Conference:
Teaching Mandarin in the Baltics:
practical, methodological and theoretical issues
a conference for teachers of Mandarin Chinese
in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Time: 2-3 March 2018
Location: Jakobi street 2-114
(University of Tartu Philosophicum)
Organisers: University of Tartu College of Foreign Languages and Cultures in cooperation with the University of Tartu Asian Centre
Supporter: Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia
Due to the rise of China as an economic, political, and military power and the growth of its influence in world affairs in the recent decades, the interest towards Chinese culture and language has also grown rapidly worldwide. Learning Chinese is a rising trend in non-Chinese countries: the number of colleges, institutes, schools, and study groups offering language training in Mandarin Chinese in their curricula keeps growing. The three Baltic countries are not an exception and today Mandarin in being taught in all the major universities of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania either as a major, minor module or as elective courses. Studying Chinese as a second or third foreign language has also become available in some secondary schools and language schools.
Such a rapid growth of interest has raised the need for qualified Mandarin teachers, particularly among native speakers, in all three countries. Not many training courses for teachers are available in the Baltic region and the only way to enhance their qualification and to master new methods of teaching Mandarin is to go abroad. Both Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese institutions and offices offer their support for additional training in respective countries, which has been quite widely used by Mandarin teachers of all three Baltic countries.
To contribute to the training and education of teachers of Mandarin in the Baltic region and provide a forum for communication and sharing experience, the conference “Teaching Mandarin in the Baltics: practical, methodological, and theoretical issues” will be organised on 2-3 March 2018 in Tartu. The conference is organised by the University of Tartu College of Foreign Languages and Cultures in co-operation with University of Tartu Asian Centre and supported by the Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia.
The 2-day conference includes two keynote presentations by experts from Taiwan and U.S.A., thematic papers from participants, and thematic round-table discussions.
We kindly invite you to participate in the conference and register on the conference homepage by January 23rd 2018 (extended deadline). Find the suggested topics here and the registration form here.
The working language of the conference is English.
Program
Friday, 2 March 2018
Venue: Jakobi 2 Building, Room 114
9:30-10:00 Registration and morning coffee
10:00-10:20/30 Opening the conference
Dr. Kersti Lepajõe, Director of the College
Dr. Elo Süld, Head of the UT Asian Centre
Mr. Peter Chang, Representative of the Taipei Mission in Latvia
10:30-12:30 First keynote speech and discussion
AP Chinese Language and Culture Course and Exam in US: Results, Impact, and Implications
Professor Yea-Fen Chen 陳雅芬, School of Global & International Studies, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, U.S.A.
10-minute coffee break around 11:30
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-16:30 First panel: The Impact of Native Linguistic Patterns and Cultural Habits on Teaching Chinese to Foreign Learners
Moderator: Ekaterina Koort (Tallinn University Confucius Institute)
Speakers:
1) Hsu Dong-Bo (National Taiwan Normal University), Spanish learners’ acquisition of comprehension strategies in Mandarin Chinese
2) Mart Tšernjuk (University of Tartu, College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Estonia), Teaching Mandarin Chinese to Estonians – some key aspects to take into consideration.
3) Märt Läänemets (University of Tartu Centre for Oriental Studies, Estonia), Experience of Compiling the First Chinese Language Textbook for Estonian learners
10-minute coffee break around 15:30
Discussion
17:00-18:00 Opening the poster exhibition “Chinese and Mandarin Studies at the University of Tartu” and a collection of ink paintings titled Sah-Sah by the Estonian artist Virge Loo with a reception (College library, Lossi 3-213). Introductory speech by Märt Läänemets.
Saturday, March 3rd, 2018
Venue: Jakobi 2 Building, Room 114
10:00-12:00 Second keynote speech and discussion
Key Steps of Project-Based L2 Chinese Teaching and Learning
Professor Chin-Chin Tseng 曾金金 (Department of Chinese as a Second Language, National Taiwan Normal University)
10-minute coffee break around 11:00
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-16:30 Second Panel: Teaching Mandarin to Foreign Learners: Applying Practical Methods in the Classroom
Moderator: Mart Tšernjuk (University of Tartu College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Estonia)
Speakers:
1) Ieva Nagytė (Vilnius University, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania), Effective Ways of Conducting Real-life Language Practice in a Classroom
2) Zhuoya Wu (Tallinn University Confucius Institute), Exploring Task-based Chinese Language teaching in an Estonian Context
3) Aili Roosimaa (爱中/ AiZhong Chinese Language Center, Tallinn, Estonia), On Teaching Methods and Materials of Mandarin Chinese to Estonian Children
10-minute coffee break around 15:30
Discussion
16:30-17:00 Conclusion of the conference