Teaching and Learning Bangla by the Chinese Under the Formal Education System

Bangla is the national language of Bangladesh and the official language of the Indian state West Bengal and Tripura. The Bangla language talents in China first appeared in the 1930s–1940s. The development of Bangla language talents in China has gone through a process from individual learning to state-supported education, from irregular training to undergraduate major. The process can be divided into four periods: before 1949, from 1950 to 1999, from 2000 to 2010, and from 2011 to the present. In the 21st century, Bangla education in China is developing in both breadth and depth. The education of talents has begun to take shape. The learning content covers a wide range and is transforming from language learning to Area Studies. However, Bangla education still faces challenges, such as long training terms, lack of high-level teachers, and the irregularity of the output of talents. Bangla education in China also reflects the overall development of China’s Less Commonly Taught Languages teaching.