“Workshop on Case Studies of International Chinese Teaching” attracted a good turnout.
With more people learning Chinese as a second language, there is an increasing need for teachers to keep abreast of the latest theories and methodologies for effective classroom delivery.
It was, therefore, not surprising that the turnout for the “Workshop on Case Studies of International Chinese Teaching” at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Language Centre (SEAMEO RELC) on 12 November 2016, was overwhelming.
More than 250 Chinese language teachers and Head of Department from 5 countries attended the workshop organised by Confucius Classroom (Crestar). This event featured two keynote speeches and six workshop sessions. It also provided an excellent platform for the teachers from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China to network and share their experience.
Prof. Wu Zhongwei, Dean, Chinese Cultural Exchange School, Fudan University
The first keynote speech was delivered by Prof. Wu Zhongwei, Dean, Chinese Cultural Exchange School, Fudan University. He shared his knowledge and experience on the use of Task-based Instruction (TBI) for the teaching of Chinese as a second language to young learners. He also discussed the relationship between TBI and theme-based instruction, Total Physical Response (TPR), Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) and other methodologies.
Dr. Xiaoping Wang, the Adviser for Chinese Language, English Schools Foundation, Hong Kong
Dr. Xiaoping Wang, the Adviser for Chinese Language, English Schools Foundation, Hong Kong, was the second keynote speaker. His topic was “Methodology for Teaching Chinese in International Context – Present and Future in the Asia-Pacific Region”. He shared with the teachers how they could revitalise conventional teaching methods by exploring different perspectives; and related how students commonly misused or cleverly used various phrases in their learning.
The two speakers fielded questions after the sessions in a professional and entertaining manner, setting the tone for the breakout workshop sessions that followed.
The workshops covered:
- “How to teach ‘Proficiency’ ”
by Ms Sally Lean, Singapore American School; - “How to create more opportunities to engage students effectively in learning”
by Ms Jiang Yingying, United World College of South East Asia; - “The Introduction of Traditional Chinese Culture in Chinese Language Learning”
by Ms Chen Min, The French School of Singapore; - “Purposeful and Differentiated Spoken Chinese Teaching”
by Ms Emily Zhang, Jerudong International School (Brunei); - “Active learning strategies in Chinese Classroom”
by Mr Qian Zhao, St Joseph’s Institution International (High School) and - “Focusing on Learning Objectives to Achieve better Teaching Results”
by Ms Nina Li, Dulwich College (Singapore).
Participants benefitted from the elements of theoretical knowledge as well as the practical skills and experience of the speakers. These information are highly useful for instructional design, classroom management, Chinese culture and cross-cultural communication and other applications.
The day’s programme included the inaugural award ceremony for the “Case Analysis for International Chinese Language Teaching of Primary and Secondary Schools’ Essay Writing Competition” organised by Confucius Classroom (Crestar).
Winners of “Case Analysis for International Chinese Language Teaching of Primary and Secondary Schools” Essay Writing Competition.
Fifteen winners were selected from close to 100 entries submitted by participants from 17 countries between July and October 2016. They were picked by a panel of judges comprising nine renowned international Chinese language teaching experts and academic researchers from Singapore and other countries.
Later in the day, six of the winners had the opportunity to share their trials and tribulations in teaching Chinese as a second language, especially how they were able to overcome their initial difficulties and misgivings.
Overall, feedback from the delegates to the workshop showed that it provided them with the opportunity to learn and interact with other experienced teachers as well as to acquire new ideas that can help with their students’ learning experience. They looked forward to attending similar workshops in the future.
The workshop was co-organised by SEAMEO-RELC and HSK Centre (Crestar), with the support of Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarter, Chinese Testing International Co. Ltd, Embassy of The PRC in Singapore (Education) and KLC International Institute.