EdUHK’s Putonghua Training and Testing Centre’s 20th Anniversary and Second International Conference on Chinese Language Education
EdUHK’s Putonghua Training and Testing Centre’s 20th Anniversary and Second International Conference on Chinese Language Education
Over 100 language education experts and scholars from the United States, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Mainland China and Hong Kong gathered today (8 December) at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) for the Putonghua Training and Testing Centre’s 20th Anniversary and Second International Conference on Chinese Language Education, organised by the University’s Putonghua Training and Testing Centre and the Department of Chinese Language Studies. Participants will explore innovative approaches and developments in language education through keynote speeches, academic reports and a symposium during the two-day event.
Officiating at the Opening Ceremony were Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President of EdUHK, Professor John Lee Chi-kin, Vice President (Academic) of EdUHK and Mr Liu Pengjian, Institute of Applied Linguistics, Ministry of Education of China. Addressing the ceremony, Professor Cheung said that Putonghua proficiency testing had been promoted in Hong Kong for several years and had contributed significantly to the popularisation of Putonghua. He also emphazised, “Chinese Language is a main subject in Hong Kong Education. One of the important missions of EdUHK is to develop our students into outstanding Chinese language teachers. To facilitate teaching and research development, EdUHK demonstrates its commitment to language education by organising international conferences persistently on relevant topics.”
Professor Lee added, “Through the integration of education policies, curriculum design, testing and research, EdUHK enhances its prospective teachers’ Putonghua proficiency in order to provide the local education field with high quality Putonghua teachers.”
In his keynote speech entitled “New developments in promoting Putonghua training and testing”, Mr Liu Pengjian pointed out that the popularisation of Putonghua is an important mission in China. He introduced the focus of the coming years, which he said should be placed on facilitating the balanced development of Putonghua in regional, urban and rural areas, and enhancing its popularity and quality.
Professor Chou Chih-ping, from Princeton University, United States, delivered a speech on “The difficulty of and prospects for Putonghua and simplified Chinese characters in Hong Kong and Taiwan.” He elaborated on the relationship between dialects and Putonghua. “Dialects, however historical they may be, may isolate a region and hinder the spread of literature and everyday communication,” he said. “Applicability and unification are the keys to the success of language reform.”
Professor Ko Hwawei, from National Central University, Taiwan, delivered a speech on “Chinese language education and self-directed learning”. She discussed self-directed learning from different perspectives, such as the reading process and comprehension. Using the teaching of classical Chinese as an example, she illustrated how teachers can promote self-directed learning in Chinese language lessons.
Professor Wang Hui from the Institute of Applied Linguistics, Ministry of Education of China, concluded the morning session with a speech titled “Reflections on issues associated with ‘Standard grading on the Putonghua proficiency test’”. He explained the rationale and main factors affecting the framework of the grading system. He also gave suggestions for improvement.
On 9 December, Dr Cheung Lin-hong of EdUHK will be the local representative delivering a keynote speech entitled “Putonghua and the language programme in Hong Kong”. He will introduce the relationship between the Chinese language programme and Putonghua in local schools, and explore the complex language environment in Hong Kong and strategies for promoting Putonghua. Dr Cheung will also analyse language use in Hong Kong since 1997 using population census data, especially changes in usage, as well as recent achievements in promoting Putonghua to the general public.
The Conference features 77 academic papers presented by 84 experts and scholars from different regions, including Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Topics ranging from language education reforms to curriculum design, teaching materials, pedagogy, and research and innovations in language teacher training development are covered, exploring recent developments in Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong.
A symposium entitled “Putonghua Training and Testing Centre 20th Anniversary – Retrospective and Prospects” will be held tomorrow. Representatives from the Institute of Applied Linguistics, Ministry of Education of China and EdUHK will discuss the execution and prospects of Putonghua testing, and exchange ideas with participating experts and scholars.
