In order to comprehensively promote the multilingual version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China “advancing into colleges and universities, materials, and classrooms”, on August 27th, Jilin province’s “Understanding Contemporary China” Foreign Language Teaching Seminar and the 2022 annual meeting of the National Administration Committee on Teaching Foreign Languages in Higher Education of Jilin Province were held in NENU. Present at the meeting were Chang Qing, vice president of NENU, Zeng Fanming, director of Higher Education Division of Jilin Provincial Department of Education, and Chang Xiaoling, deputy editor-in-chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. People in charge of the Publicity Department, Academic Affairs Office and Graduate School of NENU, members of the three teaching committees for English, Japanese and non-universal languages in Jilin Province, foreign language experts and scholars from Beijing and Jilin province and front-line foreign language teachers in colleges and universities of Jilin province participated in this conference online or offline. The meeting was presided over by Professor Zhou Guijun, dean of the School of Foreign Languages of NENU.
Group photo of leaders and experts attending offline
At the meeting, Chang Qing, on behalf of NENU, extended a warm welcome to the leaders and experts who attended the meeting, and his heartfelt thanks to the Jilin Provincial Department of Education, the National Administration Committee on Teaching Foreign Languages in Higher Education of Jilin Province, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Language and Culture University, and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) for their long-term support and assistance for the development of the School of Foreign Languages and the construction of foreign language and literature discipline. He pointed out that the teaching material reflects the will of the country and is a soul-casting project. It is of great significance to strengthen ideological guidance and value shaping through the construction of teaching materials. The “Understanding Contemporary China” series of textbooks is a valuable intellectual achievement in promoting the “Three Advancements” of the multilingual version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. (“Three Advancements”refers to “advancing into colleges and universities, materials, and classrooms”), and it is an important carrier for cultivating foreign language talents with patriotism, international vision and profession skills, and it will surely provide positive assistance for building China’s foreign discourse system in the new era and “tell Chinese stories well and spread voice of China well”.
Professor Chang Qing, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Northeast Normal University, delivered a speech
Afterwards, Chang Xiaoling explained and introduced the publishing, teaching support and next-step work arrangements of the textbooks “Understanding Contemporary China” in detail. Up to now, 39 volumes have been published in the “Understanding Contemporary China” series of textbooks for colleges and universities, covering English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and international Chinese. As of the fall semester of 2022 , these textbooks will be used by the undergraduates, postgraduates of foreign languages and literature and students of learning Chinese as a foreign language across the country. She suggested that colleges and universities can deepen their understanding of the connotation of textbooks from the aspects of research and development background, purpose, concept, content, and structure of the teaching material, and teaching requirements, and strengthen discussion on teaching methods. FLTRP will provide comprehensive support for the teaching of “Understanding Contemporary China” through the construction of special web pages, the development of teaching resources, and the organization of virtual teaching and research offices.
Dr. Chang Xiaoling, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, delivered a speech
Professor Sun Youzhong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University, gave a report
During the expert report session, Professor Sun Youzhong, chairman of the the National Administration Committee on Foreign Language and Literature Majors in Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and vice president of Beijing Foreign Studies University, gave a report online. Starting from the historical perspective of foreign language majors, he pointed out that “entering into the new era, China’s higher foreign language education should not only continue to introduce the world to China, but also more urgently to introduce China to the world”. In light of the compilation concept of “Understanding Contemporary China” series of textbooks, he has also elaborated on the “Three Advancements” work, new liberal arts construction, curriculum ideology and politics in detail, emphasizing that we should deeply understand the historical mission and significance of textbooks, deepen the grasp of the guiding ideology, overall framework and key content of textbooks, put into practice the concept of curriculum ideology, integration of learning and ability orientation, solidly promote curriculum construction and teacher training, improve the use of teaching materials and the effectiveness of talent training, implement the fundamental task of strengthening moral education and cultivating people, and cultivate newcomers of the era who can shoulder the task of national rejuvenation.
Afterwards, Professor Mu Yang, dean of the School of English at Beijing Language and Culture University and deputy editor-in-chief of “Understanding Contemporary China” and Presentation and Public Speaking in English, introduced in detail the characteristics of the textbook’s content and language integration, understanding contemporary China and learning English speech, and took specific units as an example to explain how to guide students to understand the connotation and significance of the Belt and Road initiative, and how to externally describe the Silk Road spirit of peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit behind the Belt and Road initiative. Based on the compilations concept and curriculum plan of Presentation and Public Speaking in English, Mu Yang provided suggestions for new courses, renovations, and integration, and provided important references for the establishment of relevant courses in various colleges and universities.
Professor Zhou Guijun, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, Northeast Normal University presided over the meeting, and Professor Mu Yang, Dean of the School of English, Beijing Language and Culture University, gave a report
Professor Ma Jianhua, a member of the National Administration Committee on Teaching English Language to Majors in Higher Education of Jilin Province and dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Changchun Normal University, introduced their “Three Advancements” work, based on the their own school-running characteristics, she took it as a way to deepen the reform of foreign language education in the new liberal arts and build the first-class majors and first-class courses of the “Three Advancements”, an important measure to comprehensively carry out the ideological and political construction of foreign language majors, and expressed that understanding contemporary China and telling Chinese stories well in foreign languages are the obligatory mission and responsibility of foreign language teachers in colleges and universities. Professor Lin Zhongpeng of NENU, chairman of the National Administration Committee on Teaching Japanese Language to Majors in Higher Education of Jilin Province, and Professor Gao Guocui of NENU, chairman of the National Administration Committee on Teaching Non-universal Language to Majors in Higher Education of Jilin Province, from different perspectives, in reference to their own work and professional reality, systematically explained and introduced experience on the “Three Advancements” work.
Professor Ma Jianhua, Professor Lin Zhongpeng and Professor Gao Guocui gave speeches respectively
In the group discussion session, the National Administration Committee on Teaching English, Japanese and Non-universal Language to Majors in Higher Education of Jilin Province held the 2022 annual meeting under the chairmanship of Zhou Guijun, Lin Zhongpeng, and Gao Guocui, respectively.
The English professional group, the Japanese professional group, and the non-universal language group hold annual meetings
This conference is under the guidance of the Higher Education Office of the Jilin Provincial Department of Education, organized by the National Administration Committee on Teaching English, Japanese and Non-universal Language to Majors in Higher Education under the Ministry of Education of Jilin Province, and FLTRP and hosted by NENU. The conference was held simultaneously offline and online, with more than 90 offline participants in the main venue, and more than 2,800 teachers online through the online platform.
The delegates generally believed that the meeting was of great significance, timely and efficient. The meeting reflected the great importance the Jilin Provincial Department of Education attached to the “Three Advancements” work and the series of textbooks “Understanding Contemporary China”, and demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of the National Administration Committee on Foreign Language Teaching to Majors in Higher Education of Jilin Province in promoting the “Three Advancements” work. The effect will help and guide foreign language teachers in colleges and universities in Jilin Province to more accurately and systematically grasp the spirit of the textbook, key content and teaching requirements, and effectively implement the “Three Advancements” work. Everyone generally felt that they had benefited a lot and said that they would conscientiously implement the spirit of the conference in their future work, attach great importance to the use and training of the multilingual series of textbooks “Understanding Contemporary China”, strive to deepen the reform of foreign language education in the new era, build an independent knowledge system for foreign language education, and promote ideological and political construction of foreign language courses.
(From News Center, translated by Wei Jia, revised by Liu Lixin)