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 Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University (CI-NTU) is jointly established by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Established in August 2005 and being one of the earliest Confucius Institute to be set up, CI-NTU is partnering with one of the most renowned University in China, Shandong University. With the strong support from the Office of Chinese Language Council International and the College of International Education, Shandong University, CI-NTU engages top-notch Chinese lecturers and educators from renowned China universities.CI-NTU will give full play to its academic excellence and reputation in Chinese culture, sharing invaluable pedagogical resources and the fruit of its laborious researches with the Southeast Asian region and beyond.
Is Chinese difficult to learn? Is Chinese boring? Do we have newer ways of teaching Chinese that will make learning more exciting? In our modern age of technological wonders, where is the relevance of the Confucian philosophy of Education? How do we pass on the treasures and gems of Chinese culture and wisdom?
Article by Assoc. Prof. Koh Hock Kiat
Director (Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University)
Associate Professor (National Institute of Education)
(Article translated from Chinese article published in POPclub Magazine, Issue 13, November – 31 December 2009).
The Top Chinese Enrichment Programmes and Cultural Camps organised by the Confucius Institute, Nanyang Technological University (CI-NTU) do not just stop at taking a fresh approach to teaching language and culture to help the students better their school results, but to also infuse the lessons with various cultural elements that underscore the value of Chinese language in the society today.
As societal development picks up pace, competition within the society also intensifies proportionately. Many parents, including teachers themselves, are asking more of the children's performance. However, in this lopsided pursuit for the children's intellectual grooming, the education of their moral values has been trivialised. As time goes by, this will have a negative impact on the society, and the children will grow up to have an imperfect view of life. This will have serious repercussions on not just the children but also the future of our nation.
 Truly, a person's world view and behavior is first moulded by his moral character; once that has been established, civil and rational mannerism will follow. Traditional Chinese educational philosophy places the teaching of ethics ('de') at the heart of educating a child, proposing that a person must first be humane ('ren') before he can become a talent ('cai'). With 'ethics' as the basis of humanity and 'wisdom' the beginning of talents, this ethos has ever been the unchanging code of traditional education of the Chinese. Ideally, a successful person is very often also more refined and morally upright. The ethos is a passport to a person's significance to the society. Everyone would want to associate with a moral person, and that means he will have access to more resources and opportunities, and by implication will succeed more readily.
In designing the curriculum of the Top Enrichment Programmes, CI-NTU is ever mindful of an integrated approach to educate a child to become a talent. At the same time, the Programmes are also in line with the academic goals of the Ministry of Education, providing a platform to speed up the learning process by complementing the teaching in school and supplementing the students with content and skills not covered in class. We strive to lay a firm foundation for the children to build upon, as in expanding their Chinese vocabulary and phrases to help them in their reading and writing proficiencies. On the other hand, we adopt the inspirational approach to actively involve the children in the learning of Confucian classics. They will be led to ponder through the issues being posed, discuss, question and reflect on them. By learning while having fun, life lessons and skills are delivered concisely and effectively to the children which encourage the understanding of certain moral behaviours and a steady mould of their moral characters ensue.
The Top Enrichment Programmes at CI-NTU are a perfect amalgamation of cultural and academic education, and they are very attractive to the children as they inspire and enthuse the children to learn Chinese. Learning Chinese through its culture, while becoming cultured through using Chinese - this win-win formula of nurturing talents has ever been our pedagogical philosophy.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins right under our feet", so let us be the children's companions on this adventure of learning Chinese. Let us hold their hands and take bold, confident strides forward together!
For more information on Top Chinese Enrichment Programmes, please click here
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