BARCELONA, Spain, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Spain has seen a growing interest in learning Chinese language among the public ahead of the International Chinese Language Day which will be celebrated on April 20.

More than 50,000 people are currently studying the Chinese language across Spain, and the number has steadily increased in recent years, according to the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in Madrid.

The trend is no longer only in large cities, but visible in towns such as Manresa which has the population of 80,000 in northeastern Spain. An increasing number of students have been attracted to Chinese language class there.

"Though we are quite far from Barcelona, more and more people here want to learn Chinese," said Wang Xiaobing, a Chinese language teacher and founder of the Yinuo Chinese cultural center.

"I've been teaching Chinese for 18 years, and especially in the past five years, the number of students has increased a lot," she said. "We now have around 45 Spanish students, both children and adults."

The center offers classes for groups of different age, as well as online and business-oriented courses, and also runs weekend sessions for about 60 children from the local Chinese community, extending its reach to nearby towns.

For many learners, personal connections and career prospects are key motivations.

Guillem Ayats, who began studying Chinese after making friends with Chinese students at university, said interest of learning Chinese language is also growing in his hometown of Mataro.

"I know some parents who want their children to learn Chinese, and others whose kids are already studying it," he said.

Others see the language as a professional asset. Lidia Lara, who recently resumed her Chinese studies for work, said she has noticed an increase in both in-person and online courses across cities including Barcelona and Tarragona.

Among younger students, the appeal often combines curiosity with future ambitions.

Twelve-year-old Martina Hernandez said, "Now I'm studying Chinese language, and in the future I would like to use it to help Chinese visitors in Spain." ■