故人西辞黄鹤楼，You have left me behind, old friend, at the Yellow Crane Terrace,

烟花三月下扬州。On your way to visit Yangzhou in the misty month of flowers;

孤帆远影碧空尽，Your sail, a single shadow, becomes one with the blue sky,

唯见长江天际流。Till now I see only the river, on its way to heaven.

This quatrain, A Farewell to Meng Hao-jan on His Way to Yang-chou (黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵, English translation by Witter Bynner, 1881 – 1968), written by Tang poet Li Bai (701 – 762), represents a golden era of Chinese classical poetry, when the Complete Anthology of Tang Poetry compiled more than fifty thousand poems by over 2,000 poets, each a star with lasting impact in China’s literary history. For more than 1,200 years, classical poetry continues to inspire poets, scholars, and literati alike in China and beyond. In recent years, classical poetry has made quite a comeback in China’s pop culture, transforming ancient poets into characters in films, TV series, music, art and more.

From Ode to the Goose (《咏鹅》) to Guan Guan Go the Ospreys (《关雎》), there are many great poems that can be introduced to students of various ages to build their intercultural competence through classical poetry when studying Chinese language. For many Chinese language teachers, the richness of great classical poems presents both an advantage and a challenge: while there is certainly no lack of authentic resource to expose students to this art of Chinese language, what to expect the students to grasp by learning classical poems? What is the gist of classic poetry that can be reasonably understood and delivered in limited time? Can we, Chinese language teachers, articulate why classical poetry has such enduring impact, and convey to our students its beauty?

This seminar, led by Professor Xiaoming Hu, Director of the Institute of Chinese Literature, East China Normal University, is the beginning of a journey to step deeper into the world of Chinese classical poetry. Looking back from its peak time in Tang Dynasty (618-907) to its fountainhead, Book of Songs (《诗经》, 11th to 7th BCE), participants are to understand deeper of the classical poetry as a literary form, examine its power of shaping Chinese culture, and collectively explore ways in which learning can be made possible in a second language classroom.

This two-hour online seminar will be in Chinese. 该讲座为中文。

What makes a Chinese building Chinese?

How was Chinese architecture transformed in the early 20th century?

What’s the impact of Chinese architecture in the world? And,

How does the Chinese architecture tradition influence buildings of our time?

Led by Professor Nancy Steinhardt, this seminar will begin with an introduction to Chinese architecture, including the principles of Chinese construction and features to look for in Chinese buildings. It will show where these features are found in the Forbidden City and then turn to the 20th century, when the participants will also learn the dramatic story of how architects transformed the built environment of China during decades of political transition and war, and how China’s own modern architecture came to be built.

This two-hour online seminar will be in Chinese.
该讲座为中文。

“Culture” constitutes a fundamental component among the 5Cs outlined in the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, however exploring the integration of culture into language instruction within K-12 classrooms raises numerous inquiries.

To respond to the need, China Institute, in partnership with ECNU, launched The Teacher Certificate Program: Understanding Chinese Culture and Practice, which consists of two components: 1) monthly cultural seminars to help teachers gain a deeper understanding of foundational elements of Chinese culture, and 2) pedagogically workshops integrating cultural activities into K-12 classroom teaching. In past months for the first phase, cultural seminars covered topics on mythology, brush painting and music, and a cohort of enthusiastic Chinese language teachers joined the pedagogical workshop to develop cultural projects.

On November 18th, we invite you to participate in the inaugural session of the China Institute Learn, Share, and Lead Workshop series, designed to build a community of devoted K-12 teachers who are passionate about and actively engaged in the exploration of innovative approaches to effectively achieve learning goals encompassing both culture and language.

Five Chinese language teachers from our first cohort will showcase their cultural projects. These projects cover a range of captivating topics, from mythology to music, each carefully planned under expert guidance and thoughtfully implemented in their respective classrooms in New York, New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts. Through the sharing of their experiments, valuable reflections, and personal learning journeys, we extend a warm invitation to all K-12 teachers of Chinese language and culture to join us in this dynamic program for an engaging and enriching discussion.

Come and join the conversations with our speakers to become an active part of this community.

What defines the Chinese language? Do all Chinese speak Mandarin?
Do all Chinese people speak Chinese? Is the Chinese language exclusive to Chinese nationals?

In this lecture, Professor Mingjie Li from East China Normal University will provide an overview of language contact in China. Drawing upon an introduction to Chinese dialects and the distribution of minority languages in China, Prof. Li will delve into the dynamic and inclusive nature of the Chinese language system, and underscore the cultural diversity it fosters, exemplified through multilingualism, the incorporation of loanwords, and other linguistic usages.

This two-hour online seminar will be in Chinese.
该讲座为中文。