Ibero-American countries experts discuss development plans for Chinese language teaching

Experts from the Ibero-American countries gathered in Chilean coastal resort Vina del Mar in the Second Congress of Confucius Institutes in the region to exchange experience and to discuss development plans for the future of Chinese language teaching.

China's National Leading Group's Office of Exterior Promotion of Chinese Language Education (Hanban) delegation, experts and scholars from 14 Chinese universities as well as Confucius Institutes directors from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Spain, attended the forum on Sunday to share their successful experience as well as finding solution for local teacher training, to improve teaching standards, strengthen cooperation between the Chinese side and its foreign counterparts.

Chinese Ambassador to Chile L Fan said in his opening speech that language could be a bridge to promote mutual understanding between different peoples and strengthen friendship. The promotion of Chinese language overseas helps deepen the understanding of Chinese culture, and brings the outside world closer to China and has considerable significance, in which the Confucius Institute plays an important role.

Director of Hanban and the Confucius Institute Headquarters Xu Lin said that in recent years, the demand from outside for Chinese language study has been growing rapidly and to meet such demand, by the end of May, more than 300 institutes and as many classrooms (for primary and high school levels) have been established in more than 90 countries and regions worldwide. She estimated that there are more than 40 million people studying Chinese abroad.

In Ibero-America, despite the geographical distance, the interest in knowing China and its culture has been increasing due to the Asian country's economic and political influence. Now in 10 Ibero-American countries, there are 25 Confucius Institutes with a growing number of students studying Chinese.

While the progress is notable, the difficulties are also obvious. The participants of the Congress said that there are lack of native Chinese teachers who master teaching methodology as well as Spanish language to teach in the region and appropriate materials. Xu said that to further promote Chinese in the region requires strengthening cooperation between the Chinese and local partners in training local personnel and elaborating materials in accordance with the situation of each country.

The Confucius Institutes, with their base in Beijing, China, are non-profit institutions whose main objective is to promote Chinese language and dissemination of Chinese culture in cooperation with educational and cultural institutions on international scale.

The second session of Confucius Institutes Congress in Ibero- America started on July 17 and will end on July 19, in the resort city of Vina del Mar and Chilean capital of Santiago with a number of academic, cultural activities. The first session was held last year in Valencia, Spain. (PNA/Xinhua)