Motivations and Aspirations behind Zambians in Learning Chinese Language

Over the past decade, Chinese language education in Zambia expanded rapidly, largely because of the establishment and growth of the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (CIUNZA). As China deepened its economic, political, and cultural ties with Zambia, Mandarin emerged as an important linguistic resource for academic mobility, employment, and cross-cultural communication. Despite this expansion, empirical evidence remained limited on the learner motivations. Zambia’s language policy environment further complicates implementation, as policies prioritize mother tongue instruction in early grades while interest in foreign languages continues to rise. A convergent mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected via structured surveys of CIUNZA learners and alumni and were analysed with descriptive statistics in SPSS to identify trends in motivations, perceptions, and programme reach. Qualitative data comprised semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with Zambian and Chinese instructors, CIUNZA administrators, Ministry officials, and selected employers; these data were analysed thematically to surface institutional, pedagogical, and sociocultural dynamics. Findings from both strands were integrated during interpretation. The major finding being that there is a strong instrumental and integrative learner motivation with over 80% of surveyed learners cited employment, scholarships, or career mobility as primary motives. Stakeholders called for increased local ownership, curriculum localisation, and stronger alignment with national education policy. This sentiment extended to institutional investment, where 56.7% strongly supported the idea that Zambia should develop its own Mandarin teaching infrastructure. Mandarin education in Zambia has, however, achieved notable reach and relevance, but its long-term sustainability requires strengthened management structures, systematic teacher development, and policies that balance external support with national educational priorities. The study recommends that those who train in teaching a foreign language should have exchange programmes and experience the culture in other countries. The enumeration should be more attractive in order to attract more students.