How to incorporate culture elements into Chinese language for schools in the Chinese communities

Abstract:

Should language be taught simply as a tool to communicate, or can it be a starting point for deeper cultural explorations? This is a question that concerned Dr C.M. Si when he came across the Chinese language curriculum reform in Hong Kong, Mainland and Taiwan in 2000.

The study of Chinese in schools used to focus on language only, and lacked other essential elements such as literature, history, philosophy and culture. Dr Si introduced a new approach into school-based learning in this eight-year project funded by the Education Bureau. In 2008, the project received the Quality Education Fund Project Award. Based on an extensive experimental teaching programme, the research team has developed a series of ten books on Chinese culture, which are now available in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities. The books have been published by the Peking University Press in both traditional and simplified Chinese versions. The Ministry of Education has also funded an English version to promote an understanding of Chinese culture to the rest of the world. The materials are also available on the learning website of this project to enable wide dissemination to benefit students and teachers internationally.

This seminar will examine ways and patterns incorporating culture elements into Chinese language for primary and secondary schools in the region.