China will launch a portable website this year to offer Chinese learning courses and supplementary materials online to support Chinese learning across the world.

"More than 30 million people outside China are learning Chinese.Traditional classroom instructions alone cannot cope with such a huge demand," said Shao Yipeng, an official with the Department of Teaching and Research of the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL).

"With the number of Chinese learners across the world rising rapidly, modern information technology and multi-media online instructions will be used more extensively to meet the learning demand," he said.

Sponsored by NOCFL, the website aims to integrate quality Chinese teaching resources offered by premium Chinese universities and colleges. It will offer online learning, training, volunteer help and information search services and various learning resources.

"I believe the content will meet the needs of all general Chinese learners," said Shao.

As early as in 2001, NOCFL and East China Normal University in Shanghai started an experimental online teaching program. Currently, Chinese learners in 191 countries and regions seek help from a website under the program.

Beijing Language and Culture University, Xiamen University, China Central Radio and TV University and many other institutions have also started or are planning to offer online Chinese teaching programs.

"The planned portal website will integrate resources from all these universities and institutions," said Shao.

Source: Xinhua