Chinese is becoming increasingly popular with more and more students choosing to learn the language in stead of the traditional European languages of French, Spanish and German. At the Wah Sing Chinese Community Centre on Liverpool's Duke Street a group of young students are taking lessons in this notoriously difficult Cantonese. Chinese is one of the earliest written languages in the world - the earliest written examples date back more than 3,000 years. The major languages within Chinese are Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin is the most widely spoken of all Chinese languages or dialects, and is used by upwards of 720 million people in China. The majority of Cantonese speakers in China live in and around Hong Kong and in Southern China. Richard Szeto is Deputy Headteacher at the Wah Sing Centre. “Chinese is a great language for business right now, and the classes are getting more and more popular. The classes are open for everybody, not just the Chinese community. Anyone in Merseyside would be welcome to come along for lessons.” More than two hundred students of all ages visit the Wah Sing every Sunday to take classes in Cantonese or Mandarin. The classes draw students from across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and North Wales. Chantelle, aged 9, has been learning Cantonese for 3 years. Her dad is from Hong Kong and speaks Cantonese at home. “It is a bit hard sometimes but I like it. If I was teaching you I would probably start off by teaching you the numbers.”  | | Duke Street sign |
Nora, Chantelle’s mum, wanted her daughter to learn Cantonese because she thinks it is an important part of her heritage. “Chantelle has been born and brought up in England, but me and her dad think it is really important that she speaks a bit of Chinese. It’s part of who she is and it’ll be to her advantage when she‘s older. I’m really pleased with her progress, but I’m a little bit worried she’s going to be better than me!” An estimated 100 schools in the UK are now teaching Mandarin, China's official language, according to the British Council - the UK's international organisation for educational and cultural relations. GCSE entries in the UK for Mandarin and Cantonese crept up to just under 4,000 last year. Even with its falling popularity, however, the number of entries in French still hit 320,000. With up to sixty thousand characters to get to grips with and a language where meaning is determined by tone, it can be a big challenge to learn. But like any language, it’s all about having the right incentive. “I have been learning Cantonese for about three years,” said Georgina, age 9. “I want to learn so that I can learn how to write. I have family living in Hong Kong and I want to be able to write to my Grandfather and Granddad in Cantonese. I think that would make them really happy”. | 
