Under the theme of “New Projects, New Partnership & New Progress,” the International Chinese Language Education Week 2020 (ICLEW) was launched at the Wutong Auditorium of Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) on December 14, 2020. Co-hosted by BLCU and the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), the launching ceremony was held both online and onsite with more than 150 attendees and a global audience of over 1,600.
In a video speech delivered by Tian Xuejun, vice-minister of the Ministry of Education and chairman of the National Language Commission, he said that language is a tool for communication and culture exchanges, and learning different languages is of great significance for promoting economic and trade cooperation, cross-cultural learning, and people-to-people exchanges. He pointed out, although the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted mobility of people around the world, it will not separate our hearts, and the enthusiasm of learning other languages, especially in young people, will never wane.
According to Tian, more than 70 countries have incorporated the Chinese language into their national curriculum system, and more than 4,000 overseas universities have offered Chinese language courses. Roughly 25 million people are learning Chinese overseas, and nearly 200 million people have learned or are using Chinese, laying a solid foundation for international Chinese language education. Facing the challenges posed by the pandemic, schools and institutions at home and abroad have taken the initiative to make full use of the Internet, artificial intelligence, and other technical tools to explore new models and build new platforms for online-and-offline courses of international Chinese language education.
In October, the first Chinese online classes were officially put into operation at the University of the Aegean in Greece. The tailored classes combine traditional lessons with new methods of live broadcasts and group tutorials, which means teachers can conduct distant learning lessons online and offer guidance with printed textbooks and customized apps so as to ensure students’ learning experience and academic performance. On December 3, the “Global Chinese Learning Platform” was launched in Qingdao -- capital city of Shandong Province, which aims to serve Chinese learners across the globe aided by intelligent voice and AI technology.
Tian concluded that the pandemic has indeed becoming a driving force for the reform of language learning. China is ready to work with all other countries to strengthen two-way exchanges and further cooperation. Enterprises and organizations all over the world should follow the trend, pool their resources, and build a new high-standard platform for international Chinese language education. Only with the support of governments, enterprises, and institutions, and with the unremitting efforts of Chinese language learners and educators, the cause of international Chinese language education can usher in a new era, in which we can make contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humankind.
Presidents of universities at home and abroad, and foreign diplomats responsible for the cultural and academic exchange with China shared their experiences in promoting international Chinese language education along with ongoing and forward-looking programs such as the Mandarin Excellence Program (MEP) between China and the U.K., and “Chinese + TVET” program between China and Thailand. The speakers included Liu Li, president of BLCU; Matt Burney, minister of Culture and Education of the British Embassy in Beijing; Prateep Chultlert, director of Bankhai Technical College of Thailand; ZhongYinghua, president of Tianjin Normal University and president of International Society for Chinese Language Teaching; Hamar Imre, vice rector of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) of Hungary; Chryssi Vitsilaki, rector of the University of the Aegean of Greece; and Omayma Ghanem Zaidan, head of the Egyptian Bureau for Cultural, Educational, and Scientific Affairs of the Egyptian Embassy in Beijing.
Ma Jianfei, director of the CLEC, said that as a professional educational institution for international Chinese language education, CLEC has multiple functions which include building a resource system for international Chinese language education with high-caliber teachers, professional textbooks, and standardized tests; promoting exchanges between scholars, teachers, and students among different countries; organizing programs such as Chinese language tests, “Chinese Bridge” contests, “Confucius China Studies,” and International Chinese language Teachers’ Scholarships; and advancing the two-way language exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries. Moving forward, CLEC will be committed to promoting sustainable and high-quality development of international Chinese language education, innovating and improving the international Chinese language education programs to satisfy various demands, expanding the “circle of friends,” and attracting more members to join in the “big family” of international Chinese language education.
After the speech session, guests joined hands in lighting the crystal globe, symbolizing the large family of international Chinese language education, and officially launched the ICLEW 2020. The week’s activities will include 23 events, covering more than 60 topics, including the Vision and Mission of International Chinese Language Education, Innovations and Development of International Chinese Language Education, Professional Development of Chinese Language Teachers, Online Teaching Resources Construction, “Chinese + TVET” Projects, and Chinese Language Education Policies in Different Countries and Regions. In addition, online activities such as Hanzi Landscape, Food is Heaven, and Singing & Learn Chinese will also be organized.
The ICLEW 2020 has been initiated by the CLEC, and co-hosted by 20-plus renowned universities, institutions, organizations, and enterprises, such as Peking University, Beijing Language and Culture University, International Society for Chinese Language Teaching (ISCLT), Chinese International Education Foundation, Chinese Testing International, and Hanfeng Education. Via online and onsite activities, the one-week event is aiming at building a new platform for Chinese learners and educators around the world to showcase their achievements and share their experiences, as well as enhance mutual cooperation for future development amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
