EdUHK Organises the 10th International Conference on Teaching Chinese as a Second Language
In response to the opportunities and challenges for Chinese language education amid globalisation, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) hosted the 10th International Conference on Chinese Language Teaching from 27 to 28 May at its Tai Po campus. the conference assembled from around the world over 250 experts, scholars, teachers, and postgraduate students in the field of Chinese language education.
Themed ‘Discipline Formation and Development’, the conference explored the application of digital humanities, artificial intelligence, inclusive education, and multimodal and diverse teaching methods in international Chinese language teaching. It comprised keynote speeches, expert forums, group reports, and paper presentations, while sharing the latest research findings and practical experiences.
The conference was co-organised by the Department of Chinese Language Studies (CHL) at EdUHK, the Graduate School, and the CKC TechCulture Innovation Centre, alongside the Shandong International Chinese Education Research Association, the International Education College of Shandong University, and the International Journal of Chinese Language Education, with professional guidance and support from the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching.
During the opening ceremony, Ms Yu Tianqi, Deputy Director of the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation at the Ministry of Education, pointed out the increasing global demand for international Chinese language education and expressed optimism regarding the outlook for development of the subject. She commended EdUHK for its outstanding contributions to promoting international Chinese language education. For his part, Professor Yi Fan, Vice President of Shandong University, expressed hopes for continued collaborative research initiatives between Shandong University and EdUHK.
In his video address, EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin pointed out that digital humanities and artificial intelligence had become important trends in the education today, enabling teachers to better understand students’ needs. “As educators, we must embrace the changes brought about by technological advancements, explore new teaching models and methods,” he said. Professor Lee encouraged the attendees to incorporate the insights gleaned from the conference into their teaching practices, to provide better learning resources and environments for students, empower the learning and teaching experience, and contribute to the innovation and evolution of global Chinese language education.
EdUHK Vice President (Research and Development) Professor Chetwyn Chan Che-hin welcomed attendees in multiple languages, thanking them for their efforts in promoting Chinese language education. He noted that the number ‘ten’ in Chinese culture symbolises completeness and perfection, echoing this conference aptly interprets the profound meaning of ‘ten’, as a perfect summary of the achievements from the previous nine conferences and a new start for future endeavour.
The two-day conference featured eight keynote speeches, 13 expert forums, and 27 group reports, with a total of 156 papers presented. Topics spanned various areas of international Chinese language education, such as AI-assisted teaching, intercultural communication, strategies for teaching Chinese characters, and textbook development. Those in attendance were from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, as well as other places such as France, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, UK, USA and Vietnam, and included university scholars, frontline teachers and education policymakers.
Additionally, the conference included a special segment titled ‘Discussion on International Chinese Language Education,’ where attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as ‘Diversity of International Chinese Language Learners in the New Era’ and ‘Teaching Resources and Methods in the Digital Age.’ For more details, please visit the official website: https://tcsl10.eduhk.hk.
The closing ceremony was co-hosted by the three chairs of the organising committee: Professor Si Chung-mou from EdUHK’s CHL, Professor Ma Xiaole from the International Education College of Shandong University, and Dr Zhang Ling, Assistant Professor from EdUHK’s CHL.
Professor Si Chung-mou stated that EdUHK will continue to act as a bridge to promote deep collaboration among scholars from across the nation and internationally, jointly advancing the innovative development of international Chinese language education. Professor Ma Xiaole emphasised that the conference provide valuable insights for subject construction, particularly achieving significant breakthroughs in digital transformation and cross-cultural teaching. Dr Zhang Ling noted that the conference fully demonstrated the latest dynamics and development trends in the field of international Chinese language education, and looked forward to more international exchange activities in the future to promote the innovation and evolution of global Chinese education.
EdUHK remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing the development of Chinese language education through innovative teaching methods and cutting-edge research, actively supporting exchanges and collaboration in international Chinese language education. The University aspires to work with educators both locally and internationally, striving to promote the innovative development of international Chinese language education.
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EdUHK Organises the 10th International Conference on Teaching Chinese as a Second Language
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