Conference on "Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Chinese for Non-Chinese Speaking Students: Challenge and Breakthrough" co-organized by CACLER, the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL)

Group photo of conference participants

Co-hosted by the Centre for Advancement of Chinese Language Education and Research（CACLER）, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL), the conference on "Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Chinese for Non-Chinese Speaking Students: Challenge and Breakthrough" was held on HKU campus from 29 Nov to 1 Dec in 2012. The conference aimed to provide a platform for scholars, researchers and teachers from schools and institutions locally and regionally to discuss and share their ideas, perspectives, experiences and research findings of teaching and learning of Chinese for non-native learners in terms of curriculum, teaching materials and pedagogy in school settings.

The conference attracted more than 200 participants from local and overseas education institutes. Of the participants, 70 were from Singapore schools and the SCCL. They have presented a total of 20 papers, sharing their successful practices and reporting on their findings in how to teach students with diverse cultural backgrounds, especially students from non-Chinese speaking families. Arrangements were made for conference participants to visit local schools where Chinese is taught as a foreign language. Through the various lesson demonstrations and interactions with school teachers, the participants gained a deeper understanding of the various teaching practices of Chinese as a foreign language.