Malaysia International Chinese Language Teaching Competition showcases teachers’ skills and creativity

The Confucius Institute (CI) at UTAR organised the 2025 Malaysia International Chinese Language Teaching Competition (马来西亚国际中文教师教学比赛) on 19 and 20 April 2025 at Kampar Campus.

The event was supervised and supported by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia. It was co-organised by the Kong Zi Institute at University of Malaya (UM), the Confucius Institute at SEGi University, the Confucius Institute at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the Confucius Institute at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (CI UMPSA), the Confucius Institute at the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), the Shen Jai Confucius Institute and the Confucius Classroom Pay Fong Middle School Malacca. Sponsored by the Beijing Language and Culture University Press, the competition was held in conjunction with the International Chinese Language Day.

Themed Empowering Chinese Language Education with Digital Intelligence, Cultivating Tech-Savvy Educators, the competition encouraged participants to innovatively apply digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in their teaching to enhance classroom interactivity and effectiveness.

Present at the opening ceremony were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Dezhou University Vice President and CI at UTAR Committee Member Prof Dr Liu Yinfang (attending virtually), Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) Dean and Confucius Institute at UTAR Director (Malaysia) Assoc Prof Dr Chong Siou Wei, Confucius Institute at UTAR Director (China) Prof Ma Yingxin, Confucius Institute at University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) Director (China) Assoc Prof Dr Han Mengqi, judges, and representatives of collaborative partners.

In his opening remarks, Prof Liu affirmed, “The CI at UTAR has always been committed to support the professional development of international Chinese language teachers. This competition serves as a platform for teachers to exchange ideas, learn from one another, continuously enhance their teaching skills, improve their digital literacy, and showcase the excellence of Malaysia’s international Chinese language educators.”

Prof Choong emphasised, “Through their exceptional teaching skills and innovative educational approaches, the teachers have demonstrated the significant role of AI in international Chinese education, highlighting the boundless possibilities for the future of Chinese language teaching.”

He added, “We hope that CI at UTAR will continue to promote the deep integration of technology and education, contributing to the innovative development of Chinese language education.”

Dr Han, speaking on behalf of the Confucius Institute, expressed his gratitude to the organisers. He stated, “The competition keeps pace with current trends, highlighting two key features: AI-powered teaching and localised development. International Chinese language teachers from both China and Malaysia demonstrated exceptional teaching skills, while expert commentators on-site provided professional evaluations to support the optimisation of teaching practices. Moving forward, all Confucius Institutes in Malaysia will continue to join hands on the path of Chinese language education, working together to promote Chinese language to the world.”

Prof Ma acknowledged the efforts of the participants and said, “The participants demonstrated exceptional educational ingenuity by employing diverse digital-intelligent technologies to innovate teaching methodologies, fully showcasing their dedication as educators. The event has not only become a comprehensive showcase of Chinese education innovation in Malaysia but also a vibrant microcosm of multicultural exchange, bearing witness to how educators build bridges of civilisation through knowledge transmission and cultural resonance.”

Dr Chong also expressed his appreciation to the guests, stating, “CI at UTAR will use Chinese as a bridge and education as a vessel, striving to promote the modernisation of Chinese language education. In addition, we will explore new models of smart teaching, continue advancing through the integration of technology and culture, and work together to write a new chapter in Chinese language education.”

The competition featured 19 teachers from eight CI and Confucius Classrooms in Malaysia, including sponsored teachers, volunteer instructors, and local educators, who showcased their skills in a friendly competition aimed at fostering growth through teaching excellence.

The Champion title was awarded to Wang Ruiqing, while the First Runner-up was Ms Wang Dan, and the Second Runner-up was Ms Zhao Jianyu. Honorable Mention recipients included Ms Yang Lin, Ms Fan Xinyu, Ms Zhang Yingying, Ms Nur Afifah binti Elias, and Ms Liu Xiaoli. The Best “Chinese + AI” Teaching Innovation Award was won by Ms Liu and the Best Subject Knowledge Application Award was won by Ms Fan.

The participants demonstrated their talents during the competition with great professionalism and enthusiasm. Following the principle of “concise instruction with ample practice,” they applied unique teaching concepts and techniques, fully displaying various applications of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence in overseas Chinese language education, injecting new vitality into the field.

The competition also invited international experts in Chinese language education from Malaysia to serve as judges. They spoke highly of the participants’ teaching abilities and remarked that the competition clearly showcased the tremendous potential of technology in enhancing Chinese language education.

The competition provided a valuable platform for teachers to exchange and enhance their teaching skills. It also ignited their passion for teaching, further elevating the level of teaching innovation, and contributed to the advancement of international Chinese language education in Malaysia.