The second session of the “International Chinese Teacher Training” project organized by the OUC was held in Beijing from June 5-9, 2013. Key teachers and teaching management staff from Tianjin, Chongqing, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Anhui, Gansu, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Chengdu, and Lanzhou attended this 5-day training programme.
Apart from basic teaching knowledge, the second session included an overview of the history, current state, and future of international Chinese education. Emphasis was also placed on teaching techniques, and included discussions on: 21st century American standards on foreign language studies as they relate to the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, "How to improve your first class", the impact of culture on learning Chinese, how to teach Chinese grammar, pronunciation, characters, and vocabulary, how to tackle sensitive issues in intercultural communication, and so on. Additionally, there were observations, lectures, and direction given on how to arrange different types of lessons. Communication was encouraged between trainees and those teaching assistants who had experience teaching abroad, so that the attendees could benefit from others' practical knowledge.
The closing ceremony was attended by Zhang Shaogang, deputy secretary of the OUC Party Committee, and relevant staff from the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, Human Resources Department, and Chinese Language Center. Zhang Shaogang expressed his hope that more teachers could attend upcoming training programmes and become recognized by the OUC as international Chinese teachers. He also suggested that the Chinese Language Center could undertake research on how to link training programmes with degree education and develop an accredited programme.
The trainees talked about their learning experience and regarded this high-quality, information-packed training programme as a rare opportunity. They said that they greatly benefited from face-to-face interactions with distinguished teachers. They also said that the OUC’s MyEChinese distance learning platform could provide multifunctional services and vast resources, facilitating the international Chinese teaching initiatives of local RTVUs in neighboring countries.
Launched at the end of 2012, the “International Chinese Teacher Training” project was designed to accomplish these multifaceted goals: to prepare high quality teachers for international Chinese education within the RTVU system, promote the cooperation of local RTVUs with neighboring countries as well as with Hanban and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, educate local RTVUs in how to contribute to the development of international Chinese education programme, advance international Chinese education cooperation and exchanges between local RTVUs, and accelerate the internationalization of the OUC. The training project consists of 4 sessions, with the first one being held at the OUC from December 17-22, 2012. The two upcoming sessions will focus on techniques used to teach Chinese to students of different levels, selection and production of teaching materials, teaching practice, and so on.
By Fan Yuan, the OUC