Research On Non-Formal Chinese Language Teaching Institutes In Cambodia

The strong relations between China and Cambodia together with Chinese investors’ active participation in Cambodia’s economic activities have created a huge demand for Chinese-speaking human resource in Cambodia,resulting in a booming Chinese language teaching industry in the country.Due to the constrains such as limitation in scale and slow decision-making process of mainstream Chinese language teaching institutes such as Chinese schools for Chinese descendants,Confucius Institutes and Language Centres co-founded by Chinese and Cambodian tertiary education institutes,the unmet needs for Chinese language learning are fulfilled by nonformal Chinese language teaching institutes in private sector.Non-formal Chinese language teaching institutes has four characteristics: nondegree,no official background,part-time,and teaching Chinese as a foreign language or a second language.The common forms of non-formal formal Chinese language teaching institutes in Cambodia include language schools,extra language classes in international schools,technical schools and religious preaching point.This research investigates non-formal Chinese language teaching institutes in four cities and towns including Phnom Penh,Siem Reap,Poipet,and a small town in Kampong Speu Province of Cambodia.The researcher interviewed with the heads of the Chinese teaching departments of the subject institutes in order to depict the institutes’ general situation,teaching staff management,teaching materials’ selection,students’ situation,partnership and the institutes’ current situation,prospects and challenges.The researcher will analyse their current situations,problems and challenges based on the information collected above.At present,since non-formal Chinese language teaching institutes are easy to open,wide-area distributed,adapt practical teaching concept,and can initiate Chinese teaching activities on the foundation of existing educational institutions,they demonstrate an exceptionally good development in Chinese language teaching industry in Cambodia,and help the nation cultivate Chinese speaking human resource.Nonetheless,the institutes are facing problems of lacking of high quality teachers and teaching materials,flawed management system,and unrecognized certificates of study completion.To solve the problems mentioned above,it is suggested that the institutes shall undergo self-initiated internal reforms and seek for external supportive resources.Internal reforms to be made include providing currently employed Chinese teachers with opportunity of professional development,standardising teaching staff recruitment requirements,designating the person responsible for managing Chinese department,and establishing relevancy between courses with Chinese proficiency examinations.In term of seeking for external supportive resources,the institutes shall establish good relationship with regional Chinese teacher training institutes,cooperate with Chinese proficiency examination test centres,establish a Chinese teaching quality certification mechanism,and seek for support from Chinese resources.