Monks are being trained in English and other languages to help them spread Chinese Buddhism across the globe.

The first batch, made up of 22 monks from monasteries across 10 provinces, on Saturday completed an eight-month course covering oral English, translation and cross-cultural exchange at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).

It is the first time a Chinese college has provided formal foreign language education to monks.

"I have taken English training courses before, but this time it was much more practical and targeted," said Master Yong Xing, a student of the program and director of the China Jianzhen Buddhist Academy in Jiangsu province. "The world needs more Buddhist scholars proficient in foreign languages to explain Buddhism smoothly and accurately."

SISU language teachers or instructors from the Buddhism research center at the University of Hong Kong led the classes, while the Shanghai Buddhist Association paid the tuition fees.

"Increasing exchanges between China's Buddhist circle and its overseas counterparts mean monks need better English skills," said Sheng Jianyuan, director of teaching and research at SISU, yesterday, who explained the idea for the language program came about last summer when monks converged on Shanghai for a national English-speaking contest.

Qi Xiaofei, vice-director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, said during the graduation ceremony: "This is just the start. Similar training courses in Korean and Japanese will be introduced in the future." Meanwhile, the Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, which attracts around 2 million tourists a year, also plans to train its monks in English so they can act as guides for visitors during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.