Funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL) and Confucius Institute Headquarters, the School of International Cultural Exchange organized 120 students to carry out teaching practice activities along the Silk Road in accordance with the basic requirements of training international students from June 23 to 27. Participants come from 27 countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Germany, South Korea, Ukraine and Laos.
The practice is aimed at deepening international students’ understanding of Chinese history and traditional Chinese culture and enhancing their emotional ties with China.
The practice covers several cities of important historical, cultural, and geographic value along the Hexi Corridor: Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye and Wuwei. In accordance with the requirements of the teaching practice which is task-oriented, students are divided into 10 research teams, led by teachers conducting corresponding researches. Students choose what they are interested in. Studies are carried out in culture, geography, history and religion of the Silk Road. Students compare those with relevant aspects of their own countries to enhance their understanding.
To make it more effective, leading teachers systemically evaluated the research before the practice and earnestly guide the research team during the practice. After the practice, a summing-up meeting is organized and each team makes a presentation respectively, optimizing the practice results.
(Translated by Li Yafeng; proofread by Sissi Xu)
