Page 11 - R&KT Flipping Book - Issue 5, Dec 2016

Our peOple

Promoting Issue FIve

the Teaching of Chinese

“I was in my 20s, and my students were teachers in their 40s. I taught them
new pedagogy in Chinese pedagogy and speaking Putonghua.”

Professor Si Chung-mou
Head, Department of Chinese Language Studies

Starting an Academic Career
Chinese language scholar Professor Si Chung- The achievement landed him a job as Head of Chinese Section
mou has the ability to kindle people’s interest in at the Language Centre at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in
Chinese during a conversation. He reads Chinese 1986, responsible for providing Putonghua classes for students and
poems in a soulful voice, and makes people teaching Chinese as a second language to diplomats and foreigners.
appreciate Chinese culture. In 2011, he was appointed Head of School of Chinese, a position he
held until joining EdUHK in January 2015.

He has achieved a lot in his career. In 1993, he proposed to the
As Head of Department of Chinese Language Studies, Professor Si
government to implement Putonghua as a core course in schools.
has dedicated his lifetime to nurturing the learning of Putonghua
Today, about one-third of the local schools use Putonghua to teach in
and an understanding of Chinese culture in schools, as well as
the Chinese language. He has helped more than 100 schools include
promoting recitation and Chinese classics
Chinese culture in their curriculum. “I hope that my work can raise
Passion for Chinese the Chinese language proficiency among students,” Professor Si said.
Grown up in Cheung Chau, Professor Si became interested in
Chinese in 1969 when studying in Clementi Middle School that
was renowned for Chinese teaching. “My teachers were traditional
Chinese scholars,” Professor Si said.

In 1974, with grade ‘A’s in Chinese Language, Chinese Literature
and Chinese History in HKCEE, Professor Si was admitted by the
Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to study Bachelor of Arts Keynote speaker of an international
in Chinese Language and Literature. After graduation in 1979, he conference on Chinese Culture.
started his career as a Chinese teacher in local schools. In 1984,
he joined the Institute of Language in Education, one of EdUHK’s
predecessor colleges, as a lecturer in Chinese and Putonghua. “I was
in my 20s, and my students were teachers in their 40s. I taught them
new pedagogy in Chinese and speaking Putonghua,” he said.

Professor Si achieved his first academic success with his master
Professor Si (second right) and his
thesis that compared the phonological differences between family members.
Cantonese and Putonghua. It was later published as Hong Kong’s
first phonetic guide for Putonghua learners . “The Putonghua
teachers in schools all bought my book as a teaching guide.”

Participation of conference on
Reading Chinese Classics in
Changsha, China.

Professor Si with his colleagues of
Department of Chinese Language
Studies attended an international
conference in Kobe, Japan in
November 2015.

R & KT News 11