The popularity of Chinese, once hailed as the 'language of the future,' is sharply declining in Western countries. Analysts suggest that a combination of factors, including China's slowing growth, the spread of negative perceptions, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the long-term U.S.-China conflict, is rapidly cooling the previous boom in Chinese language learning.
According to the Modern Language Association (MLA), the most prestigious association of language and literature researchers in the United States, the number of students enrolled in Chinese language courses at U.S. universities has decreased by 25% from its peak in 2013. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in the UK announced that the number of Chinese major undergraduates has dropped by 35% since 2016, with similar declines occurring in secondary schools in English-speaking countries like New Zealand and Canada.
The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) analyzed that the enthusiasm for learning Chinese spread in the early to mid-2000s during China's high growth period. With China's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) continuing to grow at nearly 10% annually and improvements in national image following the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the U.S. launched the '100,000 Strong' study abroad program, while the UK promoted strategies to expand Chinese language education.
However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, China's strict lockdown measures, restrictions on foreign entry, and a decline in foreign investment have led to a sharp drop in demand for Chinese language learning. Many universities and schools in countries including the U.S. and the UK have reduced or eliminated Chinese language courses, and foreign students have ceased their visits.
Jake, an American who received his degree in China, told SCMP, "Now, few people want to go live in China," adding that "the era where knowing Chinese provides a professional advantage is over." He noted that the widespread availability of English in China and intensified local employment competition have diminished the attractiveness of learning Chinese itself.
In contrast, the global spread of K-pop and Korean dramas has sparked a surge of interest in the Korean language. According to MLA statistics, the number of Korean language learners in the U.S. increased by 57% during the same period. It was analyzed that K-pop stars like BTS and BLACKPINK influenced the language choices of younger generations.
Demand for Chinese is shifting to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. These regions have relatively many scholarships, training opportunities, and employment benefits linked to China's Belt and Road Initiative, and they tend to have favorable perceptions of China.
Along with this, Taiwan has emerged as a new hub for Chinese language learning. According to Taiwan's Ministry of Education, as of 2023, the number of foreigners enrolled in Chinese language courses at university-affiliated language education centers in Taiwan reached 36,000, an increase compared to before the pandemic. The U.S. Department of State has also shifted the main partner regions for its official scholarship program from mainland China to Taiwan.
China's increased control over journalists and scholars under the justification of national security, along with the closure of the Confucius Institutes established by the Chinese government to promote Chinese language and culture overseas, has also raised the entry barriers to learn Chinese more deeply in the Western world. Language education has taken on political implications beyond simple communication.
A researcher from the German-speaking region diagnosed, "As the media concentrates on negative issues such as China's censorship and repression, public interest is waning." In Germany, the number of Spanish learners increased by tens of thousands during the same period, whereas the demand for Chinese was limited to just hundreds.
Stanley Dubé, former director of the China Research Institute at the University of Southern California, said, "When a language is heavily colored by political propaganda, the enthusiasm for learning it does not last long." He noted that "there may come a time when the importance of Chinese will be highlighted again due to strategic and security reasons."