Innovating Standards, Guiding the Future: A Book Review of the “International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education”

บทคัดย่อ

The Curriculum Outline, also known as the Teaching Syllabus, is a fundamental document guiding both instruction and learning. It serves as a key reference and standard for curriculum planning, selection of teaching content and methods, assessment of teaching quality, and the development of educational resources. In 2024, China's Ministry of Education's Center for Language Education and Cooperation officially released the latest version of the "International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education" in response to the rapidly expanding global reach of Chinese language instruction and the growing need for standardized curricula in various countries. It is divided into parts for elementary and secondary education as well as colleges and universities. This curriculum acts as a comprehensive structure for teaching Chinese to non-native speakers.

The ICCLE is composed of three main parts: the main text, appendices, and supporting resources. The main text constitutes the core of the Outline, offering detailed descriptions of curricular objectives, content, and assessment methods for Chinese language instruction. The appendices include sample integrated teaching models, examples of common assessment forms, and sample test items. The resource section, published as a separate volume, includes references such as an introduction to modern Chinese linguistics, syllable charts, and categorized vocabulary lists that align with the "Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education." It also features directories of various instructional resources. These materials provide rich content references for teaching practices and professional development.

The ICCLE represents a continuation, development, and innovation of previous versions of the “International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education”, released respectively by Hanban in 2008 and by the Confucius Institute/Hanban in 2014. It is the first national-level curriculum guideline in the field of international Chinese language education that directly targets learners across different age groups and educational stages. The ICCLE is set to play a significant guiding and regulatory role in Chinese language education at all levels on a global scale. Its publication represents a major advancement in refining and systematizing the international framework for Chinese language education, marking a milestone in this field.