CityU and Kao Yip Middle School co-host International School Chinese Language Education (ISCLE) Conference and Workshop
The 11th International School Chinese Language Education (ISCLE) Conference and Workshop, co-hosted by the City University of Macau (CityU) and Kao Yip Middle School, officially opened today at the Cultural Centre on CityU’s Taipa Campus. Themed “The Future of Language Education: Chinese as a Global Language”, the event has drawn over 200 Chinese language educators from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas to share valuable experiences and fruitful achievements, and to jointly discuss new developments in Chinese language education.
Distinguished guests attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Li Yongxian, deputy director of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Wong Kin Mou, head of the Department of Educational Research and Planning of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR; Kong Fanqing, vice chairwoman of the University Council of CityU; Jun Liu, rector of CityU; He Cheng, principal of Kao Yip Middle School; Chen-Cheng Chun, professor at National Kaohsiung Normal University and Founder of the ISCLE Conference; and Loh Ka Yee, professor at the Faculty of Education of The University of Hong Kong and Founder of the ISCLE Conference.
During the opening ceremony, Rector Jun Liu emphasized that Chinese, as the mother tongue of the Chinese nation, not only embodies the culture and values of Chinese communities worldwide but also serves as a vital bond that connects the world, facilitates communication between civilizations, and enhances mutual understanding. He noted that hosting this conference in the multicultural city of Macao is especially meaningful, providing an ideal platform to discuss the charm, evolution, and education of the Chinese language. Today, Chinese has joined the ranks of major global languages, and we all share the responsibility of elevating Chinese language education to new heights and enhancing its role in the global language education system.
Principal He Cheng remarked that the close collaboration between Kao Yip Middle School and CityU represents a significant and innovative step forward in internationalized education. He stressed the need to address two core issues in this context: first, how to deepen the development of the Chinese language so that it becomes a foundational element in students’ personal growth; and second, how to effectively tell China’s stories, particularly Macao’s, within the broader narrative of national rejuvenation.
Reflecting on the ten-year journey of the conference, Professor Chen-Cheng Chun noted its expansion from participants in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to experts from across the Pacific Rim and beyond. This has sparked intellectual exchanges and creative ideas. Each edition of the conference, he said, has witnessed deeper intercultural understanding. He stressed that the goal of the conference is to set an example, pass on knowledge and understanding to the next generation, and contribute to the inheritance of values in the region and even around the world.
Rector Jun Liu and Professor Zheng Ruoling from Xiamen University’s Institute of Education also delivered keynote speeches at the conference. Rector Liu’s speech, titled “Chinese as a Global Language: Philosophical Reflection & Strategic Thinking”, engaged attendees in an interactive discussion on the future of Chinese as a global language. He explored four key areas: the essential competencies of Chinese language educators, teacher career paths, teacher training models, and the opportunities and challenges facing language education in the age of artificial intelligence. He thoroughly analyzed and discussed how to promote the innovation and progress of Chinese language education. He continued to talk about the key challenges and feasible strategies for the future development of Chinese as a global language, and guided the participants in thinking strategically about the global dissemination of Chinese education.
Professor Zheng Ruoling focused her address on the relationship between the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Chinese Examination and classroom teaching in the UK. She offered a detailed account of the exam’s origin, development, and influence within the UK education system. She emphasized that the relationship between teaching and examinations is embodied in the deep integration of content, the full accommodation of students’ individual needs, and the balance between examination fairness and teaching quality. She introduced the Confucius Institute’s remarkable achievements in promoting Chinese language education and the Mandarin Excellence Program in the UK. These successful cases show the robust growth of Chinese education and provide valuable enlightenment and suggestions for the development of foreign language education in China.
The three-day conference will continue at Kao Yip Middle School with diverse formats including keynote speeches, workshops, classroom observations, and paper presentations. These sessions aim to delve deeply into the development and future of Chinese language instruction in the context of internationalized education. The conference is committed to building an open and collaborative academic platform that offers Chinese language educators valuable opportunities for scholarly exchange. It seeks not only to facilitate the sharing of research findings and the cross-pollination of ideas, but also to bridge theory and practice, thereby advancing the vigorous development of Chinese language education.
Photo credit: The 11th International School Chinese Language Education (ISCLE) Conference and Workshop, CityU Reporter
