The 2nd Symposium on Chinese Language Teaching for International Schools presented by HSK Centre (Crestar) and Confucius Classroom (Crestar) Singapore on Saturday, 21 November 2015 was a resounding success, with attendance by some 300 teachers and related professionals from various international and public schools in seven Asian countries.

The delegates from Brunei, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia Singapore and Vietnam had the opportunity to learn about the latest best practices and more effective methods of delivering Chinese language lessons in the classroom.

Held at the Lakeside Campus of the Canadian International School, the symposium featured a panel of speakers who are frontline and distinguished Chinese Language teachers and heads of Chinese Language teaching in International Schools.

Keynote speeches were presented by Ms Annabel Parker, Dulwich College International, who shared her experience in “Effective Questioning to Promote Learning”; Ms Xiong Huali, Canadian International School, on “Differentiated Instruction in a Chinese Classroom”; and Ms Zhang Yuan, Confucius Institute Headquarters Chinese testing International, on “International Chinese Language Teachers Certificate – Now and the Future”.

Professor Joel Bellassen, founding president of the Association for Chinese Teachers in France and Vice President of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, was specially flown in for the symposium to share with the delegates the latest developments in Chinese language teaching in Europe and France.

Subsequently, eight breakout workshop sessions attracted a lot of interest.  The workshop topics include “Effective Ways of Using Ipad in Chinese Teaching & Learning”; “Monitoring Students’ Learning Progress with Various Assessment Tools”; “Understanding the brain to improve learning”, and “Differences between ‘O’ level Chinese and International Baccalaureate B Mandarin”

Feedback from the delegates showed that the symposium had provided them with the opportunity to learn about the “competitive developments of Chinese Language teaching in international schools” and ‘effective methods of delivering lessons in the classroom’.

The symposium was co-organised by the Canadian International School, with the assistance of Hanban’s International Chinese Proficiency Test Division.