Leading Language Experts Visit Bangor

Experts from around the world visited Bangor last week to share their experience and to explain how foreign languages ​​could be taught successfully. 

This was the second time for the Confucius Institute of Bangor University to organise a conference such as this, attracting over 70 delegates from Britain, France, Russia and Romania to Bangor. Its aim was to share research experiences, share good practice in the teaching of modern languages, and to stimulate debate and discuss ideas on how modern foreign languages could be taught successfully. 20 Universities were represented at the two-day conference which included 22 different speeches by a variety of experts. Topics included different and unusual aspects of teaching Chinese as a second language, methods of teaching modern languages ​​in India, learning Chinese as a second language in business, learning Chinese for the purposes of translating legal documents, together with how Chinese is taught within the curriculum in Wales.

On behalf of the organizers, Lina Davitt, Director of Bangor University's Confucius Institute, said,

“Building on the success of our first conference last year, our aim at this year's conference was to explore the range of teaching practices in schools and universities and to discover new practices that could contribute to teaching excellence as well as improving the pupil’s experience. Our hope now is that delegates will take what they have learned in Bangor back to their own schools and universities and use their new knowledge when sharing ideas with their colleagues and students.”

Prof Joël Bellassen, the President of the European Association of Chinese Teaching and a key note speaker at the Conference said,

“Small academic conferences are often the most rewarding ones. The  themes of the academic papers this year were of great pedagogical, original and factual relevance and the quality of discussions and the responsiveness of the audience also testified to the high level of this conference. The delegates received the most attentive and warmest welcome by Dr Lina Davitt and it was an honour to participate in such a special event at the heart of the magical landscape of north Wales. 

Bangor University’s Confucius Institute is a multi-disciplinary central Institute of Bangor University that aims to provide the people of north Wales with the opportunity to experience and learn more about Chinese culture and language. For further details, visit here.

Publication date: 11 June 2019