A Study Of Confucius Institutes' Overseas Cultural Spreading

With the rapid development of China's economy and the gradual enhancement of the international status, there is a fervor rising in learning Chinese. At present, the construction of soft power becomes one of the important tasks. It is under such circumstance that Confucius Institute emerges as required. As a real sense of the first Chinese international promotion agency, the effect of Confucius Institute transmittings Chinese culture overseas influences the structure of Chinese cultural image.This article, from the perspective of communication, analyzed the characteristic of the cultural transmission of the Confucius Institute. The article takes the Confucius Institute in Madagascar as an example to analyze other variables that would influence the effect of overseas transmission. On the basis of the research of the Confucius Institute in Madagascar with the theory of the Lasswell 5W pattern(who, says what, in which channel, to whom and with what effect), The article analyzed and studied transmitting environment, transmitter, audience, transmitting media and transmitting effect. The conclusion we draw from the study is that during the overseas transmission, all the transmitting elements are presented as dynamic. In the Confucius Institute at Antananarivo University, great transmitting effect is made possible by open transmitting environment, various-leveled audience, language and culture-combined transmitting content and influential transmitter. On the other hand, because of the influence imposed on transmitting effect by transmitting environment, the development of the Confucius Institute in Madagascar---located in a developing country---is restricted by the economic conditions there; different abilities of the transmitters to adapt to foreign cultures and cultural transmission psychology also play an important role in the Chinese culture transmitting effect.This article by the analysis of the study, puts forward the transmitting strategy that developing countries and developed should be treated differently by the Confucius Institute. As to the developing countries, it is of necessity to verify the ways to run schools, improve the scholarship system so as to provide the local Confucius Institute with more financial support. It is also important that the loyalty of the cooperation of the local Chinese be boosted. The shortages in transmitting methods caused by different cultural backgrounds should be improved by strengthening the transmitters'cultural adaptation. As regards to the transmitting content, the Confucius Institute must propel the spread the spiritual culture with the material culture placed at a dominant place. Meanwhile, the cultivation of the local leader should be enhanced and the intermediary functions of the new media be highlighted.