Local Chinese teachers have become a major force in promoting the Chinese language worldwide. They can speak local languages, understand local culture well and can keep in close contact with local communities. Therefore, the training of local Chinese teachers is an important guarantee for the sustainable development of international Chinese education.

The Confucius Institute at Trier University treated the training of local instructors as one of its main areas of work and had successfully hosted two sessions of training classes for local teachers, relying on qualified teachers of both the university’s Sinology Department and the Institute as well as its close contact with German Sinology circles.

In 2009, the Institute hosted a training class for Chinese teachers from German colleges and universities.

In 2011, the Institute hosted two sessions of training classes for local secondary school teachers, which proved to be a great success.

At the beginning of 2011, the Institute began preparing for the training program. Its Director Prof. Liang Yong personally developed a detailed curriculum for the trainees, so as to ensure the quality of the training, which was focused on practical skills for classroom teaching and management. Meanwhile, Prof. Xiu Huajing Maske, the American Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kentucky, was invited to serve as the keynote lecturer for the training. After the plan was finalized, the Institute began to publicize the training on its website as well as the website of the Association of Chinese Teachers in German Speaking Countries and at the Chinese drama festival in North Rhine-Westphalia.

During June 24th to 25th, 2011, the two-day training class for secondary school Chinese teachers was held and attracted 35 teachers from various places of Germany and Luxembourg.

The training consisted of two sections: lectures and discussions. Prof. Xiu Huajing Maske gave 3 lectures, namely, “Chinese Classroom Teaching Skills”, “Practical Classroom Management Techniques” and “Chinese Teaching Games and Handwork Practice”. The lecturer used a number of vivid teaching cases to demonstrate how to use some popular teaching concepts in their teaching practices, such as the bottom-up approach to preparing lessons and the TPR (Total Physical Response) teaching method. Her vivid presentation won rounds of warm applause from the trainees, who were all very interested and enlightened.

Taking into account the fact that it’s difficult for students to concentrate on learning for a long period of time, Prof. Xiu Huajing Maske, who has majored in Chinese art history, suggested to the trainees that when they found the students were tired, they should guide the students to create handiworks that are both simple and flush with the cultural styles of China. She also taught the trainees to make some colorful lanterns and Chinese scrolls.

After the lectures had concluded, the trainees participated in a discussion session. The discussion session was led by one of the Institute’s teachers, Xiao Ningyao. The trainees discussed matters such as: the right time to trach Chinese characters, how to remember Chinese characters, the importance of strokes and stroke order in the characters, and the correct division of classroom time between instruction and practice.

Finally, the Institute’s Chinese Director Prof. Guo Yongsui gave an introduction to the Chinese tests organized by Hanban, including the specific requirements for various levels of HSK, YCT and BCT, and expressed her hope that the attending teachers would encourage their students to participate in these Chinese tests.

During the training, the Institute also entertained the trainees with the Chinese drama Thunderstorm which was directed by Teacher Xiao Ningyao and put on by students from the Sinology Department. Their excellent performance brought down the house with thunderous applause.