Confucius, constructivism and the impact of continuing professional development on teachers of English in China

In this article we explore issues around the sustainability and appropriateness of professional development for secondary teachers of English in China offered by overseas providers from the perspective of teachers who completed courses at the University of Reading between 2003 and 2010. We start by offering an overview of English teaching in China. We then describe the collection and analysis of interviews and focus groups discussions involving former participants, their teaching colleagues and senior management, as well as classroom observation. Evidence is presented for changes in teachers’ philosophies of education directly attributable to participation in the courses; for improved teacher competencies (linguistic, cultural and pedagogical) in the classroom; and for the ways in which returnees are undertaking new roles and responsibilities which exploit their new understandings. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for both providers and sponsors of CPD for English language teachers. We conclude that the recognition of English as an essential element in the modernisation of China, together with the growing awareness of the weaknesses of traditional approaches to the teaching of the language, has opened up new spaces for dialogue concerning pedagogy and professional practice. It is clearly important, however, that new approaches to the teaching of English are presented in a way which allows teachers to decide which elements should be incorporated into their teaching and how.

Moses und Confucius

Wu Ting-Fang

The Confucius institutes and China's soft power

The Confucius Institutes have been established by the Chinese government which operates them in collaboration with foreign universities and educational institutions in order to promote understanding of the Chinese language and culture. The first Confucius Institute opened its doors in Seoul, South Korea in 2004. Within the past seven years, 353 Confucius Institutes and 473 Confucius Classrooms have been established in 104 countries and regions. It is quite unusual for a language school to be able to make progress so rapidly. These developments raise a series of basic questions. First, what are the Confucius Institutes? What are their purpose and function? How have they been able to multiply so quickly? Are Confucius Institutes instruments of China's soft power? This article seeks to answer these questions by analyzing the details behind the establishment of Confucius Institutes, their organizational mechanism, and their activities. This paper concludes that due to insufficiency of cultural content and key concepts which can typify contemporary China, it is hard to see Confucius Institutes as China's soft power.

The wisdom of Confucius ; a collection of the ethical sayings of Confucius and of his disciples /

Half-title: International pocket library

The story of Confucius : his life and sayings /

Bibliography: p. 264-265.

The ethics of Confucius : the sayings of the master and his disciples upon the conduct of the superior man, /

Appendix: The great principle of Confucius [by Chen Huan Chang]: p. 299-305.

The life and teachings of Confucius, with explanatory notes /

Mode of access: Internet.

Les livres sacrés de l'Orient : comprenant le Chou-King ou le livre par excellence ; les Sse-Chou ou les quatre livres de Confucius et de ses disciples ; les lois de Manou, premier législateur de l'Inde ; le Koran de Mahomet /

Mode of access: Internet.

Confucius sinarum philosophus, sive scientia sinensis : latine exposita /

Contiene tres de los cuatro libros de Confucio: Liber primus [Lun yü], Liber secundus [Ta hsüeh], Liber tertius [Chung yung]. Se incluye, además, Tabula chronologica monarchiae sinicae.

Zoroastre, Confucius et Mahomet : comparés comme sectaires, législateurs et moralistes, avec le tableau de leurs dogmes de leurs lois & de leur morale /

Mode of access: Internet.