Inquiry: Teaching Mandarin Qualification

qxapple · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Birmingham

I am Chinese, study in UK. I've got a news that all British primary school would teach Mandarin from next year. I think it could need lots of Chinese teachers. I wonder what kind of qualification is needed to teach Mandarin in UK. How and where can i get it? If it is possible to gain it in China? How about the job opportunities for Mandarin teaching in UK?

Anybody knows it, pls give me some suggestion.

Many thanks

teacherchris · Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 7 Location: london

Pingguo, ni hao
What are you studying in Birmingham?
The news about primary schools in England and Wales is that foreign languages are going to become part of the curriculum, not that all primary school children are going to have to start studying Mandarin and Chinese. Some school will doubtless decide to offer Mandarin, but because very few English/Welsh primary school teachers know any Chinese, most school will probably end up only offering French and Spanish. You can work as a teaching assistant in an English primary school without a teaching qualification, but the best way to increase your chances of getting work in a school is to have some kind of teaching qualification. If you ask the authorities at your university in Birmingham, they might be able to put you in touch with useful contacts in the Teacher Training department.
I have done a post-graduate course in teaching English as a foreign language, and am hoping to be accepted onto a course starting in London this month to study teaching Mandarin as a foreign language. Doing this course will hopefully make it easier for me to get work teaching Mandarin and Chinese in English primary schools whenever some of them start offering it.
With best wishes
Chris Johnson / 公孫海