China is producing more qualified teachers and innovative tools to supply the demand for Chinese language proficiency worldwide.

According to the Chinese Language Council International (CLCI), there are around 40 million foreigners learning Chinese. The number is expected to increase to about 100 million by the year 2010.

A new Chinese language learning website, www.lnyabc.com, was launched Tuesday, June 12th. The website offers 10 interactive learning platforms between standard Chinese and 10 foreign languages.

Director of Lanya Network Co., Yang Chunhong said, "The platforms provide a simple and practical way to learn Chinese."

For many beginners, Chinese can be an overwhelming language. Learners using the new website only need to remember 354 basic words and 595 classified words and then practice combining those words into sentences, Yang said.

"Many foreigners flinch at learning how to write Chinese characters before opening their mouth to speak," said Xing Bisi, a professor with the Chinese Cultural Link Project Committee. Bisi also said that "This learning method ensures that a foreigner speaks Chinese before learning how to write. He or she can start learning Chinese from 500 common sentences the platform provides."

There are more than 120 Confucius Institutes around the world involved in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. However, there is a shortage of qualified teachers. The United States' College Board is going to offer an advanced placement course in Chinese this year, which means that more than 2,000 high schools will need Chinese teachers in the very near future. To meet this demand, the CLCI has trained and recruited thousands of Chinese language teachers since the end of last year.

The Beijing Language and Culture University has also helped to feed the demand for Chinese language teachers by offering an intensive program run through its College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The deputy director of the university's English Education Center, Liang Qing, said that the Olympics was a big door opener for many foreigners wanting to get into China, but that language skills were the key.

(China Daily 06/13/2007 page 1)

Questions:

1. How many interactive platforms does the Lanya Network Co.'s teaching website have?

2. What event in the United States will increase the need for Chinese language teachers?

Answers:

1. Ten.

2. The United States' College Board offering an advanced placement course in Chinese.

（英语点津 Linda 编辑）