Rector Jun Liu shares insights at inauguration conference of Global Chinese Language Teacher Education Association

The inauguration conference of the Global Chinese Language Teacher Education Association and the Chinese Language Teacher Education Forum was recently held at East China Normal University, with City University of Macau being one of the member universities of the Global Chinese Language Teacher Education Association (GCLTEA). Rector Jun Liu, one of the initiators of the alliance, was invited to attend the opening ceremony to inaugurate the Global Chinese Language Teacher Education Association. Additionally, Rector Liu was appointed as a member of the inaugural academic committee of the conference and delivered a keynote speech during the event.

As the first global conference held on-site by the association, this year’s event invited nearly a hundred international experts and scholars in the field of Chinese language education from fifteen countries, including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Australia, South Korea, Canada, the United States, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and China (including Macao). The participants actively engaged in fruitful discussions and constructive discourse during the conference, focusing on the development of the association and the future of Chinese language teacher education.

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In his keynote speech, Rector Jun Liu delved into philosophical reflections on international communication from TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) to TCSOL (Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages). He shared the advancement of English teaching and teacher development and drew examples to share valuable insights on how to promote Chinese language teaching and teacher development. Rector Liu provided a comprehensive review of the research areas, development trends, and key issues in the English teaching and teacher development over the past two decades, and elaborated his suggestions based on four aspects: teacher standards and core competencies, pre-service and in-service training, teacher qualification and professional development, as well as information literacy, to advance Chinese teaching and teacher development.

Rector Liu emphasized that the establishment of a sustainable development mechanism for Chinese language teacher education should promote six aspects: local teacher training, curriculum improvement, localized textbook development, adaptive teaching evaluation, fostering student learning motivation, and language policy formulation, to address the new situations, demands, and challenges facing global Chinese language teacher education.

In addition, Rector Jun Liu participated in a roundtable meeting at the Chinese Language Teacher Education Forum, where he engaged in in-depth discussions with other participants on the current status of Chinese language teacher training, the challenges faced, and related countermeasures.

After the conference, Rector Jun Liu was interviewed by the “21st Century English Education Media.” He stated that English teachers in China had a significant advantage in serving as international Chinese language teachers. “English language teachers, who learn and teach English as a foreign language, are able to understand the process of learning a non-native language when faced with learners whose native language was not Chinese. Additionally, English language teachers possess strong cross-cultural communication skills and abilities, which allow them to communicate effectively with international students and understand their learning difficulties,” said Rector Liu.

Rector Liu pointed out that becoming an international Chinese language teacher required not only proficiency in Chinese and the foreign language but also an understanding of the characteristics of local learners, so as to tailor teaching methods, curriculum design, textbook usage, assessments, and flexible teaching approaches to meet their needs.

The Global Chinese Language Teacher Education Association (GCLTEA) is an international collaborative organization initiated by East China Normal University, along with several Chinese language teacher education institutions and individuals. It is a voluntary association that encompasses relevant organizations, institutions, and individuals worldwide. GCLTEA operates as a non-governmental, non-profit, and open international cooperation organization.

Photo credits: East China Normal University