Preface

In 1996, the State of Council Information Office and the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China decided to use SCOLA (Satellite Communication for Learning Association) for broadcasting Chinese language television teaching programs in America. This marked the start of using modern technology to promote the teaching of the Chinese language overseas. With long-term experiences and resources in long-distance education, China Central Radio and TV University£¨CCRTVU£©was honored to undertake this far-reaching project.

Under the guidance of the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), Center for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language of China Central Radio & TV University produced satellite-aided overseas Chinese teaching programs. On this basis and after years of practice and experimentation, the center has utilized modern information technology and developed various models of multimedia Chinese language teaching and learning resources. The center has cooperated with overseas institutions through numerous channels and in many perspectives and has gradually become a "factory of resources" for global Chinese language teaching.

With the increasing enthusiasm for learning the Chinese language and about China, the Center for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language of China Central Radio & TV University carries on the concept of open education, guided by the diverse learning methods overseas to create a language learning environment for overseas learners. The center integrates rich multimedia teaching and learning resources and has gradually developed a network of multimedia teaching and learning resources and a study support model based on the satellite, the internet and the people in order to contribute to the international promotion of the Chinese language.

Setting Sail

So far, over 300,000 minutes of programs on Chinese language and Chinese culture have been broadcast on China Channel. Among them, 20,000 minutes were produced by our center, covering various aspects of Chinese language and culture learning. Because of the clear target for overseas learners, the modern concept and an integrated teaching and learning design, these programs have become the basis for the development of multimedia overseas Chinese teaching and learning resources. We will set sail from here.

SCOLA is a nonprofit organization that transmits educational television programming via satellite. Its coverage includes the whole North America with more than 4,00 universities and 7,000 high schools receiving its programs. The "China Channel" is a special Chinese channel that is also called as Yellow River Chinese School. The aim of the channel is to meet the overseas demand of learning the Chinese language and culture, and at the same time, to provide rich visual teaching resources for overseas teachers of the Chinese language. The programs include teaching about the Chinese language, Chinese culture, and news on China. Six hours of the programs are broadcasted each day and are repeated 4 times in 24 hours.

For these programs to play a greater role, we have broadcasted them on CETV, TVB Pearl, MultiChoice, World Today channel of Comcast, and KyLinTV.

To facilitate the broadcasting and promotion of the programs and research on market needs, the Educational Ministry of China has sent three staff members to work at the SCOLA station from 1998 to 2001. They are Chen Lixia from Beijing Language and Culture University, Wang Baohui and Wang Xiangwen from China Central Radio and TV University. Through hard work in America they have gathered first-hand materials for Chinese language teaching and took a big step for the promotion of the China Channel in schools and universities in North America.

This promotion not only opened the door for Chinese language teaching in North America, but has also generated a great deal of teaching resources and developed a team of professionals. Today, the Center for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language of China Central Radio & TV University has developed into a multifunctional institution, covering teaching, research, curriculum design, teaching material edition, production, the design and production of media teaching, overseas promotion and has also educated a team of talents with all round abilities in Chinese language teaching and broadcasting.

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Cultivation

¡ª¡ªMeet the Needs of Advanced Chinese Learning, Create a Chinese Language Environment

The learners are the core for open education. Only multimedia teaching resources that can meet the demands of Chinese learning overseas and provide a friendly Chinese learning environment for both learners and teachers will be accepted. Having just the TV media is far from enough. To develop is to change and create, to keep in pace with overseas educational development. With the aim of developing Chinese learning resources overseas, we have no other choices but to work diligently.

1.In-depth Understanding of Learning Needs

Since our users are abroad, we need to take every opportunity to go abroad to get to know the local needs. We should get to different markets, offices, classrooms, and even the homes of learners to learn of their needs, preferences, habits, problems and troubles, and the material conditions of learning so our teaching resources can suit the local demands and be quickly applied for all kinds of teaching practices. At the same time, we cooperate with overseas experts to greatly enhance the acceptability of our teaching materials.

2.Contents for Strategic Resources Establishment

Under the guidance of the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), we have carried on analysis of the needs and the development of Chinese language teaching and planned teaching materials with a long term perspective. On the one hand, we produce Chinese teaching materials that meet the market demand. On the other hand, we try to cover all-round demands for learning the Chinese language and Chinese culture from the perspective of resources construction.

3.Construct a Multimedia Study Environment

Carrying on the concept and experience of China Central Radio & TV University on the integrated construction of multimedia teaching resources, we keep in pace with the development of education products, gradually improve all kinds of teaching methods and media in order to create a tridimensional study environment for learners, which can greatly facility the efficiency of Chinese learning.

4.Resources Serving the Teaching Practices

Through all kinds of methods such as cooperation with teaching institutions, practice in our own teachings, and interview with customers, we are striving to put all kinds of teaching products into practices in order to test them in practice for improvement and development.

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Growth

¡ª¡ªMeet Friends from all over the World, Covering the Globe with our Resorces

Carrying on the tradition of integrating outstanding resources with the close partnership with radio and television stations, education institutions, publishers and all kinds of cultural communication institutions, China Central Radio and TV University has deepened the promotion of Chinese language into every area and developed various flexible exchanges and cooperations. The broad and extensive cooperations and communications have challenged our abilities and will power.

Combining the strength of outstanding partners in the relevant fields, we have made available high standard teaching resources and services all over the world through various cooperation methods, such as the authorization of TV programs, the transfer of copyrights, cooperation in development and agent distribution.

In 2006, with the help of the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), China Central Radio & TV University, in cooperation with Michigan State University, established the first online Confucius Institute in the world, using the "store with factory behind" business mode. The center not only provided learners with study software and supplementary study materials for systematic study, but also provided teachers with complete teaching resource packages to facilitate their teaching. With efforts from both sides, in 2007, Confucius Institute of Michigan State University was praised by the Headquarter Confucius Institute as one of "the most successful Confucius Institutes in the world".

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