Peking University, Beijing, May 18^th, 2009: On the morning of May 16, the opening ceremony of the 2^nd Postgraduate Academic Forum for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language was held at the North Conference Room of the library of Peking University. The ceremony was hosted by Chen Chen, Chairman of Graduate Association of International College for Chinese Language Studies. Professors from different universities attended this ceremony, such as Prof. Li Xiaoqi, Dean of PKU International College for Chinese Language Studies, Prof. Wan Jianqin of Beijing Language and Culture University, Prof. Zhang Meilan of Tsinghua University, Prof. Zhang Xiping of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Prof. Wang Yunjia of PKU Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Prof. Yao Jingyi, Vice-Secretary of the Youth League PKU Committee.

This forum is supported by PKU International College for Chinese Language Studies. It invites the postgraduates in this field from universities in and out of Beijing to attend, such as Beijing Language and Culture University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Hebei University etc.

In Prof. Li Xiaoqi’ s opening address, she pointed out that the work of teaching Chinese as a second language has been recognized by national leaders. Currently, there are 249 Confucius Institutes and 56 Confucius Classes in nearly 78 different countries and regions. The postgraduates in this field from different universities have been sent to different parts of the world to teach Chinese, spread Chinese culture, and enhance their knowledge as well. PKU has already sent out 18 postgraduates the USA, Korea, Egypt, Thailand, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia to teach Chinese. In future, there will be more teachers dispatched. This model has already become an important part in training of postgraduates in field of teaching Chinese as a second language.

In Prof. Wang Jianqing’s speech, he gave high praise to the work of PKU in forming the academic atmosphere of teaching Chinese as a second language. He also encouraged the students to be realistic, patient, cautious, and sincere during the study. The student representatives from PKU and Beijing Language and Culture University said in their speeches that this forum was equally well-prepared and full of talented people compared with other world-level postgraduate forums.

It is reported that the forum has received more than 80 papers during the call-for-paper period, and 65 papers have been accepted after the strict review of experts. The attendees of the forum had wide discussions on language, teaching, teaching materials, testing, and culture. Specially, some of the postgraduates have proposed their own views on the teachers’ training of this field based on their experiences which not only show the young people’s confidence but also foretell the bright future of teaching Chinese as a second language.