The 3rd International Conference on Teaching and Learning of Chinese as a Second Language (TLCSL) (12-13 September 2013)

The 3rd International Conference on Teaching and Learning of Chinese as a Second Language (TLCSL) was successfully held on 12-13 September 2013. This event was co-organised by Ngee Ann Polytechnic (School of Humanities & Social Sciences) and supported by Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union and Singapore Middle School Chinese Teachers' Association. The conference has attracted numerous local educators as well as scholars and practitioners from all over the world to attend. With more than a thousand participants, TLCSL is one of the largest international conferences in the region with Chinese as the conference language.

On the first day of the conference, the Guest-of-Honour, Mrs. Josephine Teo (Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport) and SCCL advisor Ms. Sim Ann (Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Education) graced the Opening Ceremony of the conference and attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the "SCCL Research Exhibition". In the two days of keynote presentations and panel discussions, eight renowned scholars from Singapore and overseas, namely, Prof Cornelius C Kubler, Prof. Tse Shek Kam, Prof. Lu Jianming, Prof. Wen Qiufang, Prof. Marn-Ling Shing, Mr. Wei Shusheng, Dr. Sim Seok Hwa and Mdm. Koo Hsiu Hu, shared their invaluable research findings. For the breakout sessions, other participants presented their papers on various aspects in the teaching and learning of Chinese as a second language, foregrounding the conference theme "Innovative Practice, Transformative Learning".

The main purpose of the conference is to provide a venue for scholars and experts to showcase and share their theories and research findings in the teaching of Chinese as a second language and for practitioners to share their classroom teaching experience. Seven workshops on pedagogy were therefore scheduled during the conference. These workshops, with topics relating to preschool education, curriculum design of instructional materials, outdoor learning, digital storytelling, etc., provided a meaningful platform for practitioners and experts to interact with one another.

Under the special arrangements of the conference committee, overseas participants had also had the chance to visit the Gardens by the Bay and attend the 2nd Mother Tongue Learning (MTL) Symposium at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The TLCSL conference has garnered much attention in the media. Conference highlights have been published in both the English and Chinese newspapers. The conference has also received highly positive feedback from members of the International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) of SCCL as well as local and overseas participants.