China News Agency, Sao Paulo, August 29th: How does Brazilian Chinese education help China-Brazil people-to-people and cultural exchanges?

  ——Interview with Lin Kaixuan, Executive Vice President of Brazilian Chinese Association

  China News Agency reporter Mo Chengxiong

  In recent years, China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to develop, cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results, and Brazilian Chinese education has also made great progress.

At present, there are more than 20 Chinese-language schools in Sao Paulo, Brazil, covering kindergarten to high school.

The Chinese language school not only teaches Chinese, but also offers art courses such as Chinese folk dance, Chinese painting, and Chinese martial arts.

  Lin Kaixuan, executive vice president of the Chinese Association of Brazil and head of the education team of the Chinese Aid Center in Sao Paulo, said in an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East West Questions" that at present, with the improvement of China's international status, "Chinese fever" is in the ascendant in Brazil. The school has become an important channel for local overseas Chinese children and Brazilian students to learn Chinese and understand China, which is of great significance to promoting China-Brazil cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds.

The following is a summary of the interview transcript:

China News Service: How did Brazilian Chinese schools develop?

What stages have you gone through?

Lin Kaixuan:

Brazil is the largest country in South America, with a land area of ​​8,514,900 square kilometers, ranking fifth in the world, with a population of 213 million.

As a melting pot of nations, Brazil has accepted immigrants from nearly 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

  This year marks the 210th anniversary of Chinese immigration to Brazil.

Up to now, the number of overseas Chinese in Brazil has increased from more than 200 to more than 300,000, mainly living in big cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Brasilia.

They not only brought Chinese culture to Brazil, but also actively integrated into Brazilian society, playing an irreplaceable role in promoting local social and economic development and promoting China-Brazil economic, trade and cultural exchanges.

  As early as the 1950s, Chinese education began to emerge in Brazil.

On January 3, 1958, the "First Chinese School in Sao Paulo" was established, creating a precedent for the construction of Chinese schools in Brazil.

Since then, various Chinese schools in Brazil have sprung up like mushrooms and gradually developed, during which they experienced the "recession" period in the late 1960s, the "recovery" period in the 1970s and the "growth" period in the 1990s.

  Entering the 21st century, Chinese schools in Brazil have entered a period of rapid development of "prosperity", and Chinese education has reached a new level.

Brazil Dexin Bilingual School is a well-known Chinese-Portuguese bilingual school in the overseas Chinese community in Sao Paulo, mainly enrolling children of local Chinese and overseas Chinese.

The school actively carries out Chinese education overseas, and has made contributions to inheriting Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan. It is listed as the "Overseas Chinese Education Model School" by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Mo Chengxiong

China News Service reporter: What is the current situation of Chinese education in Brazil?

What are the characteristics?

How to help China-Pakistan people-to-people and cultural exchanges and people-to-people bond?

Lin Kaixuan:

At present, there are more than 20 Chinese-language schools in Sao Paulo, the main place where Chinese Brazilians live, covering kindergarten to high school.

The Chinese language school not only teaches Chinese, but also offers art courses such as Chinese folk dance, Chinese painting, and Chinese martial arts.

  In the past 10 years, with China's growing power and international status, Brazil has seen a boom in learning Chinese. The "Chinese fever" is in the ascendant in Brazil. The Brazilian Chinese School has become a platform for children of local overseas Chinese and Brazilian students to learn Chinese and understand China. It is of great significance to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds between China and Pakistan.

  At present, most of the Chinese schools in Brazil are private Chinese schools with bilingual teaching in Chinese and Portuguese, and the teachers are mainly local teachers.

Chinese authorities also often send teachers to Brazilian Chinese schools to support Chinese education in Brazil.

In terms of teaching materials, most Chinese schools in Brazil use the teaching materials provided by relevant Chinese departments.

  At present, the conditions for running a Chinese school in Brazil have been further improved, and the teaching quality and influence are increasing day by day, which is favored by the majority of overseas Chinese and Brazilian friends.

  St. Benedict's School in St Paul is a full-time, century-old school.

In 2008, St. Benedict School officially introduced Chinese language teaching.

At present, the school has a primary school and a middle school.

In 2009, St. Benedict School was awarded the title of "Model School of Chinese Education" by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, becoming the first school in Brazil to receive this honor.

  In addition to teaching Chinese culture, the Brazilian Chinese Language School also actively organizes students to participate in activities such as Brazil's "Chinese Culture Paradise" hosted by the China Overseas Friendship Association. Activities such as "Summer Camp", "Winter Camp" and "Family China" increase knowledge, broaden their horizons, and deepen the understanding and cognition of Chinese teenagers on their ancestral (home) country.

2015 "Chinese Culture Paradise - Camp in Sao Paulo, Brazil" was held at Sao Benedict School in Sao Paulo.

The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Zhejiang Province selected 12 outstanding teachers to teach Chinese culture, history and geography, ancient poetry reading, folk dance, folk music, folk instrumental music, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, Chinese martial arts and other courses to 240 Chinese teenagers in Sao Paulo.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Mo Chengxiong

China News Service reporter: How did Brazilian Chinese schools overcome difficulties and persist in running schools under the new crown epidemic?

Lin Kaixuan:

In March 2020, the new crown pneumonia outbreak broke out in Brazil, and strict prevention and control measures and restrictions were implemented, which had a great impact on the teaching work of Brazilian Chinese schools.

  In the face of the new crown epidemic, the Brazilian Chinese School has worked hard to overcome the difficulties caused by the epidemic, insisted on running the school by adopting online classes, and continued to provide online learning Chinese and Chinese culture for the children of overseas Chinese and Brazilian students.

  St. Paul's Chinese Aid Center, together with various Chinese schools, tried every means to overcome difficulties, and actively carried out various Chinese education activities during the epidemic, including pushing students to participate in the 3rd Global Chinese Recitation Competition and the 6th Hanyuan Cup International Youth Painting and Calligraphy Competition, etc.

  In addition, the Brazilian Chinese Language School also actively organizes students to participate in activities such as the "Learning Chinese Culture" online summer camp organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and other local overseas Chinese federations, providing a good opportunity for Chinese teenagers who love to learn Chinese.

  At present, the epidemic situation in Brazil has begun to improve, and Brazilian Chinese schools have gradually resumed offline teaching.

China News Service: What challenges are facing the development of Chinese language education in Brazil?

What problems need to be solved urgently?

Lin Kaixuan: At

present, the development of Chinese language education in Brazil is mainly faced with three difficulties: First, the problem of funding.

Brazilian Chinese schools are mainly private schools, and most of them lack funds.

  The second is the problem of teachers.

At present, there is a serious shortage of teachers in Brazilian Chinese schools, especially professional teachers and young teachers.

  The third is the problem of teaching materials.

Most Chinese schools in Brazil have the problem of lack of textbooks, especially the lack of Chinese-Portuguese corresponding textbooks and supporting reading materials suitable for students.

  For a long time, during the development of Chinese schools, the Brazilian Chinese community and Chinese schools have made full use of their respective advantages, pooled their strengths, brainstormed, and spared no effort to solve these problems.

  In recent years, the São Paulo Chinese Aid Center has organized many Brazilian Chinese school teachers to participate in the Brazilian "Chinese Teacher Training Class" sponsored by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, and the Brazilian "Famous Teachers Tour Group" sponsored by the China Chinese Education Foundation. And improve the teaching level of Brazilian Chinese teachers and improve the quality of Chinese schools.

At the same time, actively contact with the People's Education Publishing House and Jinan University Press in China to solve the problem of lack of textbooks in Brazilian Chinese schools.

In terms of funds for running schools, we will give full play to the advantages of various overseas Chinese groups in the Chinese community, gather the strength of overseas Chinese, and develop new methods for establishing schools according to local conditions, so as to jointly promote the development of Chinese language education in Brazil.

"2017 China Chinese Language Education Foundation Famous Teachers Touring Tour to Brazil" held a special lecture on Chinese teacher training in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The picture shows a Brazilian teacher attending a Chinese course teaching lecture.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Mo Chengxiong

China News Agency reporter: What is the prospect of Chinese language education in Brazil?

What is the next development direction?

Lin Kaixuan:

In recent years, China-Pakistan comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing continuously, and cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results.

At present, the relationship between China and Brazil is getting closer, people-to-people and cultural exchanges are becoming more and more active, China's investment in Brazil is expanding, and there are more and more Chinese-funded enterprises. This will inevitably require a large number of talents who are bilingual in Chinese and Portuguese.

Therefore, the current Chinese education in Brazil has an extremely broad stage and bright prospects.

  As the "Hope Project", "Retention Project" and "People's Heart Project" of the overseas Chinese community, overseas Chinese education has always been valued and supported by the Chinese government and relevant departments.

I hope that the Chinese government and various provinces and cities will continue to care about and support the Chinese language education in Brazil, further improve the Chinese language teaching level of Chinese school teachers in Brazil, and cultivate more Chinese and Portuguese talents who can adapt to the development of the situation.

In 2017, more than 30 military police obtained the certificate of completion of the Chinese training course for military police in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The training course improved the Chinese level of the local military and police, facilitated the communication between the police and the overseas Chinese, helped the police to dispatch police to the Chinese community, and played an important role in maintaining the safety of the Chinese community.

The picture shows the military police singing Chinese songs at the graduation ceremony.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Mo Chengxiong

  I believe that Chinese education, especially Chinese culture education, is related to the prosperity and development of future generations of overseas Chinese.

For the Chinese nation, the study of Chinese culture is to maintain and inherit the soul and lifeline of Chinese culture.

Therefore, in order to meet the needs of Chinese education in the new era, Brazilian Chinese schools will carry out "transformation and upgrading" in the next step, aiming to promote Chinese education to "standardization, formalization and specialization".

Under the new situation, we must unite overseas Chinese, continue to run Chinese schools and Chinese education well in Brazil, and let more Chinese teenagers learn Chinese well, tell Chinese stories well, and make new efforts to inherit and promote Chinese culture and promote the development of China-Brazil friendship. contribute.

(Finish)

Interviewee Profile:

  Lin Kaixuan, executive vice president of the Brazilian Chinese Association, and head of the education group of the Sao Paulo Chinese Aid Center.

For a long time, he has been very concerned about and supported the Chinese language education of the Chinese community in Sao Paulo, and has organized many Brazilian Chinese school teachers to participate in the Brazilian "Chinese Teacher Training Class" hosted by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, and the Brazilian "Famous Teacher Tour" hosted by the China Chinese Education Foundation. Activities such as “Lecture Group” and Brazil’s “Chinese Culture Paradise” hosted by the China Overseas Friendship Association, and actively organize the children of overseas Chinese in Brazil to return to their ancestral (home) countries to participate in “summer camp”, “winter camp” and “family affection” to experience Chinese culture. China” and other activities, and has returned to China to participate in various conferences and research conferences, actively making suggestions for the development of Brazilian Chinese schools, solving problems, and making contributions to promoting Chinese culture overseas, promoting China-Brazil people-to-people and cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds.