Sow Chinese seeds to the world
April 20 this year is the 13th United Nations Chinese Language Day, and the UNESCO headquarters held the Chinese Language Day celebration for the first time.
Chinese educational institutions and Chinese learners and enthusiasts all over the world have also carried out colorful celebration activities to promote Chinese Language Day out of the United Nations and become "International Chinese Language Day".
In recent years, Chinese fever has continued to heat up overseas, and the role of Chinese in international exchanges has become increasingly prominent.
Chinese has become the official language and working language of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, the International Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Health Organization, the World Tourism Organization, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
76 countries around the world have incorporated Chinese into their national education systems, and more than 25 million people are learning Chinese overseas.
The expansion of Chinese influence is inseparable from the special group of international Chinese education volunteers.
Since 2004, more than 60,000 volunteers have gone to teach in 151 countries and regions.
They went to foreign countries to teach Chinese there, spread the friendship between the Chinese people and the people of the world, and brought hope to the local people to open a new chapter in their lives in Chinese.
Sincerity makes friendship across cultures
"My name is Luo Ying, I am Chinese." At the beginning of each semester, Luo Ying would write such a sentence on the blackboard.
As an international Chinese education volunteer at the Confucius Institute at Opole University in Poland, Luo Ying often asks herself, "If I were learning a language, what would I expect the teacher to do?"
"Make language interesting!" This is the answer given by Luo Ying.
In order to make the class lively and lively, when she spoke the word "Fei", she drew the one point on the right side of "Fei" as two wings; Draw horns; when learning Chinese characters related to "bird", she pointed out which stroke was the bird's crown, which stroke was the eye, which stroke was the body, and how the two little feet became a horizontal line, and then wrote "chicken" and "chicken". "Duck", draw the left side as the mouth of the chicken and duck.
Such teaching often leaves children wide-eyed and amazed.
Sometimes they even chanted "Bravo!" from the audience.
While teaching textbook knowledge, Luo Ying is also working hard to enrich children's perception of Chinese language and Chinese culture.
Talking about tea culture, the students have never had tea, so Luo Ying made pots of black tea and green tea for them to taste. Bring some to class to share with everyone.
Luo Ying's enthusiasm and meticulousness have won the love of local students.
After teaching for a semester, some students seriously said in the chat group, "This Chinese class is my 'medicine'", which can heal him and bring him comfort; a teaching assistant teacher from a local elementary school told Luo Ying, "Students I always ask, when will the Chinese teacher come again.”
Chen Ying, who works as an international Chinese education volunteer in Bangkok, also "rewards sincerity with sincerity".
Soon after arriving at the post, Chen Ying discovered the mischief of Thai children.
In order to attract students' attention, Chen Ying, who is still a novice teacher, often studies teaching methods until two or three in the morning or even all night.
However, "As soon as I think that those lively students might enjoy my new research on classroom games, I want to rush to the classroom immediately. Even staying up late is always happy and satisfying."
Facing the heavy task of preparing lessons, Chen Ying was happy in it.
The children in the class also expressed their love for Teacher Chen Ying very sincerely and enthusiastically, and they could always find small changes in the teacher.
Sometimes, when Chen Ying wears a hair band and changes earrings, they will run to the teacher and praise loudly: "Teacher, suái (beautiful)!" "Teacher, beautiful!" "Teacher, beautiful!" "Teacher, cute!" When they meet outside the classroom, the students will take the initiative to say hello. If they are more lively, they will even rush up to Chen Ying's arms.
"Their emotional expressions are very real and lovely." Such sincere friendship is the source of Chen Ying's love for international Chinese education.
Acquaintance makes dreams stronger
Spreading Chinese culture and enhancing the mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people from all over the world are the initial aspirations of many volunteers to devote themselves to the cause of international Chinese education.
Yu Qin, a volunteer at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nottingham, UK, compares international Chinese education to a window that people can "see".
She hopes to open a window for locals through Chinese teaching.
"In today's world, 'seeing' and 'knowing' are far more endearing than 'imagining' and 'misunderstanding'."
Cao Faqiang, from the Confucius Institute at the University of Miskolc in Hungary, set foot on European soil with the dream of "letting Chinese culture go global".
"A hundred years ago, the ancestors of the revolution crossed the ocean to seek the truth of saving the country and strengthening the country. Today, when the dream has been realized, I will take on the responsibility that the era has entrusted to this generation of young people, and let the world know a peaceful and developing China."
Volunteers' understanding of international Chinese education is also deepened in teaching.
Among them, some choose to stay, and some choose to become an international Chinese teacher again after returning to China.
Duan Weimin of Rayong Public Guanghua School is about to start his third year teaching in Thailand.
In 2022, the number of confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Thailand has repeatedly hit new highs.
Under the concerns and dissuasion of relatives and friends, Duan Weimin also thought about returning to China.
"Teacher, can you not leave?" Duan Weimin decided to stay in this land when he saw the messages sent by the students.
"The choice you make must have love in it. If you have love, you will not regret it."
Li Shuting from the Confucius Institute at Babis Boyai University in Cluj, Romania, taught in Mongolia four years ago.
The first volunteer experience not only made her fall in love with the profession of an international Chinese teacher, but also made her realize the lack of her professional knowledge.
"Returning to China is for a better start." After she was admitted to graduate school, Li Shuting once again devoted herself to the cause of international Chinese education. This time, she was more calm and confident.
The desire of foreign students to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture is also strengthened by their encounter with Chinese teachers.
"I want to see Chinese cities, eat a lot of Chinese food, and meet many Chinese friends. I yearn for southern China, where the four seasons are as warm as spring, and I am full of expectations for the future." Adam (Adam) is Yu Qin in British students.
Knowing Yu Qin for a year, they ate together, watched dramas, and exchanged gifts; apart from the short-term teachers and students, they became very good friends.
Now, Adam has quit his original job and is about to go to Shenzhen to become an English teacher for a group of children.
National development allows Chinese to go out
The China-Laos Railway starts from Yunnan, China in the north, and reaches Vientiane, the capital of Laos, in the south.
Chen Zhongling, a Chinese teacher at the Confucius Institute at the National University of Laos, served as the head teacher of the Intermediate Class 5 in the position of "Station Attendant" in the second training course.
"The Chinese level of the students is only HSK Level 3. I came from an international Chinese education background, and I don't know the vocabulary of railways, so I couldn't figure it out at first."
Self-learning Lao, searching for information on the Internet, asking students in science and engineering... Chen Zhongling crossed the river by feeling the stones, not only overcoming professional barriers, but also summed up a set of railway vocabulary teaching methods: translate Chinese into Lao, and make simple sentences for students , simplifying professional knowledge.
Not only that, she also took breaks to check the students' knowledge and memorization one by one.
The 30 hours of lesson preparation, class, and spot checks once made Chen Zhongling "unable to last".
"Training these students is to contribute to the motherland." Chen Zhongling encouraged himself.
Now, Chen Zhongling is entering the third year of her term of office.
"We must strive to improve ourselves and live up to the country's expectations," she said.
Since the "Belt and Road" initiative was launched, the "Chinese +" model of the Confucius Institute has involved dozens of fields such as high-speed rail, economy and trade, tourism, law, customs, and aviation.
From the China-Laos Railway Chinese Intensive Training Course, to the China-Belarus "Chinese + Technology" project, to the "Chinese + Customs" courses for Malaysia, Indonesia, Ghana and other places, "Chinese + Vocational Education" is not only widely sought after by foreign young people, It has also made positive contributions to the economic development of China and other countries in the world.
Chinese has become not only a window for countries around the world to understand Chinese culture, but also a tool for people everywhere to learn Chinese technology.
"People come for a big thing, do a big thing; come with a heart, and go without half a blade of grass." 60,000 international Chinese education volunteers crossed the ocean with a pure heart.
They taught Chinese in a foreign country, gained friendship, deepened their love, and felt the common beating of the pulse of ancient Chinese and new-era China.
(Our reporter Chai Rujin, our correspondent Guo Xiaolei)