The international situation of Chinese language learning has changed a lot. Some experts in education field have raised the suggestion of establishing a Mandarin language program in the worldwide. Its basic goal is to better start the theory research and resource establishment ; better research and solve all kinds of problems met in the domestic and overseas Chinese teaching theory and practice in order to search for the law of Chinese teaching in both China and abroad; better improve the international influence, academic influence and discipline position of Chinese teaching; better adapt to, support and promote Chinese teaching to develop sustainably and internationalize.
The reason why we must establish the Mandarin language program is because there are more and more people choose to learn Mandarin in China; the range, levels and demands increase as the enlarging population of learning Mandarin both at home and abroad; the overseas Mandarin language program has been and will continue being wide in range, multi-choice in target, socialized and normalized.
As for this situation and tendency, we must take example by the transmission experience of international popular language, make conclusion for the domestic and overseas Chinese teaching theory and practice, combine the new change of Chinese learners, study needs with the establishment and completion of Mandarin language program so that we can provide theory supports and rich teaching resources for the smooth and deep development of domestic and overseas Chinese teaching practice.
The nowadays Chinese study has been different from the needs of major and the needs of academic research only for certain universities and a few students in the past. More and more overseas students learn Mandarin in China or abroad for the practical demands from jobs and increasing more opportunities and competitive ability; and the Mandarin language program has not been only limited to elites in university, but open to more and more overseas primary and middle school students; what’s more, despite of students on campus, people from every fields, like economic, trade, finance, business, diplomacy, culture or military are having Mandarin language program.
In addition to this, more people choose to have Mandarin language program only to satisfy their interest or hobby. Such important changes have completely indicated that Chinese language is not only speeding up to walk into the five continents, but also the group range of Chinese learners is being enlarged, the needs for Mandarin language program are being diversified. Chinese teaching has professional type and academic type, despite of practical type and public type. It has great development potential, especially for the practical and public types.
The expansion of overseas learning levels can be proved by a piece of news announced by the website of Chinese National Hanban on 6th, October, 2008: “so far, Mandarin language program has been penetrated in every level of Germany, including elementary education, university education and adult education. According to incomplete statistics, 18 universities in Germany have set up Chinese department; more than 50 colleges have set up Chinese major or Chinese studies major; Chinese language courses have been quite prevailing in German universities; about 200 middle schools have set up Chinese courses as formal courses; more than 140 spare-time universities for adults have also set up all kinds of Chinese classes for people who are interested in Mandarin language program to select.”
It is thus clear that overseas Chinese teaching has transformed from the academic and explorative demands for a few elites into practical, social, civilian and diversified demands. Therefore, education talents at home or abroad should reform their conceptions, expand views to respond for this kind of changes in the position of discipline and guide and promote this kind of changes with the scientific research achievement so that the internationalization of Chinese language can be transformed into the internationalization of discipline establishment. Actually, this is not only the urgent affairs for domestic or overseas academic fields and governments, but also a development strategy for international Chinese teaching.