Tanzania's Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR) has prepared a curriculum to start teaching the Kiswahili language at the coming academic year as a means to spread the language internationally, a senior official said Tuesday.

Damas Ndumbaro, Tanzania's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation made the statement while responding to a question by the Malindi MP, Ally Saleh Ally who had wanted to know the plans for the centre to increase the number of the foreign languages being taught at the centre.

In his response, Ndumbaro said that plans are ready for the establishment of the new language, explaining that Kiswahili as a foreign language subject will be taught starting 2019/20 academic year as all plans are in store for the service.

He said CFR is recognizing the importance of foreign languages as far as diplomacy and international relations are concerned, thus a need to increase the number of languages taught.

Currently, Ndumbaro said foreign languages studied at the CFR are Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, English, Korean and Portuguese.

Ndumbaro further said that graduates over the years from the center had come from countries including South Africa, Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Comoro, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Palestine, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.

He said that since the college started, more than local 500 graduates have attained a career diplomats post both within and outside the country.

Xinhua