專家訪談：關(guān)于孔子學院建設(shè)的思考與展望

陸儉明

問：陸教授，感謝您在百忙之中接受我們的邀約。請您談談孔子學院現(xiàn)在的情況好嗎？

陸：我一直很關(guān)心國際中文教育，也知道孔子學院的一些情況。據(jù)我所知，我們自2004年11月在韓國建立第一所孔子學院以來，截至2019年12月，已在162個國家，地區(qū)建立了550所孔子學院、1172個中小學孔子課堂；而從2020年7月至2021年7月，又新增了9所孔子學院。孔子學院的建立，對漢語和中國文化走向世界起了一定的作用。同時也應該看到，由于各種原因，部分孔子學院出現(xiàn)了關(guān)停現(xiàn)象。這需要我們思考，如何進一步加強孔子學院的建設(shè)。

問：那您認為，在新時期，尤其是孔子學院轉(zhuǎn)隸后，孔子學院建設(shè)和發(fā)展的主要任務是什么？

陸：之前的孔子學院章程中對孔子學院的任務有明確的規(guī)定，包括開展?jié)h語教學、培訓{叉語教師、提供漢語教學資源、開展?jié)h語考試和漢語教師資格認證、提供中國教育和文化等信息咨詢、開展中外語言文化交流活動等。我個人認為，除了“開展?jié)h語考試和漢語教師資格認證”，孔子學院應特別注重做好以下三件事：一是努力培訓好本土漢語教師；二是積極協(xié)助所在國切實推進中文教育；三是努力促進所在國與中國的文化交流。關(guān)于是否將“開展?jié)h語教學”作為孔子學院的剛性任務，這需要充分討論。

問：能否請您具體談一下，如何培養(yǎng)本土教師？

陸：孔子學院一個很重要的任務，就是努力培養(yǎng)了解中國文化、能勝任漢語教學和中外文化交流的本土漢語教師。要知道，在各國開展國際中文教育，其教學任務主要應該由當?shù)貪h語教師來承擔。這不僅有利于各國，對中國也有好處。

陸：對各國而言：第一，有助于更好地與中國交往與交流。各國的漢語教師將會起到橋梁與紐帶的作用。第二，有助于各國更全面、更深入地了解中國，了解中國文化。各國政要和民眾，想要全面深入地了解中國及中國文化，主要是通過他們的了解中國國情的漢學家、漢語教師的介紹，以及翻譯人員對中國古今經(jīng)典作品，包括影視作品的翻譯來實現(xiàn)的。第三，有助于各國更好地開展中文教育。中國和各國之間友好關(guān)系的發(fā)展，必然要求各國不斷發(fā)展中文教育，這就得靠各國的漢語教師。

陸：對中國當然也有好處。各國的漢語教師隊伍不斷擴大，說明在各國的漢語教學開展得好。而這無疑有助于中國跟各國全方位地交流與合作，有利于中國的發(fā)展。同時，由于文化的差異、思維方式的不同，本地漢語教師在教學中比我們更了解學生的心理，更了解教學的重點，更了解學生學習中文的難點，他們能根據(jù)教材的內(nèi)容，信手拈來與對象國國情，當?shù)仫L土人情相關(guān)的例子，這是志愿者漢語教師望塵莫及的。

陸：此外，本土漢語教師為了自己的職業(yè)發(fā)展，會更加積極地推動中文教育，這是促進漢語教學在各國更為廣泛開展的一個重要的助推力量，也是一個重要的條件。目前，中文教育在海外多數(shù)國家只處于開始階段，還需要一段時間才能培洲出一支具有一定數(shù)量的本土漢語教師隊伍，在此之前，依然需要根據(jù)所在國的要求選派漢語教師。但是，派出的漢語教師必須是高質(zhì)量的，能在業(yè)務上、具體教學上真正起到幫助和指導作用的。總之，各國孔子學院一定要將培訓所在國本土漢語教師當作自己的一項重要任務來抓！

問：那么如何培訓好本土漢語教師呢？

陸：培訓本土漢語教師必須爭取當?shù)亟逃龣C構(gòu)的支持。具體可以做三方面工作：一是舉辦培訓班；二是由孔子學院出面定期或不定期地組織有利于提高當?shù)貪h語教師素養(yǎng)與能力的專題報告；三是定期或不定期地幫助（包括資助）當?shù)亟逃龣C構(gòu)舉辦漢語教師教學交流會。但是，這樣的活動不要流于形式，一定要講究實效。

問：您認為如何協(xié)助所在國切實搞好中文教育呢？

陸：積極協(xié)助各國搞好漢語教學，培養(yǎng)各國需要的各類漢語人才，這也是各國孔子學院應擔起的任務?？鬃訉W院要關(guān)心和深入了解所在國中文教育的各方面情況，包括政府的、民間的。

陸：國際中文教育發(fā)展到一定的階段時需要妥善處理好一些關(guān)系，一是與所在國教育機構(gòu)的關(guān)系，二是與在當?shù)亻_展?jié)h語教學的華僑、華裔的關(guān)系。派出的教師必須是富有教學經(jīng)驗、高水平的漢語教師，這樣才能擔負起指導當?shù)貪h語教學的任務。

陸：在積極協(xié)助所在國切實搞好中文教育方面，我覺得可以做三方面的工作：其一，幫助培訓在崗/在職的中文教師；其二，為政府、民間的中文教育機構(gòu)提供中文教育必需的有關(guān)教學資源；其三，幫助或臺作編寫有針對性的成系列的學生愛看愛學、教師好用好教的本土化漢語教材。

問：您認為該如何更好地培養(yǎng)培訓在崗/在職的漢語教師？

陸：漢語教師培洲班該怎么搞呢？首先，要明確漢語教師一定要打好三個基礎(chǔ)——知識基礎(chǔ)、能力基礎(chǔ)、思想心理素質(zhì)基礎(chǔ)。知識基礎(chǔ)，重要的是漢語言文字學和中國文化的知識基礎(chǔ)。其中，漢語言文字學基礎(chǔ)更為重要，因為這是漢語教師能獲取中國文化知識的條件和基礎(chǔ)。能力基礎(chǔ)，重要的是教學技能和研究能力。現(xiàn)在一般都比較注重教學技能的提高，這當然需要；但是研究能力極為重要。為什么？要知道，在中文教育過程中教師會碰到來自各方面的、各種各樣的疑難問題。所謂“來自各方面”，是說有的來自教師自己備課，有的來自學生提問，有的來自學生出現(xiàn)的偏誤；所謂“各種各樣的”，是指會有語音方面的、文字方面的、詞匯方面的、語法方面的、用法方面的、寫作方面的，等等。譬如：“很陽光”中的“陽光”，是名詞還是已經(jīng)變成了形容詞？理由呢？

陸：這類問題，一般部找不到現(xiàn)成的答案，很多情況下需要自己去思考、研究，因此本土漢語教師一定要具備一定的漢語研究能力。本土漢語教師開展這方面的研究，好處是很大的——既可以出研究成果，又可以不斷充實教學內(nèi)容。

陸：在思想心理素質(zhì)基礎(chǔ)方面，本土漢語教師需要具備兩種素養(yǎng)：一種是高度的教育責任心，要有愛心、誠信；一種是親和力。這將大大有助于提高漢語教學質(zhì)量和成效。

陸：辦培訓班的目的就是要進一步夯實本土漢語教師這三方面的基礎(chǔ)。辦培訓班，事先一定要做好培訓計劃，即：辦多少期？每期培訓多少漢語教師？每一期的主題是什么？該請什么樣的學者專家來做報告？對受訓的漢語教師有什么具體要求？

陸：需要注意的是，參加培訓班的本土漢語教師具體是哪些人，應由孔子學院中外方共同決定。同時，也積極歡迎所在國的漢語培洲機構(gòu)和教育機構(gòu)的人員參加。

陸：培訓班，也需要有這樣一項培訓內(nèi)容——漢語教師教學交流會。

陸：每期培訓班結(jié)束后，必須做好總結(jié)工作。

問：剛才您說了應特別注重的三項任務，最后一項是切實做好中國和所在國的文化、教育等各方面的交流，這個問題也請您簡單地闡述一下好嗎？

陸：文化交流不僅是推動世界文化進步的重要條件，也是使各國文化日益豐富的重要條件。文化交流具有雙重性質(zhì)——必然性和雙向性。這是由文化的動態(tài)性決定的。具體體現(xiàn)在兩個方面：一是從縱向來看，文化具有時代性，這跟人類對客觀世界、對自身的認識不斷變化與深化有關(guān)。因此，文化是人類社會歷史發(fā)展的積淀物，具有歷史傳承與發(fā)展的特性；各民族、各個國家的文化都有歷史的印記。二是從橫向來看，文化具有民族性、地域性，而不同民族與國家之間的相互接觸必然會造成文化的互相交流，因此可以說，文化傳播具有“必然性”。這是因為任何民族、任何國家都希望將自己的文化住外傳播，讓其他民族、其他國家了解、認可乃至認同、吸納，盡可能地使自己的文化融入國際多元文化寶庫中去；同時，任何民族、任何國家也需要了解剮的民族、別的國家的文化，從中吸取自己所需要的營養(yǎng)，以不斷豐富自己民族、自己國家的文化。

陸：孔子學院，重在從語言入手，必須將文化交流當作一項重要任務來抓。

Reflections and Prospects on the Development of Confucius Institutes

Q：Professor Lu， thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.Could you rst give us an overview of the development of ConfuciusInstitutes？

Lu： I’ve always had a keen interest in internationalChinese education， and I closely follow its progress. Tothe best of my knowledge， the rst Confucius Institutewas set up in South Korea back in November 2004.Since then， up until December 2019， a total of 550Confucius Institutes and 1，172 Confucius Classroomsin primary and secondary schools have been successfullyestablished across 162 countries and regions.Additionally， from July 2020 to July 2021， seven newinstitutes were introduced， bringing the overall countto 557. These Confucius Institutes have significantlycontributed to the promotion of Chinese languageand culture worldwide. However， it is important toacknowledge that certain institutes have faced closurefor various reasons. This requires introspection on ourpart to further enhance the development of ConfuciusInstitutes.

Q：What do you believe are the primary responsibilitiesinvolved in setting up andadvancing Confucius Institutes in the newera， particularly now that they are not operatedby the government？

Lu： Previously， the mandate of Confucius Institutesencompassed various tasks， such as conducting Chineselanguage instruction， training Chinese languageeducators， providing resources for Chinese languageteaching， organizing Chinese language exams and certi cation for teachers， o ering information and consultationon Chinese education and culture， and fosteringcultural and linguistic exchanges between China andthe wider world. In my view， while retaining “organizingof Chinese language exams and certification forteachers”， Confucius Institutes should focus on threekey areas： training local Chinese language instructors，assisting the host country in enhancing Chinese languageeducation， and promoting cultural exchangesbetween the host country and China. Whether to make“Chinese language teaching” a mandatory obligationfor Confucius Institutes， however， requires in-depthdiscussion.

Q：Could you please provide specific insights on training local teachers？

Lu： One of the crucial responsibilities of ConfuciusInstitutes is to focus on the development oflocal Chinese language teachers who possess a deepunderstanding of Chinese culture， are proficientin teaching Chinese， and actively promote culturalexchanges. It’s worth noting that when it comes to internationalChinese language education， the primaryrole of teaching should be entrusted to local Chineselanguage teachers. This not only benefits the hostcountries but also bene ts China.

Lu： For host countries， this provides severalkey advantages. Firstly， it facilitates enhancedcommunication and exchanges with China， as theseteachers can act as bridges and links between thetwo countries. Secondly， it contributes to a morecomprehensive and profound understanding of Chinaand its culture. Political leaders and individualsseeking a comprehensive understanding of China andits culture mainly rely on Sinologists and Chineselanguage teachers who possess knowledge of China’snational conditions. Additionally， translations ofclassic works， including literary and lm productions，also aid in this understanding. Lastly， this approachpromotes the development of Chinese languageeducation within these countries. The continuousdevelopment of Chinese language education is crucialfor fostering friendly relations between China and therest of the world， and it heavily relies on the e orts oflocal Chinese language teachers.

Lu： This bene ts China as well. The growing numberof Chinese teaching staff signifies the successfulimplementation of Chinese language education ina country. Undoubtedly， this contributes to China’scomprehensive communication and cooperation withother countries， ultimately advancing China’s own development.Moreover， due to cultural differences anddistinct way of thinking， local Chinese teachers possessa better understanding of students’ perspectives，priorities， and the di culties they face while learningChinese. They e ortlessly provide examples relevant tolocal customs and practices， which surpass the capabilitiesof volunteer Chinese teachers.

Lu： Furthermore， driven by their desire for personaland professional growth， local Chinese educatorswill be even more motivated to promote Chinese education.They play a crucial role and are indispensablefor the widespread adoption of Chinese teaching with-in their own country. Currently， Chinese educationis still in its early stages in most countries，necessitating a signi cant investment of time tocultivate a pool of skilled local Chinese teachingprofessionals. Until then， the selection ofChinese teachers must align with the requirementsof the host countries. Nonetheless， theChinese teachers dispatched from China shouldpossess exceptional quali cations and genuinelyplay a supportive and guiding role in teaching.To sum up， Confucius Institutes worldwide mustprioritize the training of local Chinese teachersas a paramount objective.

Q：So， what are the key factors to ensure the e ective training of local Chinese language teachers？

Lu： It is crucial to garner support from localeducational institutions. There are three mainaspects to consider in this regard. Firstly， it is imperativeto o er comprehensive training courses.Secondly， Confucius Institutes should regularlyorganize workshops aimed at enhancing thecompetence and skills of local Chinese languageteachers. Thirdly， it is vital to provide assistance，including nancial support， to local educationalinstitutions in hosting symposiums on Chineselanguage teaching on a regular or ad hoc basis.However， it is crucial to avoid treating these activitiesas mere formalities and instead prioritizetheir practical effectiveness.

Q：How do you think we can effectively assist a host country in promoting Chinese education？

Lu： It’s important for us to actively support the hostcountries in improving Chinese language education andcultivating the specific types of Chinese talents they need.This responsibility also lies with Confucius Institutes. It’simportant for Confucius Institutes to genuinely care aboutand deeply understand all aspects of Chinese education inthe host country， including both its governmental and nongovernmentalsectors.

Lu： When Chinese education has gained traction in a hostcountry， it is crucial to handle relationships appropriately.This involves two key aspects： building strong connectionswith educational institutions in the host country andfostering positive relationships with local ethnic Chinesewho are involved in teaching Chinese language. To e ectivelyaccomplish these goals， it is essential to dispatch experiencedand highly skilled Chinese language teachers who can guideand support local Chinese language education.

Lu： To effectively assist the host country in promotingChinese education， I believe there are three areas that can befocused on. Firstly， e orts should be made to provide trainingfor Chinese language teachers currently working in the eld.Secondly， resources needed for Chinese education institutions，be they governmental or non-governmental， should be madeavailable. And thirdly， collaboration should be encouraged inthe development of localized Chinese textbooks that are bothengaging for students and useful for teachers.

Q：What strategies do you suggest for providing on-the-job training to Chinese teachers？

Lu： How should we organize Chinese teachertraining courses？ First of all， it is important to establishthree foundations for Chinese teachers — knowledge，skills， and psychological qualities. Knowledge is crucial，particularly in the areas of Chinese linguistics andChinese culture. Among the two， a solid foundationin Chinese linguistics is more important because itserves as the basis for Chinese teachers to acquireknowledge of Chinese culture. Skills includes teachingskills and research abilities. Currently， there is agreater emphasis on improving teaching skills， whichis certainly necessary， but research abilities are alsoextremely important. Why is that？ Well， during theprocess of Chinese education， teachers may encounterchallenges of different sorts. The difficulties may lie inpronunciation， writing， vocabulary， grammar， usage，composition， and so on. For example：

Is 陽光 in the phrase 很陽光 still functioning as a noun， or has it transformed into an adjective？Why is that？

Lu： There isn’t a ready-made answer to this typeof question. In many cases， it requires teachers themselvesto engage in critical thinking and conduct research.Therefore， local Chinese teachers should possessresearch abilities in the Chinese language. Doingresearch can yield significant benefits， not only bygenerating research ndings but also by continuouslyenriching teaching materials.

Lu： In terms of psychological attributes， localChinese language teachers should possess two keyqualities. Firstly， they should demonstrate a strongsense of responsibility， compassion， and integrity.Secondly， they should have excellent interpersonalskills. These attributes will greatly contribute to thequality and e ectiveness of their instruction.

Lu： The primary objective of workshops is to enhanceand reinforce these three competences. Whenorganizing such workshops， it is crucial to create ameticulously designed program. This involves determiningthe session count， the suitable capacity ofChinese language teachers for each session， the speci ctraining topics for each session， selecting the appropriateindividuals to deliver lectures， and establishingthe prerequisites for participants’ involvement.

Lu： It is worth emphasizing that the selection ofparticipants should be a collaborative e ort betweenthe Confucius Institute and the foreign institutions.Additionally， the workshop should be inclusive，allowing personnel from Chinese language traininginstitutions and educational establishments in thehost country to participate as well.

Lu： The workshops must incorporate opportunitiesfor teachers to engage in exchanges and discussionsabout Chinese language teaching among themselves.

Lu： Following the conclusion of each workshop，it is essential to conduct a comprehensive review andevaluation.

Q：Earlier， you mentioned three tasks thatrequire special attention. The final one is toeffectively promote cultural and educationalexchanges between China and the hostcountry. Could you please provide a briefexplanation of this matter？

Lu： Cultural exchange is not only a crucial catalystfor global cultural growth， but also a key element infostering cultural diversity. It embodies a two-foldnature — inescapability and reciprocation. This binaryaspect is an intrinsic part of the evolving nature ofculture， and manifests in two aspects. On one hand，when viewed from a longitudinal perspective， culture isa dynamic entity， shaped by shi ing perceptions of theself and the world around us. Thus， culture representsthe accumulation of humanity’s social history， exhibitingthe traits of historical continuity and progression.Every race and country carry the indelible marks ofhistory within their cultures. On the other hand， froma horizontal perspective， culture is influenced by bothrace and region. It’s this innate interplay among variousraces and countries that sparks cultural exchange.Therefore， it’s safe to say that the spread of culture is an“inevitability”. Every race and country have an inherentdesire to share their culture with others， hoping formutual understanding， acceptance， and even for theassimilation and absorption of their cultural elementsby others. At the same time， each race or country seeksto understand and draw from other cultures， which inturn， enriches their own culture.

Lu： Therefore， while Confucius Institutes start fromlanguage teaching， it is essential to prioritize culturalexchanges in their work.