Transformative Learning:Intercultural Adaptation of Chinese Teachers at the Confucius Institute in Spain

In recent years there has been a proliferation of studies demonstrating the value of teaching abroad as much for its benefits for the training and professional development of these teachers,as for its impact and beneficial effects on students.This article uses transformative learning as a theoretical framework to interpret the achievements associated with the experience of teaching abroad,and to identify and analyze different motivational factors,adjustments,changes,challenges,and perspectives of Chinese teachers linked to a Confucius Institute in Spain,through a qualitative analysis of narratives elicited through in-depth interviews and focus groups.It highlights the role and potential of the transnational,intercultural experience of these teachers as authentic actors in the part played by the Confucius Institutes in language teaching and the promotion of Chinese culture,indicating many issues including language difficulties,professional adjustment,ideas about education,beliefs of teachers and the management of the program.

The New Media Engine for Promoting Chinese Cultural Diffusion： A Case Study of＂Confucius Institute Online＂

As a developing Non-profit Organization （NPO） system for the learning and diffusion of Chinese language and culture around the globe, the Confucius Institute network is becoming more and more important for China＇s presence and influence in a diversified arena of world cultures. While this network is being enlarged and improved with the Chinese govemment＇s persistent backing, it is, however, recognized that the influence and efficiency of the institutes are still limited. It might not be essential whether people come primarily as serious language learners, but necessarily, the platform has to be attractive enough for a considerable proportion of users to stick on, making the Confucius Institute System a sustainable cultural service provider. Within the background of information society, the Intemet, mobile service, digital broadcasting, and other types of new media would act as an important effort to help Confucius Institutes to improve the capabilities of interacting with users, offering users with abundant media-rich content, and minimizing users＇ inconvenience by enhancing users＇ experience, lowering travel and time cost, and easily providing multi-lingual support. In this paper, we take the platform of Confucius Institute Online （http：//www.chinese.cn, the official Intemet portal of the Confucius Institute network） as a case of actuality to analyze how the Confucius Institute system could utilize the communication capability of new media to enrich, enlarge, and enhance the diffusion of Chinese culture and language. Advantages and deficiencies of the planning, design, and layout of the portal＇s functionality and views are presented, upon which a number of strategic suggestions are raised, for the sake of further improvement of Confucius Institute＇s efficiency in cultural diffusion and sustainable development.

Analyzing a Cross-cultural Communication Framework From the Perspective of Relational Rationality： A Case Study of Chinese Confucius Institute in the Last Decade

In this study, we discuss the role of ＂relational rationality＂ and the multi-dimensions in interpreting ongoing cross-cultural communication between China and the world. The concept of relational rationality is in search of the best community instead of an exclusive communication. Thus, from this relationological point of view, we have to re-build the framework of cross-cultural communication on the basis of coexistence rather than of closed existence. It is correlations that determine the existential situation and values of communication in the current world. Therefore, cross-cultural communication could not only recognize the pattern of one culture, but also provide the possibility of the cultural formation of common sense. In order to establish the framework, we need to understand the exogenous multi-dimensional elements including politics, economy, culture and so on, as well as the interrelationship among those elements; at the same time, we also need to study the endogenous process of cross-cultural communication on the micro level, including the senders, channels and receivers. As a result, we illustrate the cross-cultural framework with an empirical case study of the 5,932 news of Chinese Confucius Institute within 1,246 main websites in more than a hundred countries or districts from 2004 to 2015.

Towards an Academy-Oriented Confucius Institute

A talk with the director of the Confucius Institute of the Geneva University about how the institute brings two countries closer.

An Analysis on Students’Chinese Learning Needs of Confucius Institute at Hasanuddin University,Indonesia

Hasanuddin University in Indonesia through a questionnaire,the key point is to understand the learning needs of students and to make suggestions for optimizing the curriculum and teaching methods of Chinese teachers.Due to the limited time and conditions,there are some deficiencies in this study.As there are many factors affecting the learning needs,the questionnaire may not cover the whole content,it can only reflect the learning needs of learners,and cannot be used as an accurate measure.The study focused on comprehensive learning needs,so it was not compare the learning needs of students from the two teaching sites,nor was it compare the learning needs of male and female learners,these questions also require precise analysis by subsequent researchers.In addition,although the optimization of the proposal has a certain practicality,but still need to practice and improve.

Let’s play tic-tac-toe: Confucius Institutes versus American Cultural Centres

China and the United States(US)have established respective cul-tural institutions in each other,namely the Confucius Institute and the American Cultural Centre.While they differ in the estab-lishment background and management model,in their counter-part countries’view,both Confucius Institutes and American Cultural Centres serve the function of public diplomacy as a‘quasi-diplomatic agency’,attracting extensive political attention.When comparing the history of their developments in the US and China,a similar trend of‘rise-to-fall’and‘positivity-to-negativity’can be observed.The stagnation of American Cultural Centres in China and the crisis of Confucius Institutes in the US both origin-ate from the same source—political pressure.The development paths of both institutions are closely related to the development and transformation of Sino–US political relations.In this process,China’s attitude is relatively moderate in an attempt to maintain the continuous development of a friendly bilateral relation,while the US is anxious about China’s rising status as its economic and strategic competitor,thereby adjusting its China policy and imposing rigid political controls over Confucius Institutes.Affected by the Sino–US trade dispute and the COVID-19 pandemic,Sino–US relations deteriorate further;accordingly,the future out-look of Confucius Institutes in the US is worrying.However,with abundant uncertainties,the future of the Confucius Institute remains to be further studied.

Interculturality,Identity,and Power:Experiences of Volunteer Chinese Teachers at Overseas Confucius Institutes

With the rapid expansion of Confucius Institutes globally,the Hanban launched a Volunteer Chinese Teachers(VCT)Program with the purpose of selecting a large number of college graduates and graduate students from Chinese universities to fill vacancies for overseas Chinese teachers.In spite of the multitude of students participating in the program,there has been a paucity of research attention on them.How do these students,most of whom have never been abroad before,manage their life in their host country and negotiate their new role as a VCT in an overseas Confucius Institute?What are their intercultural experiences as they venture into a new country to serve as a native teacher of Chinese?Based on in-depth interviews with a dozen VCTs teaching in linguistically and culturally different contexts,this study seeks to examine the dynamics of interculturality,identity and power relations involved in their overseas language teaching.

News coverage of Confucius Institutes in the pre-Trump era

A novel dataset is presented that reveals a general pattern of declining favourability in news stories about Confucius Institutes(CIs)from 2006 through 2015 in six English-speaking countries:the US,the UK,Canada,Australia,India and Kenya.There are sig-nificant differences in mean favourability and time trends across countries,however.Decreasing trends in favourability are observed in the US and Canada,in particular,whereas Kenya and India’s time trends are nil or possibly increasing.We report empir-ical models of favourability conditional on GDP per capita,trade with China and the number of CIs across country-year observa-tions.Consistent with Pew polling data,our data reveal an inter-esting pair of conflicting income effects.High-income countries tend to be more negative and less positive on CIs than low-income countries overall.Within-country positive shocks to real GDP per capita,however,are positively associated with favourabil-ity after cross-country differences in income levels are absorbed by country fixed effects.The number of CIs in a country has mixed effects on the favourability of news coverage about CIs across country-year observations.Despite billions of dollars spent on public diplomacy by the Chinese government,our findings suggest that its return on investment in public diplomacy in the form of CIs may not be as expected.

The path,value and limits of the Confucius Institute in carrying out public diplomacy

On the basis of Chinese language teaching and cultural communication activities,the Confucius Institute carries out a variety of cultural exchange activities between China and the host country,which has become an effective way for China to carry out public diplomacy and participate in global cultural governance.By analysing the concepts of public diplomacy,cultural diplomacy,people-to-people exchange and cultural governance,this paper summarises three typical paths of Confucius Institutes in carrying out public diplomacy:‘from the government to foreign nationals’,‘from the government to Chinese citizens and then to foreign nationals’,and‘from the government to foreign nationals and then to foreign nationals’.The value of the Confucius Institute in carrying out public diplomacy is reflected on the level of national diplomacy,international exchange and global governance.Furthermore,the capability of the Confucius Institute as a language and cultural communication institution initiated by China and in cooperation with other countries in carrying out public diplomacy is limited.This limitation,on one hand,originates from the nature of the Confucius Institute as a language and cultural communication organisation,and on the other hand,is related to the difficulties and challenges that China faces in its participation in global governance.Public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy are based on national interests.They also transcend national interests and,furthermore,become a way for a country to actively participate in global cultural governance.The experience of and challenges faced by the Confucius Institute can have important implications for China in participating in global cultural governance.

Cultural Diplomacy and Internationalization of Higher Education:The Experience of Three Confucius Institutes in Canada

This paper is based on a study of three Confucius Institutes in Canada.The research aims to explore the nature of operations at Confucius Institutes,ranging from the selection of partnering Chinese universities,to the program planning at each individual site.Specifically,it focuses on the perceived impacts of the Confucius Institute partnership on the Canadian hosting institutions.Data was collected through interviews with key administrative staff from three Canadian universities.The theoretical framework of constructivism from international relations theory and concepts drawn from the literature on the internationalization of higher education were used to analyze the findings.Key issues revealed from the data include the host’s perception of Confucius Institutes as China’s cultural diplomacy and soft power strategy,the progression of partnerships between Canada and China over time,and university autonomy.

Are Confucius Institutes Building Blocks or Stumbling Blocks for Foreign Students in China: An Empirical Study of 190 Countries (1999–2015)

Purpose:This study investigates the impact of Confucius Institutes on China’s international education initiatives.First,it examines whether the establishment of Confucius Institutes has a gravitational effect on the scale of foreign students coming to China.Second,it discerns whether there are any association between the establishment of Confucius Institutes and the attributes of foreign students based on the type of program they select.Third,it identifies whether there are any differences in the impact of Confucius Institutes based on constraints such as the number of foreign students,income levels,cultural distance,and geographical endowment.Design/Approach/Methods:Based on the trade gravity model and the push–pull theory,we estimated a two-way fixed-effects model using panel data of all source countries from 1999 to 2015.Findings:Results show that Confucius Institutes have helped China attract more foreign students on Chinese government scholarships,with each Institute increasing such enrolment by 1.3%.However,Confucius Institutes have resulted in a drop in the total number of foreign students studying in China,especially nondegree students.This substitution effect means that the Institutes actually help China improve the composition of its foreign students.Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the substitution effect is primarily driven by the main source countries.Accordingly,this study suggests that China should establish more Confucius Institutes in Africa and Eastern Europe to maximize the catalyzing effect of Confucius Institutes.Originality/Value:In contrast to previous studies on foreign scholarship in China,this study examines all 190 source countries from 1999 to 2015.This comprehensive study also explores the heterogeneous effects of foreign students on trade across economic,cultural,and geographical domains.

Confucius Institute Promotes Friendly Exchanges

The Republic of San Marino is among the first European countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, and the bilateral friendship has enjoyed stable, sound and sustained development. On March 29, 2015, the first Confucius Institute in San Marino was co-founded by the

Confucius Institute invites contributions

Confucius Institute is an officially published magazine with an ISSN and CN that is produced by Confucius Institute Headquarters(Hanban).The main focus of the magazine is reporting on Confucius Institute activities,Chinese language education,and cultural topics,with the goal of increasing cultural communication between the Confucius Institute and all nations of the world.At present,the 80-page bimonthly magazine is published in eleven languages(in Chinese bilingual editions)and is available in 130 countries and regions.We are now inviting authors from around the world to contribute articles of the following types:

The Globalization Pace of Confucius Institutes

Elizabeth,who is from Ireland,is in her late 60s.She adores Chinese fiction,especially the works of Yu Hua and Mo Yan.Thanks to the classes she has been taking at the Confucius Institute for almost a decade,she can read Chinese well.Wang Hong,the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki,in Finland,teaches her current course.'Elizabeth never

Can Culture Lead to Export?Empirical Data on the Belt and Road Initiative

The B&R Initiative is a modernized and specific manifestation of China's"going global"development strategy. It undertakes the historic mission of promoting communication and exchange between cultures and nations, but also has a positive role in the development of international economy and trade relations. As a messenger of the essence of Chinese culture, Confucius Institutes have a positive impact on the development of Asian and world civilizations. Using Difference-in-Difference estimation methods to study the statistical data from the countries along the B&R routes, this paper examines the relationship between cultural and commodity outputs and comes to the following conclusions: Cultural output is an important factor in increasing commodity exports; Confucius Institutes help increase China's exports to the countries along the B&R routes; and the growth in cultural exports shows regional differences, hysteresis, and fluctuations. As China's cultural outputs are still at an immature stage, their promotional effects on exports are unstable. In the future, China should further standardize its management and operational systems and accelerate the Confucius Institutes' content-based development to enhance the effects of cultural outputs in increasing exports, boosting China's soft power.

Soft Power and National Identity in Chinese International Promotion

Rather that cultural hegemony,soft power,as a part and parcel of comprehensive national power,has been paid more and more attention by China so as to get more discourse right and power in international diplomatic relationships to foster a peaceful external environment.This paper focuses on why China highlights soft power,how China strengthens it soft power through Chinese international promotion,and what is role Chinese international promotion has paid.

Research on the Investment Effect of Chinese Cultural “Going Out” —Empirical Evidence from the Countries along the “Belt and Road”

This paper is based on 2006-2017 relevant data of 56 countries along the “Belt and Road” to find out the investment effect of cultural “going out”. The empirical results show that: cultural “going out” has a significant promotion effect on China’s foreign direct investment;this effect has national heterogeneity, which is more effective for emerging markets and developing countries;for some traditional influence factors, such as traditional GDP per capita and time for diplomatic relations, cultural “going out” has a substitution effect. Finally, according to the empirical results, put forward targeted suggestions.

A Comparative Study of Humanistic Exchange and Cooperation between China and Southeast Asian in the Perspective of "the Belt and Road" Initiative

In the exchanges between different countries,apart from enhancing political mutual trust and strengthening pragmatic cooperation,it is of great importance to forging humanistic exchange.With a long history of exchanges between China and all the countries in South-east Asia,the humanistic exchange between China and South-east Asia has been continuing since the founding of the People's Republic of China.After the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations,the strategic position of humanistic exchange has been rapidly improved.By means of the case study of Confucius Institute,sister cities,and tourism cooperation,the author has found that humanistic exchange between China and South-east Asia has enjoyed a long history and embodied profound and extensive meaning.It is the ancient Maritime Silk Road that helped to form the exchanges between China and South-east Asia.In the meantime,it is the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road that has deepened this friendship.The successful experience of humanistic exchange and cooperation between China and South-east Asia has not only consolidated the China-ASEAN strategic partnership but also provided a conducive reference for people-to-people ties in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.In addition,it has added dynamics and confidence to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind which is propelled by China's humanistic diplomacy.

U.S.’ Recognition, Evaluation of China-U.S. Educational Cooperation and Its Enlightenment to China--Analysis Based on the Survey Reports by U.S.’Policy Elites

Educational cooperation is one of the key factors to embody humanistic exchanges and promote the development of international relations.Through the analysis of four survey reports on China-U.S.educational cooperation,it is found that American policy elites generally attach importance to the distribution of power,the application of law,mutual benefit between the two countries in educational cooperation,and pay attention to the potential motivation and influence of China.China should rationally refer to the views and suggestions,strengthen the effectiveness of dialogue mechanism,enhance the credibility of international discourse,and at the same time encourage the negotiation and governance among cooperative universities,so as to promote the stable and sustainable development of education cooperation.