chinese always choose the names of the language they study. Unless they do not study foreign language, they then choose English names as they believe it would be easier for all the foreigners to be accustomed to the namea such as Lilly, Ana and Mary. They do so to make things easier for us,” said Cvetković, who is also a proof-reader for Serbian language.
She points out that she has enjoyed her job for these two years since she has been working in China, and that she is pleasantly surprised.
“I’m really enjoying here. Before I came to China, I had neither knowledge nor prejudice, which is always liberating, but did I neither have expectations, I was very open. They pleasantly surprised me,” said Cvetković.
She said that China is stratified, which makes her reveal something new every day and be impressed all over again, but sometimes astonished too.
“It’s an endless story,” Cvetković told SRNA.
Students from several language departments of the Beijing International Studies University welcomed journalists by carrying flags of their countries, greeted them in all the languages of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and performed a cultural programme.
Chinese students qualified the Serbian language as difficult, but nevertheless they learned it well and prepared a programme presenting their knowledge.
They presented Chinese food, tea and jadestone in the Serbian language to journalists from Serbia, Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, Montenegro and Croatia, and prepared a buffet with Chinese specialties.
According to official data, more than 1,500 people from Serbia, live and work in China, 300 of whom are in Beijing, as earlier announced by the China Radio International.
Approximately 10,000 students, including about 1,000 foreign students, are currently studying at the BISU. This university was founded in 1964 and is among the first ones in China to offer basic foreign language studies.
It offers programmes of literature, management, law and economics, with foreign languages and literature as basic disciplines and management in tourism as a specialised discipline.
That is, this University emphasizes, an important base in China for learning and researching foreign languages, translation, tourism, economics and foreign trade.
The BISU cooperates with 170 universities and educational institutions, including the University of Belgrade and 40 other countries and regions.
Source: srna
