In an effort to promote Chinese studies in UK schools, the two
countries have reached an agreement on increasing the number of
exchanges of students and teachers over the next five years.
Starting from next year up to 500 British secondary school
pupils will be invited annually to summer schools in China to gain
a better understanding of the country, according to a Memorandum of
Understanding signed yesterday at the UK-China Meeting on Chinese
Learning and Teaching in Beijing.
Each year approximately 100 British head teachers and education
officials will also be invited on one-week visits to China with a
view to introducing Chinese studies into their schools, says the
memorandum. The content of the document was agreed by the British
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Office of
Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), a Chinese
government body coordinating language-teaching efforts in other
countries.
In addition, Hanban will increase the number of Chinese language
assistants to Britain by 20 percent under the existing British
Council scheme and send Chinese teacher trainers to act as mentors.
About 35 assistants were sent to Britain last year on the
scheme.
British teachers of Chinese will be provided with two to four
weeks of training in China as well, according to the
memorandum.
Lid King, national director for languages at DfES, who was on
his first visit to China, said the efforts were being made to meet
a "growing" demand in Britain for education in China's language and
culture.
"French, German and Spanish remain the top three second
languages in Britain but Chinese is gaining popularity because
of?the country's?culture, history and rapid economic
growth," he said.
DfES is promoting the teaching and learning of foreign languages
including Chinese in British primary and secondary schools so each
child could have the opportunity to study a foreign language and
develop an interest in the cultures of other nations, according to
King. "So more language teachers and materials are needed," he
said.
DfES and Hanban will jointly undertake research and collect
information to determine the precise nature of the demand for
Chinese language learning in Britain, says the memorandum.
Zhao Guocheng, Hanban's deputy director-general, said China is
willing to help promote the language and culture in Britain, and
would like to "share British experiences of teaching English as a
foreign language and of language testing."
An annual schools-based competition on Chinese culture and
language linked to major events such as the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Expo will
also be developed to attract more British students, the memorandum
says.
Both countries emphasized that the memorandum is subject to
Ministerial approval.
(China Daily July 20, 2006)