Singapore Chinese Language Center (SCCL) Executive Director Dr Foo Suan Fong, lecturers Dr Li Li, and Dr Gong Cheng were invited to present at the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative entitled "TCS/FL Education in the U.S.- Glocalization and Cooperation" Conference on 7 and 8 January, 2023. Dr Foo was also invited as a speaker at the "Looking Ahead: New Technology, New Society, and Chinese Language Education in Singapore" round table discussion organised by Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, NUS Department of Chinese Studies and Wan Boo Sow Research Centre for Chinese Culture.

 

1. Dr Foo Suan Fong, Dr Li Li, and Dr Gong Cheng

        SCCL Executive Director Dr Foo Suan Fong, lecturers Dr Li Li, and Dr Gong Cheng were invited to present online at the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative entitled "TCS/FL Education in the U.S.-Glocalization and Cooperation" Conference on 7 and 8 January 2023. The conference was jointly hosted by the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan), Taiwan Ministry of Education, Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and American Institute in Taiwan.

        Dr Foo hosted a keynote dialogue on "TCS/FL challenges in Taiwan and Singapore" and joined Associate Professor Lien Yujen from Chung Yuan Christian University in a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of promoting bilingual education in Taiwan and Singapore.

        Dr Li presented in the panel discussion on the topic "TCS/FL Teaching Materials and Method". She shared her findings on the Chinese language teaching materials, teaching platforms and teaching methods in Singapore.

        Dr Gong presented in the panel discussion on the topic of "Teaching Local Culture in the Global Village". She shared her views of "globalised Chinese language" and her experiences in teaching glocalised Chinese language and culture in Singapore.

        During the two-day conference, experts and scholars from the US, Singapore and Taiwan presented and shared their views on their respective areas of expertise, and engaged in lively interactions and exchanges with the audience.

 

SCCL Executive Director Dr Foo Suan Fong sharing his views at the keynote dialogue

Dr Li Li's presentation in a panel discussion

Dr Gong Cheng's presentation in a panel discussion

 

2. Dr Foo Suan Fong

        To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore, a round table discussion entitled "Looking Ahead: New Technology, New Society, and Chinese Language Education in Singapore" was held at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre on 4 Mar 2023. Renowned representatives from the education sector and media were invited to share their perspectives on how Chinese language education should respond to the new trends in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, and to the new social reality of new immigrants becoming the major group of Chinese language speakers in Singapore. Dr Foo Suan Fong was invited to the discussion.

        Dr Foo observed that the human-computer interaction revolution has inevitably come. It is therefore imperative for teachers to enhance their digital and media literacy so as to harness technology to raise the efficacy of teaching and to effectively cultivate students' thinking skills.

        Dr Foo also explored the opportunities and challenges faced by the Chinese education fraternity from different angles. He encouraged all stakeholders to leverage on their respective areas of strength and collaboratively meet these challenges with resolve.

 

SCCL Executive Director Dr Foo Suan Fong (third from left) served as a speaker in the round table discussion