With language comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes the ability to understand. Chinese is the most widely spoken language globally, and students who can speak English and Chinese at the same time will be real international communicators with the greatest chance of making a difference to the world.
Ms. Wang, Chinese Teacher at AMADEUS, emphasizes this point and the importance of studying Chinese for both native and non-native students:
“For native Chinese students studying abroad, it is essential to know about their own culture and language in order to get a better understanding of themselves and be proud of who they are and where they were from. All of which are the foundation of learning and exploring other cultures and eventually growing into someone with an international mindset”.
Furthermore, Ms. Wang explains that it is also a great opportunity for students who do not yet know the language. Learning a new language is a great chance for students to not only be able to communicate but also to acquire new knowledge that will help them look at things from a different perspective and broaden their horizons:
“By learning Chinese, non-native speakers will have a great opportunity to know more about the 5000-year long ancient culture (full of fascinating stories and traditions), which is so different from their own.”
Of course, this also applies to languages and cultures other than Chinese. Language is one of the seven pillars of Educational Distinction at AMADEUS, and we believe the more exposure our young people have to language learning, the more opportunities will await them in the future.
This is why we invest heavily in a strong language programme, and also why most of our students target the prestigious IB Bilingual Diploma.
Finally, whilst the language of instruction at AMADEUS is in English, students also immerse themselves in German which is the language of our host nation. Beyond that, we offer the possibility to take Spanish, Russian, and now, Chinese classes, as well as a range of self-study languages.
Learn more about AMADEUS Vienna on our website.
