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Examining the Motivations and Needs of Nigerian HSK 

Chinese Learners at Confucius Institute, Nnamdi Azikiwe 

University, Awka, Nigeria 

 

A. U. N. Nwankwere1 I. J. Korie2  

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 

au.nwankwere@unizik.edu.ng1 ij.korie@stu.unizik.edu.ng2 

 

Abstract  

Chinese has become one of the favorite foreign languages learnt by 

Nigerians owing to its economic impact on Nigeria’s socio-

economic growth. From its inception at Nnamdi Azikiwe University 

(UNIZIK) in 2004, many Chinese institutes and learning centers 

have been established across cities in Nigeria. This has necessitated 

a lot of research bothering on learner-centered and learning-centered 

approaches to learning and teaching Chinese. This paper 

investigates the motivations and needs of a set of Mandarin Chinese 

learners in Confucius Institute, UNIZIK. The aim is to ascertain the 

employment of learner-centeredness in meeting the motivations of 

these learners. Observation and survey questionnaire were used to 

elicit data from the current HSK level 3 students. There is an 

improvement in both teaching and learning Chinese because of more 

native and trained Nigerian Chinese teachers, and learners exhibit 

more confidence. Notwithstanding, there is considerable decline in 

student enrolment in 汉语水平考试(Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì): 

Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) courses. Findings indicate that the 

basic motivation for enrolment into HSK is for speaking and 

listening in real world contexts, which is beyond HSK’ s but within 

汉语水平考试(Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì): Chinese Spoken 

Proficiency Test (HSKK)’s scope, since HSKK develops Chinese 

mailto:au.nwankwere@unizik.edu.ng
mailto:ij.korie@stu.unizik.edu.ng2


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learners’ spoken skills. We propose that demotivation be avoided: 

more focus should be put on the needs for job/travel/business 

opportunities which instrumentally motivate learners to enroll to 

learn Chinese. This means that HSKK and HSK should be presented 

as options for learners who are enrolling to learn Chinese. A Chinese 

program whose curriculum focuses on sustaining the motivations 

and satisfying learner needs is highly important and desirable. 

Keywords: HSK and HSKK, Nigerian Chinese as FL learners, 

needs analysis, UNIZIK, foreign (second) language learning  

 

1. Introduction 

Owing to its impact in the socio-economic growth of Nigeria, the 

Chinese language has risen to be one of the most lucrative foreign 

languages to learn as a Nigerian. However, seeing that this language 

sounds nothing like any African language, and indeed, our Nigerian 

languages, it has been a bit of a Herculean task developing 

communicative competence in Chinese. Consequently, this situation 

has led to the introduction of teaching and learning Chinese as a 

foreign language in Nigeria, particularly via the Hanyu Shuiping 

Kaoshi: Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) program. Thus, in 2006, 

after a lot of efforts, proposals, inspecting and strategizing, the 

teaching and learning of the Chinese language and culture began in 

Nigeria at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka in the Department of 

African and Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts (Okafor, 2021: 56). A 

year later, the Confucius Institute was established in this same 

university and in the following year, 2008, at the University of 

Lagos. The reason for the establishment of the institute is described 

by Professor Yongjing Wang (Director of Confucius Institute, 

University of Lagos) thus:  

…the establishment of these institutions was to get the 

Nigerian people acclimatized with Chinese culture 



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especially as China’s influence extends through Africa and 

the world. Knowledge of Mandarin (Chinese) in today’s 

world will open up jobs at home and international 

opportunities for Nigerians.   

Over a decade later, in 2022, a good number of Chinese learning 

centres have been set up across various cities in Nigeria. Prominent 

among them are the Confucius Institute and Department of Chinese 

Studies, Faculty of Arts, Nnamdi University, Awka; Confucius 

Institute, University of Lagos; Confucius Institute and Department 

of Chinese in Kaduna State University; Confucius Institute 

Learning/Teaching point at University of Port Harcourt, Federal 

Polytechnic Oko, Abuja, and Imo respectively, among others. 

With the introduction of these Chinese centres and 

programs, it has become prevalent to ensure that the needs of the 

Nigerian Learners of Chinese are being met and their motivations 

sustained. Moreover, lots of studies and research have been 

conducted to enhance the learning experience and teaching 

techniques to promote effectiveness of the program. They include 

Contrastive studies of the Chinese and English languages (Zhao 

2016, Cheng 2018, Fang 2018), Contrastive and Comparative 

Analyses of Chinese and major Nigerian languages (Mbagwu and 

Anajemba, 2015, Anajemba 2016, Odinye 2016, Nwokoye 2018); 

Error Analysis of Chinese FL learners (Odinye 2009, Anajemba 

2021), and more recently, Attitudes and Needs of Nigerian learners 

of Chinese as a Foreign Language (FL) (in Odinye 2017, in 

Uchenwoke 2021 and in Miracle 2021). These researches have gone 

a long way in revising and rendering more useful Chinese as a FL 

curriculum and seeing to the needs of the learners, thereby 

facilitating and enhancing the learning process.  

Consequently, the findings from these researches have provided 

insights to challenges and issues faced in relation to teaching and 



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learning Chinese and recommendations are made to close the lacuna 

met by learners who enroll for this course. This paper will therefore 

address the motivations and needs of HSK Level 3 Chinese learners 

in Confucius Institute, UNIZIK, to ascertain whether these needs are 

being met or have changed with time, and the motivations being 

sustained, questioning the effectiveness of the current curriculum 

and its revision in meeting with learners’ needs. 

 

1.1 Research Questions 

The following research questions serve as the basis for this study: 

i. What is/are the foremost motivations of a Nigerian learner 

of Chinese as an FL who enrolls for the HSK program? 

ii. How has the HSK program maintained learners' 

motivations? 

iii. How has the HSK program met learners' needs? 

iv. If it has not, how can the learners' motivations be sustained 

and their needs met? 

 

2. Literature Review 

Needs analysis is a procedure for collecting information about 

learners and classroom activities to design a syllabus (Nunan 1988). 

It is a basic method for designing relevant language courses, 

whether foreign or indigenous languages.  Nurul Haque (2014) 

presents a detailed study of the origin, scope and growth of this 

theory in language teaching, both indigenous and foreign (in this 

case, Chinese) languages. 

Richards and Rogers (2001:206) define a foreign language (FL) as 

a language which is not the native language (NL) of the large 

number of people in a particular country or region. By the reason of 

this definition, an FL is spoken by very few persons in a country or 

region who should/must have undergone some form of formal 



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training/learning. A language that is considered foreign in a country 

is not acquired but learned because it is not the mother tongue or 

prevalent language spoken in the society nor is it used in everyday 

life.  Little wonder, Nwankwere, 2019 cites Crystal who defines it 

as ‘a language other than one’s mother tongue used for a special 

purpose, e.g., for education, government, etc.’. In view of this 

situation, this language is learned primarily for the purpose of 

communicating with foreigners and natives of the said language as 

situation arises, such as economic, academic, socio-political 

reasons. 

In the list of many foreign languages that have come to stay 

in Nigeria, Chinese is one of those that have gained a rapid welcome 

since the inception of its teaching and learning in Nigeria in 2004. 

Findings by Odinye (2013) show that Nigerian students have a 

positive attitude towards learning Chinese and most of the learners 

are extrinsically motivated by the economic benefits/rewards of 

being able to communicate in Chinese. The reasons for this vary 

quite distinctly amongst learners in other parts of the world.  

Huang et al (2013) discuss, in their investigation on the development 

of teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language in Thailand, 

that the major motivation for Thai students in learning Chinese are 

to acquire Chinese traditional culture and Chinese food. This is quite 

unlike the reasons why Nigerians take up Chinese as a foreign 

language. Okafor (2020) found out that Nigerian learners of Chinese 

as an FL are both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. Top on 

the list for learning the Chinese language include building stronger 

ties between China and Nigeria, to communicate competently and 

to get a job. Uchenwoke (2021) reveals that a great number of 

Nigerian students have high expectations for their target Chinese 

proficiency level, and top on their needs is the ability to listen 

accurately and speak fluently. Thus, according to her study, reading 



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and writing ranked as the least desired among the five skill options 

of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating. From the 

foregoing, we can argue that the need of a Nigerian Chinese foreign 

language learner is for communicative competence so as to advance 

his/her socio-economic status, which serves as their motivation. 

Among other definitions, Yule (2006) describes 

communicative competence as the general ability to use language 

accurately, appropriately and flexibly. This ability can further be 

measured as grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, 

discourse competence and strategic competence. What this means 

for the Nigerian learner of Chinese is that they seek the ability to be 

able to make use of the appropriate vocabulary, correct grammatical 

structure in spontaneity, creatively and effectively, and as the 

situation calls for it. 

Nevertheless, with the need being identified but motivation 

lacking, language learners could easily give up on their language 

learning goals. Ryan and Dec (2000) propose the Self-

Determination Theory which differentiates between intrinsic and 

extrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivation is the eagerness and 

interest to do and take part in certain activities because an individual 

feels that they are attractive and pleasant. On the other hand, 

extrinsic motivation is the propensity to take part in an activity for 

reasons which do not link to the activity (Tenghu and Sepideh, 

2021). In relation to language learning, a learner who is intrinsically 

motivated takes up the language learning course for the sake and 

love of the language while one who is extrinsically motivated takes 

up the language course for what that language will help them 

achieve such as greener pastures, better employability opportunities 

among others. 

From the foregoing, it is evident that the Nigerian learner of 

Chinese is basically extrinsically motivated and as Brewer and 



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Burgess (cited in Okafor, 2020) posit, motivation is a basic and 

essential part of learning. Therefore, the motivation of a language 

learner should be put into consideration as this determines the level 

at which the language need is met quicker.  

 

2.1 Theoretical Review  

Needs Analysis has had a long history in language teaching and 

learning and was first proposed by the council of Europe Modern 

Language Project group before 1970s (Nurul, 2014). Needs 

Analysis (NA) is generally defined as a learner-centred approach to 

language teaching and learning which tries to establish how second 

language (L2) learners wish to learn the target language (TL) rather 

than what they ‘need’ to learn about the language. According to Para 

(2014:18) quoted in (Nwankwere, 2019: 58-59), Needs Analysis in 

curriculum development is a process of ‘collecting information that 

increases understanding of the learners’ language needs, so that 

decisions can be made to set goals and content for a language 

course.’ Therefore, NA is one of the central procedures in modern 

language education (Nwankwere: 2019) because it 

enhances/develops a language to full potential as an integral part of 

learner-centredness. 

Lack of NA procedure in a language programme prevents 

experts in the field of language pedagogy from being aware of the 

language needs identified by the target learners themselves, as to 

tailor the course and all the related activities towards meeting such 

needs. Thus, this research focuses on identifying the needs of 

Nigerian learners of Chinese so as to recommend design and 

implementation of a curriculum that satisfies, to a reasonable extent, 

the needs of learners in the HSK) programmes. 

 

 



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3. Research Methodology  

3.1 Research Method 

This study is a combination of survey research design, using 

questionnaire and personal observation of HSK learners of Chinese. 

This methodology empowers the researchers to collect data from 

only a few respondents who serve as a representative sample of the 

total population under study (Sadsiharan, 2012 in Nwankwere, 

2019). Thus, using the simple random sampling technique, on the 

2nd of March, 2022 (this was in the period of the ASUU strike action, 

however, the Confucius institute's classes were still held), copies of 

the survey questionnaire were administered physically to the 

representative population of 24 HSK level 3 learners at the 

Confucius Institute, between 9:00am – 1:00pm. The questionnaires 

were distributed just before the commencement of their HSK classes 

for the day, and collected after their classes. Where it was necessary 

that sections of the questionnaire be explained, this was done to 

enhance a smoother data elicitation. 

The quantitative method presents the data collected from the 

questionnaire survey. According to Ary et al as quoted in 

Nwankwere (2019), ‘ when the population consists of a number of 

subgroups or strata, that may differ in the characteristics being 

studied, it is often desirable to use a form of probability sampling 

called stratified sampling’, which can be proportionally or randomly 

done. Even though the basis for stratification is usually sociological 

as in age, gender, income, place of origin (Nwankwere, 2019), 

among other factors (which our survey questionnaire was designed 

to cover), the method of data presentation and subsequently the 

analysis considers only the factor of class/level. The stratified 

sampling is employed in this research on the basis that the learners 

of varying age ranges, varying duration of study, different places of 



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origin, were all in HSK Level 3, at the said period of time. Also, this 

method of data presentation requires a small sample size to save a 

lot of time, money and effort. Each level is viewed as a stratum. 

Thus, our research study borders on the HSK Level 3 as the 

representative stratum. Furthermore, the qualitative application of 

this method infers from the data presented to attempt answers to the 

research questions. Moreover, interaction with the students and staff 

both in the classroom and in unofficial settings provide firsthand 

information and furtherance on the study. 

 

3.2 Area and Population of Study 

This study focuses on the area of Applied Linguistics concerned 

with language pedagogy and second language education. The study 

bothers on issues related to learning Mandarin Chinese as a foreign 

language among Nigerian learners. The research site was the 

Confucius Institute, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra 

State, Nigeria.  

  Originally, the survey was targeted to randomly select and 

sample 6 learners each (out of 60 learners per level) from HSK 

levels 1-4, bringing a total of 24 Chinese learners as the 

representative sample. Thus, the target population was all Nigerian 

Chinese learners in the HSK program at the UNIZIK Confucius 

Institute, with 300 learners. But, in line with the voluntary ethical 

condition, according to Bryman and Bell (2007), which demands 

that people should not be forced into participating in research nor 

cajoled into offering responses for research, a willing and accessible 

number of 24 respondents from HSK level 3 were used as the 

representative population. Thus, a total of 24 questionnaires were 

distributed during this survey, and out of these, only 15 responses 

received were considered valid because these were filled in 

completely and provided the necessary information relevant to data 



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analysis. This small number was also due to the 2020 Covid 

pandemic restrictions on physical classes which were yet to resume 

fully by the time of the fieldwork. Consequently, some of the levels, 

such as levels 1 and 4 were physically absent.  

 

4. Presentation and Analysis 
Learners’ Identified Motivations (Extrinsic motivations for 

enrolling in the HSK course/learning Chinese: The grades were 

assigned in a way that Grade 1 represented the major motivation for 

enrolling to the HSK program. Grade 2 was for the second highest 

motivation, while Grade 3 was for the least motivating factor for 

enrolling into the program. Thus, every participant was required to 

tick, on all the possible motivations for enrollment, out of 3 boxes 

(Grades 1, 2 and 3). 

 

Table 1: Learners’ Identified Motivation 

 
Motivation             Grade 1             Grade 2           Grade 3  

 population       % 

     (15)            100 

population      % 

      (15)           100 

population       % 

      (15)            100 

Job 

opportunity 

      8               53.3%    5                 33.3%         2             13.3% 

Travel 

opportunity 

      3               20%    3                 20%         2             13.3% 

Further 

studies 

      2               13.3%    3                 20%         3             20% 

Speak 

confidently 

      -                0%    1                 6.6%         4             26.6% 

Volunteer       1               6.6%    1                 6.6%         -              0% 

Expand 

business in 

international 

market 

      1               6.6%    1                 6.6%         2            13.3%             



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  Total      15               99.8%  14                 91.3%        13             86.5% 

Table 1 above is in response to the research question 1; the 

(foremost) motivation of Nigerian Chinese learners who enroll for 

the HSK course. The motivations are grouped into Grades 1-3; with 

1 being the strongest motivation, 2 being the average motivation and 

3 being the least motivation. The grades show the strength and 

intensity of the incentive which has both driven and kept the learners 

in the program. From the figures in the table, 8 out of 15 learners 

(i.e., 53.3% of the population) agree that their strongest motivation 

for enrolling in the HSK course is to secure job opportunity, only 2 

out of 15 persons (i.e., 13.3%), view this as their least motivation. 

Also, it is evident from the table that the motivation to secure a job 

is the only item that has a full participants' response, that is, all 15 

participants selected this motivation (even though at varying 

grades).  

The second option and motivation; travel opportunity, has 

only 8 responses out of 15; 7 of the participants were either 

undecided or did not consider it a motivation to be selected. 3 

participants out these 8 responses opt for securing travel opportunity 

as their greatest motivation while 2 vote for it as a least motivation.   

This is also applicable in the third option; for further studies, where 

only 8 participants select this option as a motivation. In this case, 

just 2 out of these take the option of further studies as their greatest 

motivation, while 3 of them see it as their least motivation.   

The option; to speak confidently, received only 5 responses, 

out of which none view it as their highest motivation. Rather, 4 out 

of the 5 take it as their least motivation. The option; to volunteer, 

received only two responses, out of which 1 learner had it as their 

greatest motivation. Lastly, the option; to expand business in the 

international market- received just 4 responses, out of which only 1 



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learner had it as their greatest motivation and 2 had it as their least 

motivation. 

From the above, we can deduce and conclude that the 

motivation for the Nigerian Chinese learner is more extrinsic than 

intrinsic. This shows that the representative population is motivated 

by the necessity to improve their socio-economic status. What this 

suggests is that, for the learner to keep up with these extrinsic 

motivations, their Chinese learning experience has to be one that 

bolsters their motivations for taking up the course in the first place. 

Subsequent tables will present and attempt to analyze the requisite 

communication skills the learners need to have so as to keep their 

motivations, and thus, meet their needs.  

 

Table 2: Language Skills and Related Matters (Learners’ 

appraisal of the skills that are most emphasized by the teachers 

in their lesson) 

Skills   Excellen

t  

Very 

good 

Satisfactor

y  

Unsatisfactor

y  

Speaking 15.4% 30.8

% 

15.4% 23.1% 

Reading 23.1% 38.5

% 

23.1% 7.7% 

Writing 15.4% 53.8

% 

23.1% 7.7% 

Pronunciatio

n 

38.5% 30.8

% 

30.8% 7.7% 

Vocabulary 30.8%  15.4

% 

38.5% 15.4% 

Grammar  7.7% 38.5

% 

23.1% 15.4% 

 



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This table is in response to research question 2: Are the learners’ 

motivations being maintained? Table 2, above, reveals that in 

relation to the aspects of language skills, the Chinese language 

teachers place the most focus on pronunciation, with a percentage 

of 38.5% of the students rating it as ‘excellent’, followed by 

vocabulary at 30.8%. Then, reading comes third to 23.1% of the 

population. On the other hand, the speaking skill is least focused on 

with 23.1% of the population holding the view that it is 

‘unsatisfactory’. At a close shot, under ‘unsatisfactory’, speaking is 

followed by vocabulary and grammar; core aspects of testing 

communicative competence, with 15.4% respectively of the 

population unsatisfied. 

In developing speaking skill in any language, targeting 

advancement in pronunciation is highly relevant. This is simply 

because speaking is closely related to pronunciation; by properly 

enunciating the phonemes, words, tones (especially in teaching 

Chinese language) of a language, communication can be enhanced, 

and thus, a learner could be said to possess excellent speaking skills. 

It is however interesting to note from the table above that the skill 

with the highest focus is pronunciation, yet adversely, the skill with 

the least focus is the speaking skill. This presents a note of concern 

as to whether the stress being placed on proper pronunciation has 

any effect on development of the real-time speaking skill of the 

learners.  

As earlier stated, this table attempts to answer the RQ2 

(research question 2) about the learners’ motivations being 

maintained. If in a language program/experience, learners do not 

believe that enough focus is being given to necessary skills; it could 

weaken their motivations, and thus, affect negatively the learner’s 

experience. Table 3 will show the level of effectiveness of the 

learners, from their own perception. 



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Table 3: Language Skills and Related Matters (The learners’ 

appraisal of their current level of effectiveness in the Chinese 

language) 

Skills  Excellent  Above 

average 

Average  Poor  

Grammar 0% 26.6% 60% 13.3% 

Vocabulary 6.6% 40% 46.6% 6.6% 

Listening 20% 33.3% 33.3% 13.3% 

Speaking 6.6% 20% 53.3% 20% 

Reading 20% 46.6% 26.6% 6.6% 

Writing 13.3% 40% 33.3% 6.6% 

Tone/pronunciation  26.6% 20% 40% 13.3% 

 

Table 3 is analyzed only for the four communicative competence 

skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This analysis is 

conveyed only on two ratings: Above average (addition of the 

figures in ‘excellent’ and ‘above average’) and average and below 

(addition of the figures in ‘average’ and ‘poor’). Thus, 53.3% of the 

learners hold their listening skill to be above average, while 46.6% 

hold same skill to be average and below. Also, 66.6% take their 

reading skill to be above average, while 33.2% think their reading 

skill is average and below. Furthermore, 53.3% agree that their 

writing skill is above average, while 39.9% are of the view that this 

skill is average and below for them. Unfortunately, only 26.6% of 

the learners believe their speaking skill to be above average, while 

the greater percentage of 73.3% consider this skill average and 

below for them. 

This data simply buttresses the data in table two; the focus 

on pronunciation might not be reflected in the actual speaking skill 

of the learners.  This goes to show that not enough focus has been 



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given to skills that are needed for effective communication of 

listening and speaking. 

 

Table 4: Language Skills and Related Matters (The learners’ 

appraisal of the most demanding of the 4 language skills for 

them) 

                               Skills                     Frequency 

Listening                      6.6% 

Speaking                       60% 

Reading                      6.6% 

Writing                       26.6% 

       Total                      99.8% 

 

Having identified whether the learners’ motivations are being 

maintained and if their needs are met in tables 2 and 3 respectively, 

table 4 goes on to present the learners' perception of the most 

demanding of the four language skills, in relation to their 

motivations being maintained and their needs being met. If the 

learner is going to have the best language learning experience, more 

focus has to be placed on the skills which that learner find most 

demanding/challenging. This table, thus, analyzes the language 

skills that should be given more focus in order to achieve the needs 

of the learners; based on their demand. 

From the data in table 4 above, 6.6% of the representative 

population consider the listening skill to be the most demanding in 

their learning experience; 60% consider the speaking skill to be the 

most demanding; 6.6% note that the reading skill is the most 

demanding for them; and, 26.6% believe that the writing skill is the 

most demanding skill for them. With this in mind, the goal of the 

Chinese course should be to satisfy these demands, by laying more 

emphasis where necessary.  



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Definitively, from the data presented in the tables above, one 

can deduce that speaking is the most relevant skill to the Nigerian 

learners of Chinese as a foreign language, yet the least focused on, 

even as our research supports the proposition that socio-economic 

factors, such as, securing a job and travel opportunity, are the major 

motivations for Nigerian HSK learners of the Chinese language as 

an FL in UNIZIK (table 1). Little wonder these learners feel that not 

much emphasis is placed on the important skill of speaking (table 

2). This goes on to reflect itself in the current level of effectiveness 

as established by the learners which reveals that speaking and 

grammar skills rank in average compared to other skills (table 3). 

Furthermore, among the four skills of listening, speaking, reading 

and writing, the speaking skill ranks as the most demanding for most 

of the learners (table 4). Thus, there is need to focus on this aspect 

of communicative competence to aid learners develop this important 

skill.  

In all, though there has been an improvement in the relevant 

skills acquired by learners in the programme within the years, more 

learner-centred efforts, such as activities, texts and a curriculum that 

bother on communicative competence should be employed to cater 

for the needs of the learners more effectively. 

 

5. Discussions and Conclusions         

Unlike many other language learning programmes which are 

designed to satisfy the four basic language skills needed for proper 

communication: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing [we first 

learn to listen; hear a language being spoken, then to speak; 

repeating what is heard, then to read; see the spoken language 

depicted symbolically in print, and finally, to write; reproduce these 

symbols on paper], the HSK is fundamentally designed to meet the 

needs of listening, reading and writing skills. Little or no attention 



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is paid to the speaking skill. To this effect, it would be quite 

inadequate to measure a Nigerian Chinese learner’s speaking ability 

based on HSK levels, assessments and results. The HSKK (Hanyu 

Shuiping Kouyu Kaoshi); the Chinese Proficiency Spoken Test, is 

specifically designed for this purpose, i.e., to satisfy the spoken 

requirement of Chinese teaching and learning for these learners.  

Conversely, the HSKK is a relatively new test organized by 

Hanban (the part of the Chinese Education Ministry, also in charge 

of the Confucius Institutes; the HSK organizers) in the 2010s to 

assess learners’ pronunciations, tones, clarity, fluency, etc., in 

speech (cited from online source 'improvemandarin.com').However, 

the HSK has a wider influence and a longer history and serves as the 

yardstick for judging the ‘knowledge’ of Chinese. Hence, it is taken 

as the more important program/test as evident in the influx of 

students into the HSK program as against the seemingly obscure 

HSKK. 

From our research, it can be implied that the need of the 

Nigerian Chinese learner in enrolling for the Chinese program is for 

the sole purpose of communication, i.e., speaking and listening 

competencies, evidenced by socio-economic motivations like 

securing a job and travelling. Still, a good number of these learners 

enroll for the HSK program, which is not designed to satisfy this 

need. This situation could be as a result of unfamiliarity of the 

learners with the HSKK course (which is designed particularly to 

satisfy speaking need of learners) or a hyped-up HSK course. 

It is obvious that the inability of the HSK course to produce 

learners that have spoken communicative effectiveness is not a 

factor of the deficiency of the language teachers’ techniques nor the 

language program goals. Put more appropriately, the HSK 

course/test is not designed for this purpose: HSK is more language-

centered than learner-centered. But ignorance of the right program 



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for satisfying their needs has led learners of Chinese as a foreign 

language, that are both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated, to 

enroll for a Chinese course (HSK) which is not intended to meet 

their needs. 

The researchers recommend that at the inception of 

enrolment into a Chinese learning programme, the learner's 

needs/motivation(s) for this enrolment should be taken into account 

so as to ensure maximum teaching experience and learning 

effectiveness, and to focus on what the learner actually needs, not 

what the HSK goals/teachers speculate to be the learner’s needs.  

Also, we proffer that a learner who is interested in learning 

Chinese as a foreign language for the purpose of knowing how to 

read and write in Chinese, .i.e., for academic or visual purposes, 

should opt for the HSK program/test. On the flip side, a learner 

whose need is to develop the productive skill of speaking especially 

in professional/work situations should focus their energy on the 

HSKK program/test. Hence, Needs Analysis should be conducted 

and applied on the programme. Nevertheless, to attain a full and all 

round proficiency in the Chinese language, a learner could also 

combine both language programs/tests, i.e., HSK and HSKK. 

We, therefore, suggest that further research/studies be 

carried out on Needs Analysis of teaching Chinese s a FL in 

Confucius Institute, Unizik in relation to the HSKK curriculum. We 

also recommend that the effect of social factors such as age, first 

language, native language, gender in relation to the motivations and 

needs of Nigerian learners of Chinese language is investigated 

(which is not the main focus of this current study). Furthermore, we 

recommend a detailed study of teaching techniques in HSKK 

program; adopted in classroom teaching, which is an aspect of 

pedagogy that plays a major role in learner effectiveness. 



Examining Chinese Learners at Confucius– Nwankwere & Korie 

 

276 

 

In conclusion, there should be a bilateral agreement between 

Nigeria and China such that while Nigerians are learning Chinese as 

an FL in Nigeria and abroad, the Chinese teachers at UNIZIK, are 

encouraged to learn Igbo as a FL.This need calls for a well designed 

Igbo FL course and a well implemented programme towards 

achieving this goal to inter-language and inter-cultural exchange. 

 

 

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