Senegalese teacher Koumakh Bakhoum

In his mother language Serer, Koumakh Bakhoum's given name literally means the "initiation master," namely the one in charge of the rite by which young people officially join the adult community. And judging by his current job as a teacher, in which he introduces young Senegalese to the Chinese language, his name was something of a premonition.

As of today, Bakhoum is the only Senegalese teacher working at the Confucius Institute of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar. Among the dozens of institutes spread all over the African continent, the vast majority is staffed with Chinese teachers, and local teachers are few and rare. But Senegal is one of the few African countries, with Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, that can boast of having one.

For Bakhoum, being the only Senegalese teacher means a "huge responsibility." This allows him to leverage local culture and languages to make Chinese more approachable.

A vehicle of culture

In September 2013, Bakhoum landed in Dalian City in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Having earned a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Foreign Languages, Bakhoum had a thirst for learning the local language, aware of the fact that "language is the vehicle of culture."

The city won him over at first sight. "It is a city that made a strong impression on me. Dalian is located on a peninsula and reminded me of Dakar or Saint-Louis, respectively the present and former capitals of my country. It was like having a bit of Senegal in China," he told ChinAfrica.

Bakhoum is a strong advocate of increasing student exchanges between the two countries, especially for culture and language learning. He noted that China offers a generous number of scholarships to foreign students as well as training courses for international teachers.

Indeed, for Bakhoum, "cooperation makes it possible for people to understand each other." In fact, his teaching method relies on intercultural communication and a constant flow of motivation. According to student feedback, his method seems to have hit the spot.

"I have to use cultures of both China and Senegal to teach. It is a pioneering approach, but I always try to explain the cultural aspects of the language. When you learn Chinese through Serer or Wolof [both local languages of Senegal], it becomes immediately easier," he told ChinAfrica.

With this in mind, he is preparing a series of Chinese radio courses to be broadcasted, among others, by China Radio International, in which he intends to make full use of both Chinese and Senegalese cultures to teach Mandarin.

Meeting his master

In 2012, Bakhoum enrolled in Chinese courses at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, Senegal. There, he met Professor Wu Zhaoqi in an encounter that would change his life. Bakhoum still keeps close ties with Wu, a Chinese language teacher whom he now considers his "master."

"He is a remarkably versatile teacher. He practices taijiquan, plays the pipa and mastered Chinese calligraphy," he recalled. From his mentor, Bakhoum has learned simplicity, modesty and a conviction that anyone can learn the Chinese language, if they put their heart into it.

"Chinese is a language for audacious people. It might seem difficult for beginners, but the more you advance in learning, the easier it becomes," he said.

Indeed, the Senegalese teacher has found that Chinese and local languages and culture in Senegal have more in common than first meets the eye, such as a base-10 counting system, a focus on the male head of the family, and the importance of traditions.

Bakhoum looks back on his linguistic journey in a way that summarizes well his optimistic and motivating nature: "Determination is a powerful thing... If I was able to reach such a high level [of Mandarin], it means my students can too!"