Camp trains Sri Lanka's Mandarin teachers

Training camps for Chinese language teachers in Sri Lanka will not only inject strong cultural impetus into the teaching community and consolidate the cultural foundation of Chinese education, but will also help build a solid bridge for China-Sri Lanka cultural exchange, officials and diplomats said.

They added that the program can open a new chapter for people-to-people exchanges and educational cooperation between the two nations.

To enhance the understanding and knowledge of Chinese culture among local Mandarin teachers in Sri Lanka, increase the proportion of cultural content in language teaching, and deepen Sri Lankan students' cultural identity with China through language learning, a Chinese Language Teacher Cultural Training Camp was organized this week in the South Asian island nation.

Madhura Senevirathna, deputy minister of education and higher education in Sri Lanka, lauded continued partnership in strengthening educational and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

"This initiative, designed specifically for 125 local Chinese language teachers, comes at a crucial time. As the Ministry of Education advances its agenda of modernizing the curriculum, improving teacher development, and broadening global engagement, we recognize that high-quality language education plays a key role in preparing our students for the world beyond our borders," Senevirathna said.

He noted that Chinese language learning, in particular, opens doors to new academic, cultural, and economic opportunities.

Sri Lanka and China share a long history of friendship, mutual respect, and cooperation, the deputy minister said. So this represents yet another step in deepening those ties, not merely through state-to-state engagement, but through people-to-people understanding.

The integration of pedagogical training with cultural exposure, ranging from classroom methodology to tai chi workshops, enriches the local teachers with a broader appreciation of Chinese culture, enabling them to bring that richness into their classrooms and to their students, Senevirathna added.

Counselor of cultural affairs at the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka, Ji Lili, said that Sri Lanka is a sincere friend and an important partner of China.

People-to-people exchanges between the two sides have continued to flourish, and Chinese language education has developed rapidly across the country, she added.

"The growing team of local Chinese language teachers has become a solid bridge enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between our two peoples, and has opened a wider window of opportunity for the Sri Lankan youth," she said. "Indeed, Chinese language teachers are not only transmitters of language, but also ambassadors of culture and messengers of friendship."

Through thematic lectures, practical workshops and immersive cultural activities, the training camp program aims to work hand in hand with all local teachers to explore the richness and diversity of Chinese culture, she said.

Hosted by the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka and jointly organized by the Lumbini Confucius Classroom and the National Institute of Education of Sri Lanka, the two-day camp was held from Thursday to Friday.

The event, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, brought together more than 120 Chinese language teachers from across the island. A similar camp next year is planned to hold more intensive training sessions, aiming to cover local Chinese language teachers from all schools across Sri Lanka.

Outstanding participants of the culture camps will have the opportunity to travel to China for a two-week Chinese culture training program.

A Sri Lankan 12th-grade teacher, H.G.T.K. Wijethilaka, from Ananda Maithreya National School in Balangoda town, said she had a rare chance to learn not only about aspects of Chinese culture, such as calligraphy, but also the learning methods behind them.

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com