海外汉语学习者低龄化的思考

Some Thoughts on the Younger-age Trend of Overseas Chinese Learners

海外汉语学习者的低龄化,是近些年广受媒体关注但并未引起学界足够重视的汉语国际教育新现象。据估计,低龄化的平均水平可能已达50%,一些国家达到或超过60%,且仍呈快速发展之趋势。低龄化形成原因是多方面的,如海外华人母语传承的带动,孔子课堂的推动,各国政府的重视等,但根本原因还是中国的发展。低龄化是国家发展到可以带动他国发展时的产物,是汉语国际教育发展的新阶段。少年儿童凭兴趣习得语言,最易建立语感和语言感情,甚至产生跨文化认同。而以往的汉语国际教育体系多是为成人准备的,亟需进行全方位的适应,更新理念,制定新的汉语国际教育规划,积极开展适合低龄化的教学研究。此外,还应看到低龄化对中国高等教育的深远影响,它将带来来华留学人数的激增,学习内容可能涉及中国高校的所有学科,对语言教育和学科教育都会提出新要求,中国高等教育需要做出国际化的全面准备。

A younger-age trend of overseas Chinese learners is shown in the Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages（TCSOL）,which has attracted great attention of media but lacks enough academic attention.According to the estimates,the younger-age learners may have accounted for 50% of the total number of overseas Chinese learners,even up to or more than 60%in some countries,and are still in a fast development trend.There are several factors contributing to this younger-age trend,such as the promotion from the inheritance of the Chinese mother tongue,Confucius classrooms,and attention given by different governments.However,the basic reason is the development of China.The younger-age trend can be regarded as the outcome of a country＇s development which can in turn drive the development of other countries.It can also be viewed as a new stage of TCSOL.Children acquire language with interest,and they are most likely to establish a sense of language and language affection,even develop intercultural identity.The current TCSOL system,which is set up for adults,therefore,needs an omni-directional adaptation to the new situation,including a renewed idea,a new international Chinese education planning,and an active research on the younger-age teaching.In addition,the younger-age trend is seen to have profound influence on China＇s higher education,in that it will lead to a surge of the number of overseas students in China.Their learning content may involve all disciplines of Chinese universities,which puts forward new requirements to language education and other discipline education.The internationalization of China＇s higher education needs to make full preparation for it.