Teaching Chinese...

[yorkie_bear]

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help here... I am wondering how good your Chinese has to be (as a non-native speaker) before you can teach beginners? Is there an equivalent qualification or course as the TEFL?

if anyone has any related info, I'd be very interested. Thanks.

[roddy]

There's no set global standard, and if you are in the right place at the right time then I'm sure even intermediate level Chinese could see you considered competent (or perhaps just the least incompetent) to teach elementary Chinese. Here's a few links which will help with research - if you come up with anything more detailed, please let us know.

There is a qualification administered in China by the 汉办 - 国家对外汉语教学领导小组办公室, but I'm not sure what the minimum Chinese level required is, if any. A look around the site might help, or you might try the 第二语言教学与习得研究 forums on the 北大中文论坛, which is frequented by Chinese language teachers, and is a fantastic place to learn about how inefficent, incompetent, and generally dastardly the 汉办 is.

The SOAS in London has a Certificate in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCAFL) for which they require an HSK Advanced certificate.

In the US there's the Chinese Language Teachers Association, who may be able to offer advice.

Hope that's useful

Roddy

[yorkie_bear]

Roddy

many many thanks

I'll take a look