On 21st October, USTB-DMU Confucius Institute (CI) delivered a pre-service training for the two overseas volunteer teachers despite of the pandemic situation. After on-line applications, interviews and presentations at the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, HAN Guangxian and ZHANG Wenjing are recruited as overseas volunteer teachers of Chinese for the 2020-2021 academic year. Han worked at the CI for two years, while Zhang just graduated from De Montfort University.

USTB-DMU Confucius Institute Pre-Service Training for Overseas Volunteer Teachers

Ms LI Jinyu, a full-time Mandarin teacher from USTRB, extended a warm welcome to the volunteer teachers on behalf of the CI team and introduced the Institute as well as the responsibilities of a volunteer Mandarin teacher. Li briefed on the credit and non-credit Mandarin courses the CI offer at DMU. The volunteer teachers will be teaching non-credit Mandarin courses. The CI offers three ten-week Mandarin courses ranging from beginner levels to advanced levels for staff and students at DMU as well as members of the public. Nearly 400 students took Mandarin courses with the CI last year and many have also passed HSK 2 or HSK 3.

Welcome to USTB-DMU Confucius Institute

Li stressed the requirements of the demo lessons the new overseas volunteer teachers are to deliver later this week. Participants discussed the differences between online classes and face-to-face classes and what special precautions and measures have to be taken when designing activities for online classes. Han Guanxian shared her experiences of teaching online during the last summer term and offered her suggestions on material selection and teaching design.

Requirements of Demo Lessons

Zhang Wenjing, the other volunteer teacher, is waiting with eager expectation for the start of her teaching of Mandarin at the CI and she believes this year’s experiences of being an overseas volunteer teacher will be a great asset for her future.