Why Kenyans are studying Mandarin, Korean and Spanish in record numbers

Splendor Wang’ombe is a fourth-year student at the University of Nairobi pursuing Bachelor of Arts, Chinese language major. Besides the job prospects, it was the Tibetan dance that inspired her to learn Chinese, a dance that eventually paved the way for her to go to China.

“The music and dance club visited China for a two-week camp last year. We went to Tianjin University, Beijing, the Great Wall and the Forbidden Palace, places that I had only read about. We also experienced Chinese culture. We were taught by Chinese teachers, and it was a wonderful experience,” she says.

Jermine Musili, a student at the University of Nairobi, is pursuing International Relations and Diplomacy. He is multi-lingual, a unique skill that he hopes will open career doors.

“I am pursuing multiple foreign languages: Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese. I want to interact cross-culturally. When I am done with the four languages, I’ll probably take French, German and Japanese,” he tells BDLife.

He says he is fascinated by learning a new language. However, he cannot speak his mother tongue as he does the other languages.

“I may not speak it now, but if it offers me a platform for diplomacy, then I’ll definitely learn it, along with other ethnic languages in Kenya,” he says.

Just like many young Kenyans taking up foreign languages in universities, he is eyeing opportunities abroad, but also to be a global citizen who can interact and communicate with different races.

“I’m not only looking for employment but also to interact with foreigners, even those residing in Kenya. I’m majoring in cultural and environmental diplomacy, which intertwines with economic diplomacy. I have already attended different events at the Korean Embassy, mentorship sessions, and also volunteered in an international NGO.”

Nicole Atieno, 22, is a second-year student at United States International University-Africa pursuing International Relations and Spanish language as a minor.

“I have always been in love with Spain because I am a football fan, my favourite team is Real Madrid. I’ve learnt about their food and the different dialects spoken. My career choice was influenced by the fact that I want to be a diplomat for the United Nations. I like learning the current happenings in the world, how diplomatic missions work, and geopolitics,” she says.

Besides the university coursework, she has also done Spanish literature and grammar exams at the embassy, because she wants to further her studies in a public university in Spain.

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She is also learning Italian, Korean, and Chinese.

“I want to learn as many languages as possible because these languages will help me career-wise. I can go to as many countries as possible and learn as many languages,” she says.

Jimmy Wambua, 21, is a third-year student at the University of Nairobi pursuing Journalism and Media Studies. He speaks German fluently.

“Studying German was more like an adventure. I started learning German in Form One at Starehe Boys Centre. I did it until Form Four,” he says.

He then took an A1 course at the Goethe Institute in Nairobi and got certified as an A1 German learner. “I can easily interact with Germans, and I have plans to continue studying it until I reach the highest level.”

Mastery of the language has started paying off.

“There was a German agency that was building water tanks for schools in my rural home. They needed a translator. I stepped in, and I was paid well. Besides the pay, I can now go live in Germany, Australia, or Hungary comfortably because I know their language and understand their culture,” he says.

Abubakar Bakari, 22, is working at Business France, a French organisation based in Nairobi. He qualified for the opportunity due to his fluency in French.

“I studied Food Science and Technology and graduated last year. For me, French was like a hobby. Now I’m looking to do my C2 level at Alliance Française,” he says.

His journey in French started in primary school, but just with the alphabet, numbers, and little vocabulary. He then continued with it in 2016 while at Lenana School.

“I was lucky because in high school we used to attend many French-related events, which exposed us to the tiny French world that exists here in Kenya. After high school, I went to Alliance Française to refine my language,” he says.

His first job was as an interpreter for a company that was in the DRC and was coming to Kenya.

“They needed someone who knew English and French. It was a one-hour job,” he says.

After some time, he got another two-day interpreter job.

“I also worked at Alliance Française for two years as the education assistant. My role was to make learning French fun for the students. I used to organise activities like debates, concerts, and plays,” he says.

Last year, he applied for the Language Assistant programme and got a full scholarship.

“It came after I landed my current job at Business France. I weighed my options and decided to stay here because I felt that an opportunity to go to France would come if I kept my job,” he says.

Dr Mercy Kathina is a lecturer at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi. She says learning a foreign language opens more doors to look at the world differently.

“It gives you the opportunity to interact with the outside world, or be a translator or a lecturer,” she says.

“But learning any foreign language requires passion and commitment. You also need a mentor to hold your hand to tell you about the available opportunities.”

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