Following the successful holding of the 6th Conference on Chinese Teaching in Scotland (CTS) in 2023, the 7th CTS Conference in 2024 will be rooted in the academic research of Chinese Studies at the University of Edinburgh, with the Confucius Institute for Scotland as the base. The theme of the 7th Conference is to deliver an Advanced Summer School in International Chinese Language Teaching, aiming to provide high-end and substantial teacher training for elite educators. Through a cycle of research conferences and training summer schools on a rotating basis, this Advanced Summer School will establish an overseas premier training center in the UK, Europe, and worldwide.

The 2024 Advanced Summer School is based on the mature methodology of action research established in the UK. Experts from both domestic and international realms within the field of international Chinese language teaching are specially invited to conduct pedagogical practices and training on their respective leading research fields. The Summer School aims to provide comprehensive and valuable content to participants through advanced training. The enrollment targets for this training include teachers with years of teaching experience, postgraduate students (majoring in education, linguistics, modern language studies, or other related fields), and teachers seeking further training in international Chinese language teaching.

Key Principles:

• To broaden understanding of research in International Chinese Language Teaching.
• To Encourage interdisciplinary thinking by integrating different methods in language teaching.
• To assist participants via a challenge-led approach with a view to improve their research publication.

Enrollment for the 2024 Advanced Summer School is now open for applications, and interested teachers and students are welcome to apply.

Programme Structure:

• 20-23 June 2024, comprising 4 days and 3 nights (3 full days).
• CI for Scotland will provide accommodation, breakfast, and lunch during the training period.
• Upon completion of the training, participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Advanced Summer School and a certificate of participation from the Confucius Institute for Scotland.
• An outstanding research paper will be invited for presentation at the next CTS Conference, scheduled for the following year.

Location:

Confucius Institute for Scotland, Abden House, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP.

Applicant Qualifications:

• Eligible applicants include
  • teachers with extensive teaching experience,
  • postgraduate students (majoring in education, linguistics, modern language studies, or related fields),
  • and teachers seeking further training in international Chinese Language Teaching.
• Participants are required to have
  • near-native proficiency in Chinese,
  • fluent proficiency in English.

Registration and Approval:

• The Advanced Summer School has a capacity for 20 participants.
• To register, applicants must complete an online registration form and submit a 250-word statement of purpose, along with details of your background and research direction.
• Applications will be reviewed and screened by the trainers. (For research directions and topics, please refer to the background and resume of the training teachers.)
• The registration deadline is 15 April 2024
• Registration Approval: Admission will be based on merit due to limited availability. Notification of admission decisions will be sent via email by British Time 17:00 on 27 April 2024.
• A non-refundable registration fee of £80 is required upon acceptance of a successful application.

Submit your application HERE.

If you have any inquiries, please contact info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk

Key Information:

Date & Time:  10.00am – 12.30pm / Thursday, 22nd February 2024

Student level:

Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, our classes are designed to meet your needs and help you develop your skills at your own pace.

Location:

This class will be delivered in person at Confucius Institute campus, Abden House, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP.

Why should I take this course?

Cranes are symbolic in Asian cultures, representing longevity, wisdom, and good fortune. Learn how to use Chinese brush techniques to create beautiful art that combines mind and body. Discover art’s calming and personal growth benefits while understanding the historical context behind Chinese art.

What does it cover?
The course extends into practical applications within the realm of Chinese art, offering a broader canvas for your creative horizons.

About the teacher:
This course will be led by Chi Zhang – an experienced instructor, featured in BBC documentary ‘The art of Chinese brush painting’, shortlisted for ‘Sky TV Landscape Artist of the year 2015’, whose work has been projected across Edinburgh castle during the 2015 Military Tattoo. For more information and to see Chi’s work please visit http://www.chizhangartist.com.

How much does it cost?
£20

Booking & Further information:
To optimise the learning experience a maximum capacity has been set per group – so space is very limited! To secure one of the limited spaces on this course, please register by completing the Registration Form HERE. One to one tutorials and small group workshops can also be arranged. Please email info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk for more info.

Position: Language Teacher

Telephone: 0131 6622180

Email: v1wzhon3@ed.ac.uk

Zhong Wanying is now studying for a master’s in teaching Chinese as a second language at East China Normal University in Shanghai, China. By learning this major for five years, She has gained lots of professional knowledge about how to teach Chinese efficiently. She has gained a solid theoretical foundation in linguistics and education. She also accumulated teaching experience during these years. She already has a certificate for teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages. She joined the Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh from September 2023.

She enjoys meeting new people from different cultural backgrounds to feel the cultural exchange. She hopes to lead the students to enjoy their journey of Chinese learning.

Join us for an evening of discussions at the beautiful Abden House, featuring fascinating discussions between Liang Hong, Liu Zhenyun and Esther Tyldesley. We’ll share some stories from behind the scenes in a translation project.

In collaboration with Sinoist Books, we’re excited to announce an event to introduce two premier Chinese authors to the English reading public.

About the Speakers

Liu Zhenyun is an author of novels, short stories and screenplays. His honours and awards are numerous, including the Mao Dun Literature Prize and France’s Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Liang Hong is an award-winning writer, essayist and professor. She is known for her trailblazing focus on rural people’s stories.

Esther Tyldesley is a translator and teacher of translation and Chinese. She has translated many books, including Xinran’s The Good Women of China.

All Welcome! Please book your place HERE.

The Confucius Institute for Scotland is seeking a new administrator.  This is a fixed-term appointment. Vacancy details can be found HERE.

Apply Before: 08/02/2023, 11:59 PM

Working with the Chinese Testing Centre (CTI), we are delighted to announce that the two upcoming exam diets for HSK and HSKK in 2023 are on Sunday, 15 Oct and Sunday, 3 Dec this year; all the HSK exams running at the Institute will be in-person exams only and taking place at the Confucius Institute for Scotland campus. Please mark your diary now. We will publish full details of the exams on our website soon.

We are delighted to announce our five-week language course – the Chinese Conversational Elementary and Intermediate classes will start again on 29 May. These courses are for those who want to spend some dedicated time practising their Chinese oral and consolidating their conversation skills. It will help students with elementary and intermediate language levels develop well-balanced speaking and listening competence by learning and applying Chinese communicative skills in a specific professional or cultural context.

Conversational Chinese – Elementary level 

Date: Monday, 29 May – 26 June

Time: 6pm-7.30pm

Duration: 5 weeks, 5 sessions (1.5 hour each session)

Class size: maximum of six students

Price: £50/£40

Location: Confucius Institute Campus, No. 79 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh. EH16 5AL

Booking: Please reserve your place HERE

Conversational Chinese – Intermediate level

Date: Thursday, 1 June – 29 June

Time: 6pm-7.30pm

Duration: 5 weeks, 5 sessions (1.5 hour each session)

Class size: maximum of six students

Price: £50/£40

Location: Confucius Institute Campus, No. 79 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh. EH16 5AL

Booking: Please reserve your place HERE.