The second special training program for local British Chinese language teachers was held over the weekend at SOAS University of London.

(Photo: Global Times)

After its initial success in November 2018, the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) decided to hold the training program for a second time, attracting more than 80 local teachers from mainstream primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The two-day training program was led by He Wei, deputy director of the Faculty of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, and hosted by the UK Hanban office.
The program aims to meet the growing demand for Chinese language learning in the UK since the implementation of the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) project, as well as further enhancing the professional quality and skills of local Chinese language teachers, and also building a network for resource and experience sharing.
The MEP is a unique, intensive language program which aims to see at least 5,000 pupils on track to achieve this goal by 2020. Chen Tongdu, the head of the UK Hanban office, told the Global Times that more than 3,000 pupils are already involved in the program.
Li Guoqiang, first secretary of the Education Office of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, said that the embassy will continue to support the professional development of local Chinese teachers. He said he hoped that teachers would cherish the training opportunity and continuously improve their Chinese teaching ability and intercultural communications.
The training combines the expertise of Chinese and local experts, and is carried out in a planned and step-by-step manner. Through lectures, teaching workshops and discussion groups, the training covers basic Chinese teaching, the use of Chinese textbooks, the introduction of teaching resources at the Confucius Institute Headquarters and Chinese language tests.
Xia Wei, a Mandarin teacher from Northern Ireland, said the two-day training program enriched her teaching skills and enabled her to face new challenges in the classroom.
Professor Yuan Shaofeng with the Central University of Finance and Economics told the Global Times that she was impressed with the passion and expertise of the local teachers. Yuan said that as well as practical classroom teaching skills, the cultural elements are also very important.