On the afternoon of April 28, 2024, the opening seminar of the major project of Linguistics of  National Social Science Foundation "Innovative Research on L2 Acquisition Theory for International Chinese Language Education" was held in Conference Room 107, Yang Yongman Building, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.  Gu Feng, full-time deputy director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Council, Wu Wenfeng, Director of the Liberal Arts Department, Shang Biwu, deputy dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Chang Hui, chief expert of the Linguistics Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation and dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, as well as experts of the evaluation team and heads of the sub-topics, and other more than 30 people attended the meeting.

 

 

 

The first stage of the meeting was chaired by Wu Wenfeng. Gu Feng, full-time deputy director of the Council of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, extended a warm welcome to the guests. He introduced that Shanghai Jiao Tong University had been actively promoting the high-quality and connotative development of liberal arts in the context of "double first-class" construction and the basic idea of "stablizing the foundation, lifting the bottom, climbing the peak, and seeking a new chapter" in the layout of disciplines. Shanghai Jiao Tong University was moving forward from a university characterized by engineering to a comprehensive university with coordinated development of multiple disciplines, such as arts, sciences, medicine and engineering. Gu Feng congratulated Professor Chang Hui on the approval of the major project and put forward requirements for doing a good job on the project, expecting that the project research can focus on theoretical innovation and practical exploration, strengthen domestic and international cooperation, and carry out in-depth research on international Chinese language education to help Chinese language to go to the world.

 

 

Professor Shang Biwu, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, expressed gratitude to all the leaders, experts and scholars on behalf of the SFL, and introduced the construction the foreign language discipline of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the achievements it had made.

 

In the second stage, Cui Xiliang, professor of linguistics and applied Linguistics of Beijing Language and Culture University, former president of Beijing Language and Culture University, president of Institute of Chinese Calligraphy for International Communication, professor of the Institute of Chinese Language International Education, Vice president of World Chinese Language Teaching Association and president of Beijing Municiple Linguistics Society, served as the leader of the expert group.

 

Members of the expert group came from universities and research institutes all across China.

 

 

Professor Chang Hui, chief expert of major project, reported the overall design and progress of the project to the expert group. He first introduced the understanding and design of the project team, and suggested that this topic was proposed in the context of "One Belt, One Road" initiative and "Community with a shared future for mankind" and in response to the new national and international forms and trends. The project will conduct a comprehensive survey on the current new situation of localization, under-aging, informatization and professionalization of international Chinese language education, sort out existing problems, focus on exploring the rule and characteristics of Chinese L2 acquisition under the above new situation, put forward innovative theories, build a Chinese applied linguistics system that can serve international Chinese language education, and help Chinese language to go global.

 

 

Subsequently, the heads of the five sub-topics made supplementary introductions respectively. 

 

 

The members of the expert group carefully listened to the report of the research group, fully affirmed and highly evaluated the general idea, logical structure, theoretical analysis, practical significance and contemporary value of the project design, and put forward constructive suggestions for further improving the project design. Members of the research group actively consulted the expert group and carried out heated discussions around the topic. After deliberation by the expert group, the proposal was approved by unanimous vote. Finally, the chief expert of the project, Professor Chang Hui, on behalf of the research group, expressed sincere thanks to the opinions and suggestions of the expert group, and made it clear that he would definitely improve the thinking framework of the project research according to the valuable opinions put forward by the expert group, and strive to make contributions in the development and construction of L2 acquisition theory and the use of L2 acquisition theory to serve the country and society. In warm applause, the opening discussion meeting of the Major Project of National Social Science Foundation "Innovative Research on L2 Acquisition Theory for International Chinese Language Education" was successfully concluded.