Teachers Training Programs:
Teaching Chinese to Foreigners or Overseas Chinese
China has been rapidly increasing its importance in the world.
The Chinese language thus is becoming one of the most popular
languages worldwide. Neither the number of nor capacity of
the currently available teachers can meet the necessary requirements.
Faced with this situation, how can we make supply meet demand?
And how can we offer teachers new knowledge and ability to
share practical experiences of their colleagues, etc.? Eastwestbridge
Culture and Education Centre, along with the Institute of Teaching
Chinese to Foreigners of East China Normal University and with
support of the Union of Oversea Chinese in Shanghai, offers
the following training programs.
A: General Training for Teaching
Chinese to Foreigners
It is designed for teachers who are or will be teaching Chinese
to foreigners, and it can be extended to
a program partnered with or supervised by a foreign administration
of education or other institute in order grant teachers certificates.
This program contains the following (could be extended as
needed):
1, Methods for conquering the HSK and its revisions: to meet
the demand of increasing examiners, by offering more knowledge & experience
2, New Words and New Ways of Expression in Contemporary Chinese
Language: for teachers, especially those living outside of
China, who usually lack of awareness of those new words and
new expressions which have emerged in recent years
3, Knowledge of Different Backgrounds of Western and Chinese
Cultures: this is important so as to better understand your
students and teach more effectively
4, Typing Chinese Characters for Foreign Learners: since the
use of computers is becoming more and more popular nowadays,
the ability to type Chinese on the computer has never been
more important. The method of typing Chinese characters while
checking its meaning by electronic dictionary can help immensely
as practiced in and proven by 2005 and 2006 Eastwestbridge
Chinese Summer Camp.
5, Distance Learning Methods: the use of modern communication
technology that allows the transmission of excellent teaching
to those who are not able to attend lessons.
6, Additional lectures required by students, for example, some
compulsory courses for receiving a certificate to be a Mandarin
teacher.
B: Special Training for Teachers
in Overseas Chinese Schools
It is rather urgent to have teachers in overseas Chinese schools
receive more training since the current situation as shown
by the following anecdote is far from ideal.
IWhen a professor from the Beijing Normal University gave
a lecture to to a hall packed with teachers in some Chinese
schools in US and asked how many vowels and consonants exist
in Pinyin, there was no reply at all. No doubt there is need
of teachers with solid knowledge of the Chinese language and
culture there.
In light of this situation, Eastwestbridge Culture and Education
Centre, partnered with the Institute of Teaching Chinese as
Foreign Language of East China Normal University and with thesupport
of the Union of Oversea Chinese in Shanghai, has launched this
special program. It includes:
1, Basic knowledge of modern Chinese language (including new
words and expressions)
2, Methods for teaching Chinese as foreign language, including
a through introduction to different Western and Chinese cultures
and customs, etc.
3, Unique crash course for overseas Chinese: How to type
Chinese characters in the computer and check the meaning using a electronic
dictionary.
4, HSK examination and revision: methods and techniques.
5, Introduction: newest results of distance learning in teaching
Chinese as foreign language.
Training courses can take place either in China or abroad.
The former welcomes teachers of overseas Chinese schools to
come to China during summer vacation or at other times, and
the latter sends selected qualified professors or teachers
to the overseas Chinese schools.
Feel free to send in emails and/or letters with further
inquiries.
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