Sharing of Ba Academy 2024 Spring Festival Lantern Festival Gala

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called the night "xiao", so the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is called the Lantern Festival.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the first full-moon night of the year. It is also the night when a new year begins and the earth returns to spring. People celebrate this night, which is also a continuation of the celebration of the New Year.

The teachers, students and parents behind the scenes of Ba Academy have prepared for more than a month and presented a wonderful performance for our Lantern Festival Gala. Each class performed poetry singing, poetry recitation, and dance. The Chinese movie "The Legend of Dragons: The Great Adventure of Lantern Festival" of Ba Academy's Lego stop-motion animation workshop premiered, which was well received by parents and children. There was also a professional Guzheng performance. Young performer Teacher Lu presented a wonderful piece: Heroic Sisters of the Prairie. After the performance, the children on the scene also developed a strong interest in Guzheng. Teacher Lu patiently explained to the children, and the climax of the performance was a jubilant lion dance. After the performance, there were workshops for handicrafts, chess and calligraphy waiting for the children, and the steaming kitchen cooked the delicious Yuanxiao that the parents worked together to make.

The party of Ba Academy was wonderful and exciting. This feast was not only a festival party for Chinese and foreign families, but also a powerful promotion of Chinese culture. We look forward to more friends joining the big family of Ba Academy.

Gf:Yanjie Mei

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

February 28, 2024

Ba Academy Teacher Training Sharing Relay-2023 "Chinese Education · Chinese Teachers" Workshop

Since its establishment more than 6 years ago, Ba Academy has always upheld a rigorous attitude towards academic research, committed to improving the level of Chinese teaching in our school and providing teachers with learning opportunities and platforms. In December 2023, as a director and teacher of Ba Academy in Munich, I returned to China to participate in the "Chinese Education and Chinese Teachers" workshop hosted by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and organized by Huaqiao University.

In order to enable overseas Chinese teachers to understand the latest developments in overseas Chinese education, learn more advanced Chinese teaching methods and techniques, master modern information technology and Chinese education and teaching practices, effectively improve the level of Chinese teaching and the ability to spread Chinese culture, and further promote the development of overseas Chinese education, Huaqiao University coordinates high-quality educational resources inside and outside the school, specially invites 23 experts and scholars, carefully formulates course content, and works with Chinese educators from all over the world to inherit Chinese culture, innovate Chinese education, and share a better future.

After heavy snow in Beijing and various flight cancellations and delays, I finally arrived in Xiamen, the island of Lu, at three in the morning. I thought there would be no airport pick-up, but I saw the pick-up sign of the Chinese Language Education Workshop of Huaqiao University. The fatigue from the journey was swept away by the warm gesture of the school. This workshop brings together Chinese teachers from 26 countries. After the opening ceremony, I learned that I was not only the only representative teacher of the Ba Academy, but also the only one in Munich. There were only 4 teachers participating in the whole of Germany🇩🇪, and I felt that the promotion of Chinese and the training of Chinese teachers in Germany have a long way to go. Before the epidemic, our Ba Academy had teachers who participated in the Chinese Teachers Workshop held by Jinan University. You can refer to previous articles.

Teacher training sharing at Ba Academy - Global Chinese Teachers Workshop

The teachers who participated in the workshop came from all over the world, mostly from developed countries such as Australia and Singapore. Because it was summer vacation in Australia, a group of children who participated in the "Roots Tour" came to Xiamen at the same time as the teachers of the Chinese school, paired up with local children, learned Chinese, and experienced the local customs, the culture of the hometown, and the scenery of the Lu Island. These teachers and children brought us the warm Australian sunshine.

In addition to the course, I learned about some local school-running models from teachers in other countries. For example, the teachers from Nagoya, Japan, said that they were not affiliated with a Chinese school. There was a Chinese teacher's association in Nagoya. Students could choose a private school that was suitable for them or close to home or interested in Chinese through the association. This teaching model that was adapted to local conditions and guaranteed for both teachers and students also broadened my horizons. A young teacher from Russia is still studying Chinese in China. Although her vocabulary is not large, her pronunciation is very standard. Her dream is to open a Chinese school in her hometown in Russia. I believe she will be able to realize this wish. There were also two young teachers from southern Myanmar that left a deep impression on me. The female teacher would wear Myanmar ethnic minority costumes whenever she went out for study tours, which was very grand to show her importance of this learning opportunity and respect for the friendship between the two countries. The male teacher told me that although southern Myanmar is relatively safe, there will be power outages and curfews at 7 o'clock every night. The students in his school are very willing to learn Chinese, but unfortunately the conditions are difficult and the teacher resources are very scarce. He only studied Chinese for three years but his level has reached the level to be a Chinese teacher. The hard work and effort he put in is truly admirable.

The two-week course schedule is very full, from 8 am to 8 pm, the learning efficiency is high and the intensity is high, of course the quality is also very high, there is no red tape and bureaucracy at all, our country is developing fast and well, from this we can see the whole picture. The courses I personally cherish are the Chinese written language teaching by Professor Ma Zhen and Professor Lu Jianming, two old professors of Peking University in their 80s. The two teachers insisted on coming to class after the heavy snow in Beijing and the flight cancellations. I will give a brief outline of the two-week course here, and sincerely hope that our teachers can participate in the Chinese language workshops in China if they have the time and energy.

In the course of Chinese language teaching from the perspective of psychological analysis, Associate Professor Li Xin talked about the fact that words are symbols in psychology. In the psychological analysis of foreign language phonetics teaching, it is consistent with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, color, sound, smell, taste, touch and law. Learning any language always starts with learning pronunciation. Combined with specific teaching, it is better to give children homework, and reading homework is better. This also confirms the form of after-school homework in our Ba School. From the nursery rhymes in the Ba Tong class to the nine-day song in the preschool class, to the recitation of ancient poems in the junior class, our homework has never been boring writing.

In Professor Xu Hua's course "The Soft Power of Culture in Chinese Characters", he said that Chinese characters, as the only ideographic writing system in the world, adhere to the ideographic system and how to form a system. Chinese characters are the basic elements of Chinese culture. Culture is invisible, but Chinese characters are tangible. We Chinese teachers can make Chinese characters come alive, connect the spiritual veins of 5,000 years, and become a bridge for communication between different cultures.

Associate Professor Wang Huazhen gave a lecture on the international Chinese teaching format in the era of artificial intelligence, and Teacher Miao Xi gave us a detailed explanation of the efficient and personalized teaching plan study examples in the era of artificial intelligence.

In the hometown of overseas Chinese, how can we not know the historical origins of overseas Chinese’s participation in the “Belt and Road Initiative”? Associate Researcher Zhu Guangxing’s course covers history, reality and prospects, allowing us to deeply understand the concept of harmony in diversity and sharing beauty.

The course that is very practical for teachers and very inspiring to me is the application of the theme-based teaching method taught by Associate Professor Liu Tian in overseas Chinese schools. It uses case studies to experience and combine theory with practice to achieve professional development of teachers. The theme-based teaching method taught by Associate Professor Liu, which is not based on textbooks, coincides with the concept and method of the project-based bridging class opened by our Ba Academy this year. This gives us greater confidence and affirmation, indicating that the concept of our school is ahead of the times and is worth promoting. (See article)

Let Chinese children growing up in Germany fall in love with Chinese

The 14-day course was full of tension and relaxation. The group discussion topic on the last day was: How to promote the integration and development of "Chinese education " in the new era. Our group discussed the five directions of Chinese education in the new era, namely Chinese culture communication, vocational majors, general education, information technology (artificial intelligence), industry (school-enterprise cooperation), and cultivate Chinese language and cultural talents and cultivate morality according to local needs.

As mentioned above, the course is well-paced. The "relaxation" here is reflected in several cultural trips. We came to the ancient city of the Maritime Silk Road and experienced Chinese culture immersively. It also gave us overseas Chinese teachers a basis for spreading Chinese culture. In Zhangzhou Guqin Village, we wore Hanfu to learn Chinese dance, and took a Guqin performance experience class. Finally, we successfully played the Guqin piece "Climbing the Stork Tower". We realized that the Guqin and ancient poetry can complement each other so well. The teacher's temperament is elegant and peaceful, and the Chinese classical musical instrument seems to have the effect of cleansing the soul.

We visited Chuangnei Primary School in Jimei District and were impressed by the versatility of the primary school students. Our visit gave them an extra handicraft class, and the children must have been very happy. I also received a handmade flower from a classmate, which was very touching.

The itinerary not only covered museums, intangible cultural heritage museums, Kaiyuan Temple and other places of interest, but also left a deep impression on the kindergarten affiliated to Quanzhou Preschool Teachers College. Not only is the hardware facilities here excellent, but physical education is also a feature. We were fortunate to experience a lively and interesting sports competition course with the children. In the school history museum, I saw old photos of this school decades ago. There were only a few shabby thatched houses and it had been out of school for 10 years. I was not only distressed, but this school is just like a microcosm of education in our country. It has undergone earth-shaking changes and finally has what it is today. It also inspires us to stay true to our original aspirations and persevere.

Postscript: The above are my gains and insights from participating in the workshop. After completing the course, I received the "Chinese Teacher Certificate" issued by Huaqiao University. This is not only an affirmation of me personally, but also a boost to the teaching strength of our Ba School.



Gf:Yanjie Mei

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

January 25, 2024

Chinese New Year 2024 Welcome to Ba Academy

Munich Bahnhof 2024 brochure

Let Chinese children growing up in Germany fall in love with Chinese

It is common to let children learn Chinese in China, but it is a stressful and challenging task for overseas Chinese parents. These children who grew up in Germany use German in their daily lives, and Chinese is often their second, third or fourth language. Compared with other European languages, Chinese is more difficult to learn. It takes skill and patience to get seven or eight-year-old children to take time out of their spare time to learn Chinese.

Founded by Principal Mei Zi in 2017, Ba Academy is a non-profit organization. The Chinese courses here are centered on children's personality and needs, and incorporate interesting guidance and teaching. In a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, children not only learn Chinese, but also enjoy a learning experience full of exploration and fun. Children from different families have different goals and needs for learning Chinese, and the progress of Chinese learning will also vary from person to person. For school-age children, their cognitive level has developed to a higher stage, and even if they are just starting to learn Chinese, they need a deeper understanding of the language. Putting them in the same class as three or four-year-old children and learning basic Chinese in the same way often discourages children's enthusiasm for learning.

This year, in order to meet the individual needs of the children, after communicating with the parents, Principal Mei decided to open a new class format - the bridging class - based on the original curriculum of the Ba School (Ba children's class, preschool class, junior class, and senior class). This class is mainly for children who are older and have a corresponding cognitive level, but started learning Chinese late and have insufficient literacy, so they cannot join the junior class. The bridging class is taught by Teacher Deng Qiaowen. Teacher Deng, who has a background in child psychology, also sees the necessity of the bridging class and takes on the design and teaching of the classroom content. The class strives to present the basic language content in a way that meets the children's higher cognitive level, so that each child can receive a teaching method that suits them and learn Chinese in a happy atmosphere.

There are three students in the first phase of the bridging class, aged about 8, from Chinese-Chinese families, Chinese-foreign families and overseas Chinese families. Although there are only three students, Principal Mei still insisted on opening the class. Regardless of the size of the class, the school always puts the needs of the children first. Every child is a unique individual who deserves to be understood and paid attention to, and deserves personalized support and care in the journey of learning Chinese so that they can thrive. At present, the bridging class has been in operation for about three months, and the three children's interest in learning Chinese has been continuously stimulated, and their Chinese proficiency has also improved to varying degrees.

On behalf of Principal Mei, I interviewed three parents and teachers of the bridging class separately, and asked them to talk about their feelings and expectations about this class based on their family situations and teaching experience.

1. Difficulties in Learning Chinese

Q: Thank you very much for taking the time to be interviewed. Did your children encounter any difficulties in learning Chinese in Germany?

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Ms. Jiang: My child is in the second grade this year. He usually has other activities after school, so he has little time to learn Chinese. He grew up here and usually speaks German. Chinese is a difficult language for him. We are also very busy and have to work, so we can't spare time to help our child learn Chinese. We parents are also under pressure when it comes to his Chinese learning.

Ms. Yang: The biggest difficulty is the lack of language environment, especially for a foreign marriage like mine, where the spouse is not Chinese. I communicate with my husband in German at home. When the child was young, we would speak Chinese to him at home. But after the child went to kindergarten, we began to speak more in German, and our communication in Chinese became less and less. They can communicate in German in their daily life. So I think the language environment is the biggest obstacle for children to learn Chinese.

Ms. Lu: My husband and I moved to Germany from Singapore in 2012, and our child was born in 2017. We live in Germany now, and he must first master the language here. We sent him to a bilingual kindergarten so that he can understand German and English. Chinese is his third language, and he was exposed to it relatively late. It is difficult for him to express some basic things in Chinese, such as counting from 1 to 10. He first learned to express it in German and English, but not in Chinese. We speak English or German at home most of the time, and we have to deliberately look for it even when listening to Chinese music or watching Chinese TV series. Therefore, the language environment is a dilemma. It is difficult to find a Chinese-speaking environment in Germany.

2. Impression of Ba School

Q: How did you learn about Ba School and why did you send your children here to learn Chinese?

Ms. Jiang: I have known Principal Mei for a long time. I trust them and their philosophy of running a school, so I wanted to send my child to learn Chinese. We were initially in the Ba Tong class, and the content there was too simple for my son, but the content in the preschool class was too difficult. Principal Mei opened this bridging class based on our child's situation, which is more targeted and will not put too much pressure on the child.

Ms. Yang: I compared several Chinese schools. A friend introduced Ba School to me, and I visited its website with a try-it attitude. The content of the website attracted me very much. I tried to call Principal Mei Zi, and she was very enthusiastic and patient in explaining the school to us. It happened to be the school's open day, so we went to a trial class. The class was very good, and I could feel the relaxed learning atmosphere. The teachers combined teaching with entertainment, combining language and culture. So, I decided to let my child try it.

At first, he was in the Ba Tong class. Principal Mei saw that each child had different foundations and different levels of acceptance, so she discussed with Teacher Deng and opened this bridging class. Teacher Deng told me that the child was older and mentally mature to a certain extent. If his Chinese foundation could not catch up with the children in the kindergarten class, it would not only fail to promote his Chinese learning, but also make him afraid of learning Chinese. We, as parents, did not see this problem and just thought that it was enough for him to have a language environment to learn Chinese. However, the school carefully observed this problem and thought about protecting their self-esteem and improving their enthusiasm for learning.

After the school proposed the bridging class, it solicited the opinions of parents. I was very willing to join and felt that this was a valuable opportunity. After we took a few classes in the normal class, we transferred to this bridging class.

Ms. Lu: After the child was four or five years old, we would bring him back to Singapore every year. His grandparents mostly spoke only Chinese, and later he himself proposed to learn Chinese. After he started primary school, we searched for Chinese schools on Google according to his idea, and accidentally found Ba School. I felt that Principal Mei’s school philosophy was consistent with ours, so I wrote an email to Principal Mei, and she said that we could join a class to see if it was suitable.

He first attended the Ba Tong class, where the children were basically 3-4 years old. He had a lot of feelings on the first day, thinking that he was too old, but he still couldn't understand what the children were saying to him. We encouraged him that people of all ages can learn from each other, so he was willing to continue learning. Later, when he came to this bridging class, his interest in learning became even higher.

Q: What is your impression of Ba Gakuen?

Ms. Jiang: I agree with Principal Mei's educational philosophy. They respect children's ideas and will not impose adults' ideas on them. They will design different teaching methods according to the different situations of children.

Ms. Yang: I think Principal Mei is a very caring person, and she is very warm to every student. As the principal, she can remember every child's name, and she personally handles many things and personally replies to so many messages in the class group. I can feel that she is not doing this for the school's performance or publicity, but she really loves education.

Ms. Lu: To put it in English, she is very passionate, caring, and very concerned about the children's learning. I really like her educational philosophy of letting children get in touch with the language through interest training. My experience of learning Chinese in Singapore was not good at first. Many things required rote memorization, which I was quite resistant to. But now my child is looking forward to class, and you can see that he is learning the language happily. I am very grateful to Ba Academy for creating such a happy learning atmosphere. This is not an opportunity that every child can get.

Q: In your opinion, is Ba School more like a school or a community?

Ms. Jiang: Both. It is not as tense as the school atmosphere. It is like a family, which allows children to learn in a relaxed atmosphere. I personally think that children should not be allowed to learn in a too strict environment. They have some resistance to Chinese. If it is too strict, they will feel pressured and don't want to learn.

Ms. Yang: I think Ba Academy is very much like a community. I studied in China until I was in my 20s. In my impression, schools are rigid and stressful places. I don’t feel that at Ba Academy. Ba Academy is more like a warm big family.

Ms. Lu: I feel that Ba Academy is both a school and a community. It organizes many activities and different families can get to know each other.

3. Bridging Course Experience

Q: What do you think of the bridging class?

Ms. Jiang: The atmosphere in the bridging class is very good. The content of each class is just right, and they can learn something every time. The content is very well controlled. If the content is too little, the children will not learn anything; if the content is too much, they will feel pressured and will reject the content. This also makes it convenient for parents to provide tutoring after class.

Ms. Yang: Teacher Deng is very dedicated in teaching. She always designs the teaching content carefully. After each class, she posts the content and homework in the group, and it is very targeted. She has a central theme for each class, and some content will extend under the theme. Every homework is related to this theme. She does not simply teach pronunciation and writing, but tells the children the meaning and connection of these languages and words, and explains to the children what the purpose of this class is.

We communicated a lot with Teacher Deng. She is really an educator. She always encouraged the children and wrote about the children's strengths in the class group. I think the children must not do well every time, but Teacher Deng can see the children's progress and encourage them. We are also very pleased.

Ms. Lu: The course is very targeted. The content taught every week is the topic that the children are interested in. It is also the content that they will be exposed to in primary school, so it is easier to understand. After class, Teacher Deng will give targeted feedback to each child. I am very grateful that Teacher Deng can pay attention to each child. For example, she will tell us that we can practice more in pronunciation, so that we parents also know how to help him with his homework at home and help him improve in a targeted manner.

Q: Since the bridging class started, have you seen any changes in your child’s Chinese learning?

Ms. Jiang: Last year, he was in the Ba Tong class, and his listening skills were gradually improving, but he spoke less. After switching to the bridging class this year, the most obvious change was that he was willing to speak. He could answer some questions in Chinese and could say some Chinese words.

Although we are a Chinese family, our children speak German at home. Before, when he asked me questions, I answered in Chinese but he didn't understand, so I had to explain it again in German. This situation has improved a lot this year.

And I can feel that he likes learning Chinese now. It snowed heavily last Saturday, and it took us an hour to walk to school, which was supposed to take 20 minutes. Many roads were blocked, but he was still very happy. It can be seen that he really likes going to Chinese school.

Ms. Yang: I can clearly see the progress of my child. I never thought that my son could speak Chinese numbers from 1 to 100 so fluently. I saw that Teacher Deng’s teaching content and homework did not use rote memorization to make the child remember, but inspired the child through relevance, allowing him to think for himself and then organize his language to express.

We also learn with him at home. For example, he learned the word "fire" today. Fire is red. Teacher Deng has many pictures on his computer. The word "fire" looks like a flame. We also light candles at home to let the child see the color of fire, and then ask him to find similar colors. This way he will have a deep impression. For example, the word "male" has a "field" on top and a "force" on the bottom, which means a strong person working in the field. By talking to him like this, he can understand the meaning behind the word, and then he will become interested in learning Chinese. He didn't speak a complete Chinese sentence before, but now he can introduce himself in Chinese. I think this progress is still very obvious. He will also write his own name for his older brothers and sisters, and tell them what "fire" means and why it is written like this. Although his older brothers and sisters are better at speaking than him, they can't write. He thinks he is very good because he can write.

For an 8-year-old boy, he would rather give up the football game on Saturday and go to this Chinese class. The child has an interest in learning Chinese, which is really the result of the school.

Ms. Lu: He is now willing to use Chinese. Before, when he was chatting with his grandparents, they asked him questions in Chinese and he could understand them but answered in English. Now he is willing to speak Chinese. If he sees other friends speaking Chinese, he will also take the initiative to chat with them in Chinese. I think this is his confidence in the language. He is more confident when speaking Chinese.

We also downloaded some Chinese game apps, and his father would do his homework with him. It was really great to see his great progress, and we were all very happy.

IV. Future Prospects

Q: Finally, I would like to ask you to talk about your expectations for the bridging class and the future of Ba School.

Ms. Jiang: I think Ba Academy has done a great job. I am quite busy with work, and I hope to have the opportunity to participate in other activities organized by Ba Academy in the future. I hope my child will not forget his mother tongue. Although I don’t require him to master Chinese as fluently as we do, he should at least understand and be able to hear and read these words.

Ms. Yang: I hope that more and more people will know about Ba School. It is a unique Chinese school where children can learn a lot of cultural things and be exposed to the classic part of Chinese tradition.

I also hope that Teacher Deng can have the patience and energy to continue running this transition class, and that the children can continue to move forward with Teacher Deng and Principal Mei Zi. For us, what is important is not how many new words the children have mastered, or how many ancient poems or nursery rhymes they have memorized, but that the children can experience the beauty of Chinese culture easily and happily. When he grows up a little bit, I can hear him say that he wants to visit his mother's country because he has learned so many beautiful things. In such an environment, he can have a sense of cultural identity, or a desire to identify with it. I think this is the most successful part of this school, and it is also our expectation.

Ms. Lu: We hope that he can listen, read and write more, and lay a good foundation in Chinese. Although we are overseas Chinese, we also hope that Chinese can become a part of his life. I have discussed with several other mothers that we will organize some family activities in the new year as an extension of the class, such as letting the three children watch Chinese TV series together, or study and play together.

I know some German families whose parents have lived in Asia for a while. Their children are German but can speak Chinese. After returning to Germany, these families hope that their children can continue to learn the language. I think Baxueyuan can also help these families and give their children the opportunity to learn Chinese. These German families may not necessarily use WeChat, so Baxueyuan's event information may also be published on other platforms.

I think it is very good that the Ba School organizes cultural activities such as visiting museums and art galleries. In addition to these activities, can we also organize some activities related to Chinese culture, such as visiting exhibitions of Chinese paintings, which can attract some Germans who are interested in Chinese culture and let the children understand that art is international and China also has a good art culture.

After listening to parents' opinions on the bridging class, I interviewed Deng Qiaowen, the teacher of this class. She is not only a guide for children's learning, but also a designer and practitioner of this new classroom content. Teacher Deng graduated from Columbia University in New York, USA, with a master's degree in educational psychology and counseling psychology. She was a full-time psychologist at the National University of Singapore. Now, let's listen to Teacher Deng's introduction to the educational philosophy and classroom model of the bridging class as an educator.

Q: Hello, Mr. Deng. From previous interviews with parents, I learned that the language environment is a big challenge for overseas children to learn Chinese. What do you think of Chinese language education for overseas children?

Teacher Deng: Chinese immigrants to the United States have a history of more than 170 years, and have reached the fifth generation. They have a lot of research and data on Chinese cultural identity and identity dilemmas, and have accumulated a lot of experience in overseas Chinese education. Compared with the United States, Germany has a shorter history of Chinese immigration, and children's Chinese education is still in the exploratory stage.

Judging from the growth background and language learning environment of the second generation of Chinese in Germany, the German-style school education and learning methods these children are accustomed to are very different from the education methods their parents received in China, and the goals of each immigrant family for their children to learn Chinese are also different. For example, the Chinese learning goal of some families is to achieve a literacy of more than 1,000 words, to be able to read independently, to recite Tang poetry and ancient lyrics fluently, to write articles, and to read the four great classics; the goal of some families is to have their children successfully graduate from Chinese schools and take the Chinese proficiency test; and some families learn Chinese not for the test, but hope that their children can talk with their parents, relatives and friends in Chinese, explore the beauty of Chinese culture, broaden their international horizons, cultivate cross-cultural cognition, and improve their children's self-confidence and self-identity.

Regardless of the goal of learning Chinese, the long journey of learning Chinese overseas requires children to continue to maintain their curiosity and sense of accomplishment in learning Chinese and Chinese culture, so as to stimulate their internal motivation to learn Chinese.

Q: You mentioned that cultivating intrinsic motivation is an important part of Chinese learning for overseas children. In terms of Chinese teaching, how should we cultivate children's intrinsic motivation?

Teacher Deng: Preschool children can practice rhythm when learning Chinese, focusing on developing a sense of language; elementary school-age children can focus on developing their curiosity, questioning skills, and associative thinking when learning Chinese.

Children are naturally curious about learning, but if the teaching materials they are given are too rigid and the course content is out of touch with their overseas life and cognition, it will be difficult to resonate with them. Over time, children will easily become tired of learning and begin to question the purpose of learning Chinese.

It is normal for children who grow up overseas to have many questions about Chinese and the "distant" Chinese culture. Their questions represent the spirit of active learning, and all questions related to learning should be taken seriously in class.

Unfortunately, due to the low student-teacher ratio and specific curriculum constraints in many Chinese schools, it is difficult for teachers to interact one-on-one with children in class and to cultivate children's ability to think independently and ask questions.

If overseas children's curiosity is suppressed in the process of learning Chinese and Chinese culture, they cannot actively participate and ask questions in class, and they regard taking Chinese classes as an obligation, then they are often left with only a feeling of fatigue, and the spark of internal motivation is difficult to ignite.

Q: In my interviews with parents, they all appreciated the content and methods of your classes and mentioned that their children have developed a strong interest in learning Chinese. What teaching philosophy do you base your courses on?

Teacher Deng: The bridging class is a small class project-based learning, full Chinese immersion, and situational teaching. The project for this school year is to complete a Chinese fashion poster of "Unique Me". The teaching concept is based on the educational ideas of "teaching students in accordance with their aptitude" and "people-oriented" of the Ba Academy, combined with the local cross-cultural cognitive teaching in Germany and the American STEAM interdisciplinary knowledge education concept. The American STEAM includes five contents: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Q: How do you put this educational philosophy into practice in your teaching?

Teacher Deng: Let me give you an example of explaining the Chinese character “竹” (bamboo), which is loved by Chinese people.

We will discuss the differences between bamboo species in Germany and China (cross-cultural cognition), observe the plant characteristics and diverse functions of bamboo (natural science), watch how Li Ziqi saws bamboo in the bamboo forest (traditional craft aesthetics), and measure and build bamboo tables, chairs and household items (mathematics). In class, children can also touch and smell the bamboo fragrance of the natural "bamboo rice tube", observe and touch the Chinese musical instruments "bamboo flute" and "bamboo flute", and compare the differences with the German "wooden flute". Furthermore, children can also experience the traditional Chinese children's game "bamboo joint man" in class, and learn how to make a bamboo joint man by themselves (engineering).

In addition to practicing writing the word "竹" (bamboo) and circling words with the character "竹" (bamboo) at the beginning of their name, the children's homework also includes two parent-child homework assignments:

1. Ask your parents to cook a dish with bamboo ingredients for the whole family to taste (food culture education);

2. Observe whether there are bamboo products around you, such as bamboo sticks, bamboo chopsticks, etc. (cultivate associative thinking).

Parents can take photos of their completed parent-child homework and upload them to the class WeChat group together with their children’s Chinese pronunciation exercises, and receive instant feedback from the teacher (Life Digital Technology Education).

When a child explores and learns in a positive learning environment with strong interactivity and a high sense of achievement, his brain neural circuits will be easily activated, stimulating the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, thereby generating a sense of pleasure and internal motivation, and he will be curious about and look forward to Chinese classes.

If children can spontaneously develop associations, understanding and creativity towards Chinese characters or Chinese culture in their daily lives, it will be easier for them to consolidate their long-term learning memory and produce what is known in psychology as an epiphany.

Q: Finally, Teacher Deng, what would you like to say to this class and these children?

Teacher Deng: The children came to the Ba Academy bridging class with the confusion of "why should we come to a Chinese school to study?" In just three months, each child has undergone a huge transformation, from a confused novice to a top student who actively participates in Chinese learning. Not only can they spontaneously use the Chinese idioms they have learned to communicate, but they also dare to face failure and actively participate in teamwork. Every class, they start and end with a confident smile and a happy mood.

This rapid change in positive learning attitude is attributed to the new Chinese education concept that Ba Academy has been exploring for many years. The small class teaching model allows every child to be noticed and discovered, giving them the opportunity to show their unique self. At the same time, this is also due to the support and full cooperation of parents for customized courses. Parents actively complete parent-child interaction homework, create a Chinese interactive environment for their children at home after busy work, and accompany their children to have in-depth discussions on Chinese culture, so that Chinese learning does not just stay in the weekly Chinese class.

Learning is an interesting thing. Chinese language and Chinese culture are extensive and profound. Learning is endless. I hope that children can still maintain their curiosity about people and knowledge when facing the difficulties and challenges of learning Chinese, continue to explore, and gain real happiness from it.

The interview happened to be in Munich during a snowstorm. The bad weather did not affect the children's enthusiasm for learning Chinese. Although Principal Mei Zi repeatedly reminded them that it was understandable to be late and they did not have to force themselves to come to class due to inconvenient traffic conditions, all the children still arrived on time. Teacher Deng even came to the school early with a box of teaching props waiting. Although there were only three students in the transition class, I was very moved by the teacher's dedication to teaching and the children's enthusiasm for learning. I also believe that with the joint efforts of the school, teachers, students and parents, the children's Chinese can get better and better. I also wish all the children a bright and happy future.

Interview and text editing: Xing Ao



Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Kreissparkasse München

IBAN:DE37 7025 0150 0028 9838 56

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

December 23, 2023

Chinese education in Germany has a long way to go

Last week, our Ba Academy once again sent teachers to participate in overseas Chinese teacher training. This workshop brought together Chinese teachers from 25 countries. A total of 87 teachers participated in the training, only four teachers in Germany participated, and our teacher Xu was the only representative from Munich. Similar to before the epidemic, there was only one teacher from Munich participating in the training. Australia had the most participants, and Europe and Germany had the least participants. Although there are many Chinese schools in Germany and Munich, some schools have hundreds or even thousands of people, we obviously have more sustainable development capabilities in terms of the emphasis on Chinese education, the requirements for teaching quality, and the training of teaching staff.

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Kreissparkasse München

IBAN:DE37 7025 0150 0028 9838 56

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

December 20, 2023

Ba Academy 2023 Christmas Party

In the busy days approaching Christmas, Ba Academy still maintained its usual enthusiasm and created an unforgettable Christmas party for teachers, students and parents. Every year's Christmas activities are a moment we all look forward to. In addition to our respective work and studies, everyone works together to plan and prepare, making every Christmas a beautiful memory in our hearts.

This year's celebration was held after classes and reading clubs. We entered the restaurant decorated with red candles, which was full of warm atmosphere. The event was unique in that it kicked off with a Chinese-German Christmas hot drink made of wolfberry and red dates, which brought warmth and deliciousness to everyone. Sitting around the table, everyone chatted and tasted this special Christmas hot drink, which brought them closer to each other.

The Christmas activities at Ba Academy are not only an eager anticipation for Christmas, but also a sincere expression of friendship and gratitude. We give each other gifts on this day, whether it is a handwritten card, a box of chocolates or a sincere blessing, which will become precious memories in our hearts at this unique moment, injecting more courage and expectations into the new year.

Christmas is a time of yearning, and the Christmas of Ba Academy is full of unique warmth and joy. Thank you for creating such unforgettable memories together in this beautiful season. Let us welcome the new year in each other's company.

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Kreissparkasse München

IBAN:DE37 7025 0150 0028 9838 56

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

December 7, 2023

Ba Academy 2023 Christmas Reading Club

Dear parents and members, the snow has just stopped and Christmas is in sight. Our Ba Academy will welcome the traditional Christmas reading club again. Children will listen to teachers telling Christmas stories, and adults will hold our "talk" celebration. We welcome all friends, both young and old, from the school to gather together at Ba Academy on this day to celebrate Christmas.

The specific date and time arrangements are as follows

date:Saturday, December 16

time:11:30-12:00 Christmas Reading Club, speaker: Teacher Ren (LocationKunstraum UG10, Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße3,85521, Hohenbrunn)

12:00-13:00Communication "Speech" Party (Location: Restaurant), welcome all the friends to volunteer to show their talents (singing, musical instruments, dancing, recitation, taekwondo, etc.)

Items you can bring, such as: mulled wine (non-alcoholic) drink ingredients, Christmas cookies, snacks, induction cooker, wine pot, packing before and after the event, etc.

The party needs everyone to share some food and drinks. I hope everyone can bring and then pass on the items you can bring in the group:

Materials for making mulled wine (non-alcoholic) such as apple juice, oranges, cinnamon, fruit tea bags, Christmas cookies, induction cooker, wine pot, snacks, bring your own cups, clean up before and after the event, etc.

Let us look forward to a wonderful gathering before Christmas!

Sincerely from Ba Xueyuan

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Kreissparkasse München

IBAN:DE37 7025 0150 0028 9838 56

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

December 7, 2023

Sharing of the 2023 team-building activities of Ba Academy

On November 5, the last day of the autumn vacation, our Ba Academy teaching team, under the careful organization of Principal Mei, held a team-building activity that was beneficial to physical and mental health and team cohesion. I would like to share this wonderful experience with everyone.

Are yoga, meditation, and photography new and novel as team-building content? As organizers and participants, we hope to share this special and unique team-building concept with you through different visions and feelings.

Principal Mei Yanjie's original intention of team building——

Why do we do such a team building:

1. Comprehensive care for everyone's physical and mental health: Meditation and yoga contribute to the physical and mental health of employees. Through meditation, we can enhance the tranquility of the mind, while yoga helps relieve physical tension and stress.

2. Teamwork and mutual assistance: Brunch is a social occasion, and appropriate ice-breaking topics promote communication and cooperation among team members. During lunch, members have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of each other and enhance team cohesion.

3. Enhancement of aesthetics and creativity: Photography is an art form that captures beautiful moments through the lens. Team members can cultivate their sensitivity to beauty and creative thinking through photography, which not only brings the team closer, but also enhances everyone's self-confidence, because we all have times when we are not photogenic. (Team building photo photographer Guoling Photography)

4. Conveying cultural values: The special combination of meditation, yoga, delicious and healthy dining and photography was chosen to convey a corporate cultural value that focuses on the comprehensive development of team members, emphasizes teamwork and creativity, and cares about physical and mental health.

Through this unique team building concept, we not only meet the diverse needs of the team, but also inject positive energy and creative thinking into the entire team, making our team stronger and more vibrant.



Over the years, I often hear people say, "It seems like your teachers have been working here forever and have never changed jobs." Sometimes I joke, "Yeah, because we pay you well." But is that really the reason? Not really.

Because our teachers are all part-time, they can choose to do this job or not. In addition to the salary level, what is more important is that they fit in with our team culture and hope to do something meaningful and contribute to society. Here we provide everyone with a space to reflect their own and social values. In addition, we have been working hard to create a collective atmosphere of warmth, understanding, tolerance, encouragement and enhancement of individual sense of achievement. We hope that everyone, whether children, parents or teachers, can be nourished and grow in Ba Academy.

If you also want to do something beneficial for your team members, I highly recommend incorporating this type of activity into your team building activities. The combination of meditation and yoga is key to overcoming everyday stress challenges. Both the emotional and physical health of your team members will benefit from it. Photography offers an exciting opportunity to promote creativity and bring the team closer together. Through photography, perception can be trained and creative thought processes can be stimulated. This model is perfect for team building activities. Photography encourages the development of new perspectives and solutions, whether through vision boards, photo assemblies (fotorallyes) or photo stories (fotostory). This not only strengthens team spirit, but also improves the individual self-confidence of team members.

Wang Ruoyin, Director of Ba Academy

The sunshine is as warm and bright as my mood.

It was the first time for me to do meditation and yoga with so many familiar and unfamiliar partners. My body and mind finally got rid of the tension and completely relaxed. It was like lying lightly in the clouds, breathing freely and feeling comfortable.
The brunch unexpectedly had a bit of Chinese flavor; the plump, soft pink color of the Pink Latte was so addictive that you couldn’t let it go.
After exercising and having a full stomach, we built familiarity and friendship in a relaxed and happy atmosphere, which really fits the word "team building" very well.
The photo session that followed was one of the highlights of the day. The weather was so beautiful that when we needed sunshine, it gave us dazzling light, and when we needed a little layer, a layer of mist floated over, casting a natural filter. In the golden and blue of autumn, we danced, we laughed, we tried to liberate ourselves, and we laughed like a group of children - so carefree and happy, it was really nostalgic.
After the team building, it seems that there is a team spirit.

Xu Fei, Director of Ba Academy

Time flies, and the years are like songs. The days in Ba Academy are always so happy. There are not only lovely children here, but also lovely teachers. Each of them exudes warm sunshine. Open your body and mind in the morning yoga, and then enjoy a delicious brunch while sharing your gains and experiences in Ba Academy. This team building is like the necessary nutrition for the land in autumn and winter. It is a beautiful day to witness each other's growth!

Lovely teachers

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Kreissparkasse München

IBAN:DE37 7025 0150 0028 9838 56

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

November 14, 2023

Mid-Autumn Festival at Ba Gakuen

The moon is full on the 15th day of the lunar month. Last Saturday, our members and children from Ba Academy gathered together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Parents brought all kinds of colorful snow skins and delicious fillings prepared in advance, and made snow skin moon cakes with their children to learn about our traditional Chinese festivals, traditional food, and this day of family reunion for Chinese people. Several mothers and fathers kept their children busy for several hours, and the finished moon cakes were quite amazing and delicious. There were also parents who worked hard to organize books and picture books to prepare for the opening of our library. After the children worked, there was a story session and the Chinese movie "Flying to the Moon". It is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and everyone is working hard and happy. On this member day, we enjoyed playing chess, calligraphy, poetry, wine, flowers and tea.

Here, parents laugh and share their daily lives and work experiences, treat each other sincerely, and children chase and play, play chess and pick stones, forming a harmonious big family. This is a place where we can open our hearts and share joy and challenges, and it is also a place where we can explore and learn culture and language with our children.

This Mid-Autumn Festival is full of joy and silent educational significance! In the immersive experience, everyone gathered together, laughed, drank tea and enjoyed delicious food, and was accompanied by their loved ones.

After class, the children participated in a mooncake workshop, enjoyed Mid-Autumn Festival themed picture book readings and Chinese children's movies, all of which made people feel that every moment was worth cherishing and being grateful for.

Let's look forward to the next membership event. Ba Xueyuan also looks forward to your joining

Gf:Yanjie Mei

Chinese class address: Georg-Kerschensteinerstraße 3, 85521, Hohenbrunn

www.bfc-Verein.de

Info@bfc-Verein.de

Facebook: BFC-Verein

WeChat: Munich Ba Academy

Location: Munich

VR-Nr:207562

Steuer-Nr:143/211/50749

Kreissparkasse München

IBAN:DE37 7025 0150 0028 9838 56

Registration phone number: 176-81076765 (Chinese and German are both acceptable)

152-36214567 (Registration in Chinese)

Graphic editor: Binger Binger Fei

Proofreading review: Meizi

October 5, 2023