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Strategies of Enhancing the Teaching Image and Quality of 

Local Chinese Language Teachers in Nigeria 

 

Okafor, Miracle Uzochukwu 

South West University, China1, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, 

Awka2 

mu.okafor@unizik.edu.ng 

 

Abstract 

Teaching Chinese as a foreign language is quite demanding and 

challenging, which, most times, poses difficulties in the effective 

teaching and learning of Chinese Language. Local Chinese 

teachers' (also referred to as non-native Chinese teachers), teaching 

competence will leave a deep impression on the students. This kind 

of positive or negative impression will directly or indirectly affect 

Chinese language acquisition. Since Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and 

multicultural country, there is need for local Chinese language 

teachers, whose students are from diverse backgrounds, should 

engage in practices, training, and learning, either through 

structured, reflective, or self-directed approach, to establish a good 

image and demeanor that cannot only stabilize students' 

professional thoughts and achievements, enhance students' desire 

for knowledge, increase students' feelings of love for the language; 

but also, can improve the teacher’s sense of honor, pride, 

achievement, and fulfillment. However, recent studies have shown 

that local Chinese teachers in Nigeria lack adequate experience in 

teaching Chinese as a foreign language (Odinye, 2019; Okafor, 

2020), therefore, the objective is to provide strategies that will 

enhance the image and teaching quality of local Chinese language 

teachers in Nigeria through descriptive methodology and review of 

literature. Teacher motivation theory was highlighted. This paper 

mailto:mu.okafor@unizik.edu.ng


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will be useful in improving teacher performance, teaching quality 

and student learning outcomes. There is also recommendation on 

how local Chinese language teachers can improve Chinese 

Language classroom teaching and learning. 

Keywords: local Chinese teachers, Chinese language teaching 

motivation, teaching quality. 

 

1. Introduction  

As China continues to thrive in economy, science and technology, 

education, and development, the need for teaching and learning 

Chinese language as a second or foreign language becomes 

significant for globalization. Learning to speak Chinese and 

understanding China’s cultural norms have become increasingly 

important because of the new opportunities that are occurring in the 

21st century (Xu et al., 2010). Thus, Confucius institutes serve as a 

platform for realizing this goal, since it supports, promotes, and 

facilitates Chinese language and culture exchanges locally and 

internationally. According to Gu et al. (2021), the news report 

released by International Chinese Language Education Conference 

(2019) showed that 550 Confucius Institutes and 1,172 Confucius 

Classrooms have been founded in 162 countries; more than 30,000 

elementary and middle schools and more than 4,000 universities 

offered Chinese language courses and more than 25 million people 

were learning Chinese. There are 59 Confucius Institutes in Africa 

(Statista, 2018), currently 2 in Nigeria. Over 10,000 people in 

Nigeria are learning Chinese language and culture, either as a major, 

elective, for HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) certification, for 

business, or leisure. Such a tremendous increase in the number of 

Chinese language education leads to an increase in demand for 

Local Chinese teachers to ease the burden on the native Chinese 

teachers. The majority of the local Chinese teachers enjoyed 



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scholarship either through Hanban (now known as Center for 

Language Education and Cooperation), China Scholarship Council 

(CSC), Silk Road / Belt and Road Initiative, for a China / Chinese 

related course. Mostly Master’s program in teaching Chinese to 

Speakers of other languages (MTCSOL), which requires going back 

to home country to work as a local Chinese teacher upon completion 

of the program. From the study by Odinye (2016) on the “Chinese 

Language Teaching and Learning in Nigeria”, Nigeria had only two 

local Chinese language teachers, one at Confucius Institute, 

University of Lagos and the other at Confucius Institute, Nnamdi 

Azikiwe University. In 2019 the number of local teachers at both 

universities has increased to 9 (Changbin & Yinghui, 2021). Of 

recent, the number of local Chinese teachers in Nigeria has increased 

to 30, due to the high demand for Chinese language in Nigeria, 

which led to the opening of more Confucius classrooms (currently 

24 in number), Chinese Studies Departments (3), and Chinese 

language training centers (12) across the country. Local Chinese 

teachers manage the students who are learning Chinese in Nigeria 

better, due to a better understanding of Nigerian students and the 

Nigerian educational system (Wang 2017; Okafor, 2020). 

Unarguably, Local Chinese Language teachers have many inherent 

advantages; they understand the local customs, the way of thinking 

of students, and the learning habits of students. They have no 

language barrier, unlike the native Chinese language teachers. 

Although they may not be as good as the native Chinese language 

teachers in fluency and dissemination of Chinese language and 

Chinese culture, they can gradually overcome their shortcomings 

through planned and thorough continuing professional development 

(CPD).  

Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multicultural country, therefore 

Local Chinese language teachers, whose students are from diverse 



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ethnic backgrounds, should engage in frequent training and learning, 

either through structured, reflective, or self-directed approach, to 

establish a good image and demeanor that cannot only stabilize 

students' professional thoughts, enhance students' desire for 

knowledge, increase students' feelings of love for the language; but 

also, can improve the teacher’s sense of honor, pride, and 

achievement. Therefore, this research aims at sharing best practices 

for a Chinese language teacher's professional development. 

1.1 Problem of Research 
As the demand for Chinese Teachers keeps skyrocketing in Nigeria, 

the quality of Local Chinese Teachers becomes crucial, since 

Chinese is now being studied as a degree program in 3 Nigerian 

higher institutions, and as the time of this research, 5 universities are 

currently trying to start up Bachelor's Degree program in Chinese 

studies. Recent studies have shown that local Chinese teachers in 

Nigeria lack adequate experience in teaching Chinese as a foreign 

language since the majority do not have a background in Chinese 

studies (Odinye, 2019; Okafor, 2020), and those who do have, are 

faced with challenges of continuing professional and personal 

development (Wang 2017). 

 

1.2 Purpose of Research 

This research aims at giving strategies for enhancing the 

professional knowledge, skills, attitudes, and performance of Local 

Chinese teachers in Nigeria. Local Chinese Teachers' teaching 

attitude, language expression ability, and teaching ability will leave 

a deep impression on the students and will impact positively or 

negatively on the institution. Therefore, there is a great need to 

initiate a formidable professional and personal development strategy 

for local Chinese teachers, since they stay for a long time, unlike 



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native Chinese teachers who are short-termed and also act as role 

models for the students learning the Chinese language. 

 

2. Literature Review 

2.1  Definition 

Local Chinese teachers can be referred to teachers of Chinese 

language and culture who are not of Chinese nationality rather they 

acquired the Chinese language as L2 through professional training. 

Local Chinese teachers can as well be called non-native Chinese 

teachers, therefore local Chinese teachers and non-native Chinese 

teachers are used interchangeably. According to Yu (2018), the non-

native Chinese teachers consist of two groups. One group is the 

Chinese teachers of ethnic minorities in China who don’t take 

Chinese as the mother tongue, and the other is the native Chinese 

teachers overseas who don’t take Chinese as the mother tongue. Of 

recent, most of the Local Chinese teachers are products of BTCSOL 

(Bachelors in teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages) or 

MTCSOL Masters in teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other 

Languages). This Program is established by Chinese government 

and currently offered in 149 universities in China. (Gu et al., 2021). 

To promote teaching of Chinese language by non-natives, the Center 

for Language Education and Cooperation and the China Scholarship 

Council have been awarding scholarships for non-native Chinese 

speakers to study BTCSOL, MTCSOL, DTCSOL programs in 

China with the aim of teaching Chinese in their local countries. 

Nevertheless, apart from MTCSOL, there are other local Chinese 

teachers who majored in Chinese history, Chinese philosophy, 

Chinese cultural studies, China studies, Chinese philology, Chinese 

literature, etc.  

 

 



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2.2 Research on Chinese Language Teaching Motivation 

Yuan et al., (2011) conducted research on 53 experienced Chinese 

language teachers from Thailand and South Korea on their teaching 

motivation, concerning teaching goals and values. From their 

research, a factor analysis of responses to the questions concerning 

work values suggests that there are five distinct sets of basic wants 

or need： relationship orientation, extrinsic motivation, self-

realization, autonomy, and institutional support. The factor analysis 

of job rewards indicates seven factors, which partially overlap with 

these value factors, namely; professional position, relationship/ 

intrinsic rewards, extrinsic rewards, job/career satisfaction, 

reputation, good management, and self-esteem reward． Zhang 

(2021) study on the relationship among Teaching Chinese as Second 

Language (TCSL), teachers' self-efficacy, students' learning 

motivation, and academic performance, examined the relationship 

among TCSL teachers' self-efficacy, foreign students' learning 

motivation, and academic performance in universities of mainland 

China. According to Zhang (2021), there is a positive influence of 

teachers' self-efficacy on students' academic performance, largely 

because students' academic outcomes could be affected by some 

factors that include but are not limited to; motivation, students' IQ 

level, teachers' teaching style, the relationship with teacher and 

peers, family background, study interest, etc. “If a teacher 

experiences a classroom as a safe, healthy, happy place with 

supportive resources and facilities for teaching and learning, he or 

she tends to perform or participate more than expected in the process 

of management, administration and improvement of school” 

(Zainab 2020). In Nigeria, Ige (2020) research on the Challenge of 

teacher motivation and way forward in Nigeria, suggested the 

following as a way of enhancing teacher motivation for effective 

service delivery which includes: enforcement of the payment of 



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enhanced teacher's salary scale across the states and payment of 

allowance to teachers working in difficult terrains, provision of 

instructional materials for teachers; regular promotion of teachers; 

the reward of teachers by schools' administrators; recruitment of 

additional teachers; sponsoring of teachers to seminars, workshops, 

and conferences; full professionalization of teaching by 

government. 

 

2.3 Theories on Teacher Motivation 

Teacher motivation theories revolve around these four theories; 

expectancy-value theory, achievement goal theory, self-

determination theory, and Self Efficacy. Expectancy-value theory 

cuts across various fields of study such as education, marketing, 

communications, health, and economics. It was simply meant to 

explain and predict an individual's attitude toward objects and 

actions. On Education, with regards to teacher motivation, the 

expectancy-value theory looks at individuality and ability to 

complete tasks and succeed in it, by their expectation of how well 

they will do on the task, the extent to which they value the activity, 

and how useful they perceive the task. (Eccles, 1983; Wigfield 

&Eccles, 2000). Theoretical and empirical works have been done on 

teacher motivation using the expectancy theory and it has been 

shown that expectancy and values interact to predict important 

outcomes such as engagement, continuing interest, and academic 

achievement. (Eccles, 1983; Richardson & Watt 2006; Trautwein, 

2012). Expectancy theory is also a way to explore the extent to 

which students are maximizing their experiences in active learning 

classrooms, and this predicts that students will put more effort into 

activities that they simultaneously perceive to have value and at 

which they expect to succeed (Cooper, et al., 2017). Achievement 

goal theory is used in teacher motivation theory to analyze and 



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improve classroom environments and teaching practices and how 

this will invariably impact positively on students learning and 

motivation (Ames, 1992). 

According to Yang (2021), Self-determination theory is divided 

into three main categories: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic 

motivation, and amotivation. Where Intrinsic motivation looks at 

activities done for their inherent interest and enjoyment, or in other 

words, for their own sake which reflects a high degree of self-

determination. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, concerns 

behavior done for external incentives or rewards, such as economic 

struggle, fame pursuit, and physical attraction. Similarly, Deci & 

Ryan (2000), divided self-motivation theory into three major forms: 

autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation. 

Autonomous motivation is based on spontaneous purpose, interest, 

or volition, while controlled motivation, is based on behavior 

because of inner or environmental pressure. While a-motivation is 

simply lack of intention to conduct a behavior, means no motivation. 

Researchers conducted in the past such as (Deci, et al., 1982; 

Hanand 2016; Radel et al., 2010; Yang, 2021) students' intrinsic 

motivation and determination were influenced significantly by the 

extent to which teachers were autonomous-supportive or 

controlling.  

 

2.4  Research on Chinese Language Teachers Teaching 

Quality 

Teachers are an important factor in determining the teaching effect, 

and the quality of teachers directly determines the success or failure 

of teaching (Zhang, 2012). Xiang (2015) states that to a great extent, 

the quality of teachers of Chinese as a foreign language determines 

the success or failure of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. In 

the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, students are the main 



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body, and the teacher is the guide. According to Zhang (2008), the 

task of a teacher of Chinese as a foreign language is to establish a 

cohesive and infectious atmosphere while imparting knowledge, so 

that students can consciously or unconsciously integrate, follow the 

steps of teachers, and complete the learning task conscientiously. 

Meng (2011) suggests that the quality of a teacher of Chinese as a 

foreign language includes two aspects: knowledge and ability. 

Knowledge is the carrier of ability, source of cultivating ability and 

improving quality. Basic theoretical knowledge is the basis for the 

formation of the ability to analyze, solve problems, and the ability 

to innovate. However, a person with knowledge does not necessarily 

have an ability. Teachers with rich knowledge without ability are 

often clumsy in class, therefore, a good local Chinese teacher should 

consciously cultivate their abilities in all aspects. Amongst all other 

qualities, a qualified teacher of Chinese as a foreign language, must 

have rich theoretical knowledge of linguistics, systematic and 

comprehensive understanding of language, guide teaching 

activities, and use linguistic knowledge to solve various problems 

encountered in the teaching process (Liu, 2010; Xiang, 2015). Part 

of Yu (2018) research on the professional Identity of non-native 

Chinese teachers in Sri Lanka, highlighted the need for a 

professional image of local Chinese teachers, Yu noted that the ideal 

professional image of Chinese teachers must be able to provide the 

standard pronunciation and intonation for the students. A well-

enhanced image and quality of local Chinese teachers will 

undoubtedly result in professional identity. Professional identity is 

associated with teachers' self-concept and self-image, which plays 

an important role in the teachers' teaching methods, professional 

development, and attitudes towards the changes in education. 

(Zhang, 2006; Yu, 2018). 

 



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3.0  Strategies on enhancing Local Chinese Teachers 

Teaching Image and Quality  
1. Bridging the gap between Local Chinese teachers and 

students (Humanistic teaching approach). Due to the 

shortage of Chinese language practice environment, and 

the students' unbalanced development of listening, 

speaking, reading, and writing skills in Chinese, some 

students tend to perform poorly in the language and to some 

extent, lead to loss of interest in the language. There is a 

need for adopting a humanistic teaching approach that is 

centered on competent, caring, loving, and lovable persons. 

According to Kerlinger (1986), "to argue that good 

teaching boils down to a set of prescriptive behaviors, 

methods, or proficiency levels, that teachers must follow a 

new research-based teaching plan or evaluation system, or 

that decisions about teacher accountability can be assessed 

in terms of students passing some standardized or multiple-

choice test is to miss the human aspect of teaching-the 

essence of what teaching is all about". Humanistic teachers 

must be positive and supportive teachers, who could 

manage students without coercion and teach without failure 

(Glasser, 1990). Teachers should accept students for who 

they are rather than what they do or how much they 

achieve. All children and youth need to feel loved, 

understood, and valued (Alfie, 2005). Deiro (1996), affirms 

that teachers who genuinely care about their students have 

a significant impact on the students' attitudes, motivation, 

and behavior. If the local Chinese language teacher parades 

him/herself as a god to be worshipped, it widens the 

distance between the teacher and student, which invisibly 

causes an ideological burden to students, forming a 



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dull/weak language learning environment. Students' fear of 

their poor listening ability, saying incorrect words/ 

sentences, fear of sarcasm, fear of being scorned or laughed 

at by the teacher, will naturally lead to the situation of 

unwillingness to speak. Of course, unwillingness to speak 

can be considered a major taboo in language learning. Alfie 

(2005) rightly said that “unconditional teachers are not 

afraid to be themselves with students and to act like real 

human beings rather than controlling authority figures”. 

Therefore, whether the relationship between teachers and 

students is properly handled or not is extremely important 

in teaching. Therefore, for Local Chinese teachers to gain 

students' trust and love: 

a.  Teachers must have the consciousness of public 

relations, approach students, and greet students 

actively.  

b. Local Chinese language teachers should have the 

spirit of democracy. In teaching, there should be 

regard and respect for each other's views, establish 

correct democratic teaching ideas, make it clear that 

teachers and students are equal in personality and 

emotions, and teachers serve as a friend who 

explores the path of knowledge with students. 

c.  In the language practice class, if the student makes a 

grammatical error or mistake in expression, the 

teacher should correct and discuss with students with 

an open mind to create a harmonious language 

training atmosphere. 

d. Encourage students to express different ideas and 

opinions, thus encouraging students to use their 



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brains to think about the problem, deal with the 

problem from their unique vision. Through the above 

way, stimulate the desire of students to express 

themselves confidently. 

2. Absorb new knowledge and broaden their scope of 

knowledge. With the continuous development of society, 

science, and technology progress, knowledge is constantly 

updated. Local Chinese language teachers should always 

establish good ethics to constantly update and expand their 

knowledge. Learning is endless, in teaching and learning, 

teachers constantly encounter new situations, new 

problems. To adapt to and solve these problems; 

a. They must keep learning by often paying attention to 

the teaching of the professional trends and the latest 

development trends such as words that appear on the 

Chinese news media like CCTV, CGNT or social new 

threads on WeChat 微信, QQ, douying 抖音, weibo微博, 

Tencent 腾讯, etc., understand various professional 

characteristics and adapt it to suit their teaching 

models. Participate in more academic seminars related 

to Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL), 

and absorb knowledge from them。 

b. Pay attention to the application of new knowledge, 

new theory, and a new method to further deepen their 

knowledge structure and scientific research ability.  

c. Acquire computer knowledge, projector teaching, and 

the use of multimedia language teaching methods. 

Make full use of modern technology. With the rapid 



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development of computer technology, slide, teaching 

film, video, and multimedia teaching technology, 

teachers should develop alongside. If teachers do not 

grasp and improve in this area, they cannot meet the 

needs of teaching development. 

d. Understand students' diverse interests and discussion 

topics. Strive to cultivate a variety of interests as well 

as have knowledge relating to the list of popular 

Chinese and Nigerian songs, sports competitions, 

social hot spots, the latest scientific and technological 

achievements, etc. By communicating with students 

about the topics they are interested in, one can shorten 

the distance or generation gap between teachers and 

students and establish a harmonious relationship. It can 

enable the students to learn the language 

spontaneously and unconsciously, and turn drudgery 

into pleasure. 

e. Continuing Professional Development. Motivating and 

inhibiting factors as regards teachers’ engagement in 

continuing professional development would provide 

valuable insights for the strengthening of teacher 

education (Yang, 2021). To support the professional 

development and improvement of local Chinese 

teachers in various countries, the Confucius Institute 

Headquarters / Hanban 国家汉办 has set up 1-4 weeks 

"foreign local Chinese teachers' research and training 

project" to support local Chinese teachers' research and 

training in China. The contents of the research courses 

include; Chinese professional knowledge, Chinese 



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language teaching skills, Chinese teaching methods, 

Chinese language testing and evaluation, Chinese 

teaching materials, Chinese culture and national 

affairs, and comparison of Chinese and foreign 

cultures. Due to Covid-19 pandemic challenges, 

Hanban has set up a Center for Language and 

Education Cooperation (中外语言交流合作中心), which 

offers International Chinese language teachers 

scholarship program (国际中文教师奖学金) to local 

Chinese teachers, and as well organizes annual online 

training program for local Chinese teachers. 

3. Study and understand students' learning differences and 

motivations: Language acquisition studies suggest that certain 

factors affect second foreign language learners' language 

learning motivation and attitude. Local Chinese Language 

Teachers should be aware, as quickly as possible, of the 

individual characteristics of their students. As well as working 

towards meeting their individual needs. Some of these factors 

include;  

a) The difference in purpose: In the process of teaching 

Chinese as a foreign language, students with strong 

learning purposes and motivation, have high learning 

enthusiasm and are eager to learn Chinese well. They can 

communicate with people in Chinese well. Therefore, the 

learning effect will be better. However, those students who 

learn Chinese at the request of their parents or decided to 

study the language reluctantly, have no clear learning 

motivation, and their learning process is relatively slow and 

inefficient. 



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b) Personality differences: Personality factors, language 

potential, and cognitive style have a direct impact on 

learning. Students with a peaceful personality and good 

interpersonal relationships are more likely to form a good 

learning atmosphere. Students who are not good at 

communicating with others are more mentally burdened 

and may find it more difficult to speak Chinese. It is 

somehow impossible for a teacher to change the character 

of his students, but in the teaching process, teachers should 

guide the students according to the situation and help them 

develop their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. As far 

as classroom questioning is concerned, those students with 

a poor foundation and introverted personalities should be 

allowed to choose the easier questions to answer.  

c) Age differences: The age factor does not only have a vital 

impact on pronunciation but also plays an important role in 

the speed of language acquisition. Age also takes a 

significant role in the relationship between students' 

learning motivation and their academic performance 

(Zhang 2021). Most of the older adults forget more and 

need to learn longer. Although (Neufeld 1979; Snow 1983; 

Ellis 1985) claim that older adults are better learners 

because they start faster, they still (Patkowski 1980; Scovel 

1981; Harley 1986) are convinced that younger learners are 

at an advantage. Krashen et al., (1979) conclude their 

research and came out with a fact that Older are faster but 

younger are better. 

d) Culture, religion, and ethnicity differences: Language can 

best reflect the characteristics of national culture, and the 



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cultural differences, different values, right and wrong 

standards, customs, religious beliefs, and social systems of 

different students can affect their acquisition of the Chinese 

language. According to Giles et al., (1977), one's ethnic 

group membership might also determine attitude and 

behavior towards other members of the groups, and these, 

in turn, might affect Second language attainment.  

4. Language ability. Language is an important means for 

teachers to carry out their work, which is very important for 

any teacher. The language here includes spoken language, 

body language, and, humor. 

a. Spoken language: A local Chinese language teacher 

should have a good command of spoken Chinese. 

Spoken Chinese should be standard and clear, devoid 

of language transfer of the teacher’s mother tongue. 

b. Body language: Body language is also a kind of 

communication between people. A teacher's body 

language is also very important, the correct use of body 

language can activate the classroom atmosphere, fully 

mobilize the students' emotions, so that students can 

overcome all kinds of anxiety, and take the initiative to 

participate and speak boldly. This body language 

includes; smile, eye contact, gestures, body movement, 

posture, and nodding. 

c. Humor: A local Chinese language teacher should also 

have more humorous language ability. Humor is a rare 

quality in the Chinese language classroom. Humorous 

language can break the boring situation in the 



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classroom, make the whole teaching process achieve 

harmony between teachers and students, increase 

interests, and optimize the classroom teaching effect. 

Humorous evaluation language can promote the 

teaching process and make the transmission of Chinese 

knowledge and information smoothly. 

5. Healthy Classroom Interaction: Healthy classroom 

interaction is vital for improving teaching quality. Flanders 

(1965), came up with a classroom interaction analysis scale 

that shows that direct and indirect influence of teacher talk 

can influence teaching quality positively. Therefore 

Classroom interaction can be categorized into  

a) Direct interactions: Giving facts and opinions about 

content, giving directions which students are expected 

to comply with, constructive criticism, and justifying 

authority.  

b) Indirect interactions: builds and develops ideas 

suggested by students, encourages and praises 

students, accepts feelings and feedback from students.  

These qualities are necessary for local Chinese teachers to 

possess: 

6. Knowledge of Chinese Culture: Local teachers of the 

Chinese language should have a certain knowledge of 

Chinese culture, especially Chinese customs, Chinese 

historical development, geographical survey, Chinese 

values, thinking mode, behavior norms, aesthetic taste, 

religious belief, etc. When teaching Chinese culture, 

teachers should also have the awareness of cultural 



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contrast, cultural induction, seeking common ground, and 

pluralistic coexistence while reserving differences.  

7. Whiteboard Management: Through teachers' whiteboard 

writing, students can deepen their understanding of the 

language, and consolidate what they have learned. The 

quality of whiteboard writing directly affects teaching 

impacts. Teachers' whiteboard writing should be correct, 

planned, enlightening, and interactive. Liu (2000) in his 

book “Introduction to Teaching Chinese as Foreign 

Language”, puts forward these three requirements for 

proper whiteboard management: 

a. Chinese characters must be correct and standard. The 

order of writing should be consistent with the teaching 

material, the shape should be beautiful, or at least 

correct, to give students the role of demonstration. 

b. Whiteboard writing should be well designed. Three-

fifths of the blackboard should be used to write new 

lessons. One fifth was used for temporary writing, the 

other one fifth was used to record students' wrong 

sentences. 

c. Whiteboard writing should be bright and eye-catching, 

and color marker pens should be properly used to 

highlight the key points. 

In addition, Pinyin should be written correctly with the 

appropriate tone-marks. This will be very helpful for 

beginners’ class. 

8. Good first impression: The first meeting and the first few 



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classes between a local Chinese teacher and students, who are 

eager to learn the Chinese language, play an important role in 

establishing the image of teachers in the minds of students. 

Therefore, teachers' emotional input to students should start 

from the first class. Students' first impression of teachers is very 

important. In the first few classes, the students will have a 

preliminary evaluation of the teacher. The teacher's teaching 

attitude, language expression ability, and teaching ability will 

leave a deep impression on the students. This kind of positive 

or negative judgment will affect the atmosphere of the 

classroom in the future. Local Chinese teachers should let 

students feel important, and then enhance their interest in 

learning, because, in the initial stage of learning, students' 

interest in learning is relatively high, their attention is relatively 

concentrated, and they accept new knowledge faster. Also, a 

good image of a teacher which includes being neat, wearing 

decent clothes, elegant behaviour, good behavioural habits, etc., 

will leave a good first impression on the student, thus narrowing 

the psychological distance with students, so that students can 

accept the teacher which will result in accepting the teaching 

content. 

9. The courage to innovate: The new century has put forward 

higher requirements for talents, and the cultivation of talents 

lies in teachers. Teachers' creativity stimulates students' 

creativity. As far as Chinese language students are concerned, 

Chinese is an important tool for them to broaden their 

knowledge and improve their quality, and a necessary weapon 

in the battle of job hunting. Language teaching should be 

"teacher-led and student-centered". To achieve this module; 



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a. Teachers should improve on their old teaching content and 

rigid teaching methods. In the teaching material 

construction, teachers should choose the appropriate 

language teaching material according to the actual situation 

of the students. Teachers should compile the special skills 

training material with strong pertinence. 

b. Minimize the cramming teaching method, prioritize 

learning, understanding,, and strengthen student's initiative 

exercise, through thought-provoking questions and logic. 

4. Recommendation on Improving Chinese Language 

Classroom Learning 

To enhance the teaching and learning of Chinese in the classroom, I 

propose a three-minute in-class presentation, role play, taking 

weekly notes, use of questions and answers strategy, constructive 

praise, and extracurricular activities.  

a. In-class presentation: Acquiring listening and speaking skills 

in the process of learning a foreign language can be extremely 

challenging. Acquiring Chinese listening and speaking skills 

can only be accomplished through consistent practice. In 

classroom, there are few opportunities for classroom 

presentation for students because there is a limited amount of 

time in class and there are a significant number of students (on 

average, there are 40 students in each class). On the other hand, 

the instructor may choose to adjust the number of people 

speaking from the platform before each class based on the total 

number of students enrolled in that particular session. Most 

times, there should be no constraints placed on the kind of 

speech that can be given or its subject matter. Students should 

make the most of their free time to practice listening to and 



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speaking in the target language, as this is one of the most 

effective ways to develop their language skills. Students 

typically have a fear of being unable to communicate 

effectively; hence, it is important for them to prepare in 

advance; the process of preparing is the process of practice. 

Therefore, a speech that is only three minutes long will not only 

encourage students to practice and enhance their spoken 

Chinese, but it can also expand students' understanding.  

b. Role-play: The objective of the role play is to train the students' 

oral expression ability and to assist them in mastering the 

Chinese expression ability of description, explanation, 

persuasion, inquiry, as well as other functional items. Students 

are put in realistic scenarios in order to better grasp and 

comprehend the material being taught, as well as practice their 

vocal expression abilities and listening abilities through the use 

of role play. This type of learning approach is called immersive 

learning. In this process, teachers should seriously consider and 

attempt to solve the following problems: first, explain the 

characteristics of the role students want to play; second, some 

important problems of scene interpretation need to be prepared 

after role-playing exercises; and third, comments after role-

playing exercises must be in place at the appropriate time. The 

authors Fraser et al. (1980) suggest using role play as a practical 

method to investigate students' pragmatic competency.  

c. Write weekly notes: Since writing in Chinese is one of the most 

challenging aspects of the Chinese language for students to 

master, teachers may assign their students to write weekly 

notes. The requirements can range from being very loose to very 

strict, the genre can range from being very easy to very tough, 



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Teachers in Nigeria - Okafor 

 

300 

 

and the word count can range from being very few to very 

many. This writing method helps people steadily enhance their 

ability to write. Students not only get more practice with 

grammar, but they also extend their vocabularies, master 

different writing methods, and develop their ability to think 

logically about language. 

d. Question and Answer: The practice of learning a language 

through question and answer sessions is highly significant. 

Inspiring and guiding students to discover rules on their own, 

as well as correcting or supplementing errors or knowledge that 

is one-sided, by asking appropriate questions that are designed 

to arouse the thinking and discussion of students; trying to lead 

the problems step by step in the discussion in order to deepen 

the students' understanding of what they have learned; and 

asking appropriate questions that are designed to arouse the 

thinking and discussion of students. If the instructor is able to 

include this strategy into their lessons, it will not only help 

students become better listeners and speakers, but it will also 

give students a sense of accomplishment, which will, in turn, 

increase their interest in learning.  

e. Praise that is given in a constructive manner: When students 

are praised by their teachers, it has the potential to increase both 

their self-esteem and their self-confidence. Through the use of 

this method, the instructor has the potential to win the respect 

and friendship of the students. Students can be encouraged in 

their work and their emotions can be effectively managed 

through the use of praise. Students who are complimented on 

their work tend to participate more actively in class, which has 

a positive impact on the environment of the classroom as a 



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whole. The use of praise is an effective method for fostering 

learning in students, and teachers should make the most of this 

resource. Constructive praise requires authenticity and must 

originate from the person offering it. When a student produces 

a nice sentence, publishes a decent article, or has a novel point 

of view, etc., it is imperative that the instructor praise all of 

these accomplishments. Naturally, if children are not provided 

with positive appreciation, they will frequently acquire a 

negative attitude toward one another. 

f. Extracurricular activities: The subject matter of the 

instructional material does not restrict itself just to the 

instruction of grammar and vocabulary. In addition to making 

extensive use of the textbook, giving after-school assignments, 

and reading brief articles, it is vital to integrate a variety of 

extracurricular activities in order to broaden the students' 

perspectives and increase their depth of knowledge. 

5. Conclusion 

Just like the main character in a movie, teachers should have a sense 

of performance, deliberately shape their impression in front of 

students, and pay close attention to students' performance, to capture 

the response of each student to their teaching as soon as possible 

through the information conveyed by students. Teachers should 

constantly strive to empower students by having them develop 

learning strategies which maybe help them to cope with the demands 

of class and, indeed, may help them to continue to learn on their own 

apart from the class. Local teachers of the Chinese language must 

strengthen their self-cultivation, strive to improve their knowledge 

level, and strengthen communication and cooperation with students 

and other teachers. At the same time, colleges, universities and 



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government should also introduce corresponding measures to 

encourage the local Chinese language teachers to participate in 

training and further study. To build a good and quality image of local 

Chinese language teachers, there is a need to do more than the 

above.  

 

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