The establishment and development of teaching of Chinese and sinology in Malta

Abstract

In the history of Chinese language teaching and sinological research in Malta, four significant steps can be listed: The Chinese language class held by the Chinese Cultural Center in Malta in 2004 is the earliest Chinese language teaching activity in Malta. The Undergraduate Diploma degree courses mark the beginning of systematic Chinese teaching in Malta. In 2015, University of Malta established the first Chinese and Sinology research-related chair. It is the beginning of the independent Chinese teaching and Sinology research in Malta. 2017 sees the introduction of the SEC Syllabus (Chinese) for the Secondary Education Certificate Examination. Chinese courses have officially entered the Maltese national education system.This article conducts a comprehensive analysis of Chinese teaching in Malta, especially the situation of the University of Malta and the SEC syllabus, based on the author's experience and the study of primary and secondary sources. It also summarises the Chinese pedagogical features in Malta, focusing on the University of Malta. In addition, the sinological research conducted in Malta, which has not yet been introduced, will be presented in the paper. Based on the Open Access Repository of the University of Malta, this paper categorises more than l 00 Sinology-related studies by researchers and students of the University of Malta and its affiliated institutions. In terms of disciplines, the primary research areas are international relations and diplomacy; in terms of topics, most researchers focus on issues related to Malta and current events.