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你好 Nǐ hăo, welcome to our March Issue
The Year of the Water Rabbit is said to be one of creativity, and at New Zealand Chinese Language Week Trust, we can see a lot of creative activity happening.
More people are finding their voice and are able to express themselves, their feelings and their stories. The stories of Chinese migration to New Zealand are increasingly being told as part of the New Zealand school curriculum and its new focus on our history.
And the re-opening of borders has seen the return of Mandarin Language Assistants and the return of more accessible language training.
It’s going to be exciting in September when we celebrate New Zealand Chinese Language Week!
This year’s New Zealand Chinese Language Week is confirmed for 17 September to 23 September 2023.
National Dumpling Day is 26 September 2023.
There will be lots of activities going on between now and then. So start planning now! And remember to share with us! Put these dates in your calendars and diaries now!
The celebration of those special little food parcels is on again! National Dumpling Day is on Tuesday September 26 2023 – a great day to get together with friends and family, eat some delicious dumplings, and try out a few phrases in Chinese.
Last year, NZCLW asked you where your favourite dumpling venue was. This year, we are calling on restaurants and cafes to get involved and come up with some dumpling treats to draw in NZCLW participants.
Let us know where you like to eat dumplings and who you share them with, and we’ll give those venues a shout-out on our social media.
NZCLW aims to increase Chinese language learning across New Zealand. We support all Chinese languages – Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka and other dialects. However, we focus on Mandarin because this language is:
- taught in schools and universities in New Zealand and overseas,
- the most widely spoken Chinese language in the world,
- the national language of China,
- the language of business and trade.
We would love you to take part in NZCLW in whichever Chinese language you prefer!
Every year, our Language Superstars help bring NZCLW to life with the fantastic insight they have into what learning another language means to them! A Language Superstar can be anyone on a Chinese language learning journey. If this is you, or if you know of anyone who is learning Chinese – it could be a friend, a family member, a colleague or someone in your community – email nzclw@nzclw.com asap with their name and contact details.
The return of Mandarin Language Assistants (MLAs) to New Zealand has boosted access to Chinese language learning across New Zealand.
Hosted mainly by schools, the language assistants are working with locals to share language classes to the wider communities they are in.
For example, in Nelson, two recently-arrived MLAs are helping the local China Friendship Society to restart the Mandarin Conversation Group, Zhongwen Jiao, at the local polytechnic library. Everybody is welcome - native or fluent speakers, beginners or those at an advanced level.
Kiwihanyu - an online portal, is providing resources for people who teach Chinese language or who are interested in Chinese language resources.
Developed by the Confucius Institute in Auckland and the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers Association (NZCLTA) to support Chinese teaching and learning in New Zealand primary, intermediate and secondary schools. Access is free to NZCLTA members.
The resources cover materials from Year 1 to Year 13, mainly around the New Zealand curriculum, with some International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge resources, all created by teachers who teach in schools in New Zealand.
The resources on the website are teachers’ first-hand materials being used in their classes, and make it possible to switch to online teaching and learning.
The new New Zealand history curriculum sees a strong emphasis on telling our stories, particularly local stories.
Importance is placed on ensuring that the richness of our vibrant and diverse society is shared. Resources from the Ministry of Education are available and include two packs of materials on significant Chinese community histories.
It was great to see NZCLW 2022 Sports Ambassador Tyla Nathan-Wong share her family food story on Sik Fan Lah! On TVNZ.
The six-part series explores the spectrum of Kiwi Chinese identity, through a universal love of food. Sik Fan Lah! means “Come and Eat!” in Cantonese.
Each episode follows a host in their home town, as they talk about food they love, food that takes them back to their childhood, and food that’s played a part in how they identify.
Jess Wong, Producer of Sik Fan Lah! says food is a universal language.
“It speaks to people of family, gathering together and traditions. It transcends barriers and is a tasty way to educate and expose people to new cultures…Sik Fan Lah! has been a beautiful journey to explore the many layers of Chinese identity throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Sik Fan Lah! Was launched on TVNZ 1 on Sunday 12 February. Watch it at 10am on TVNZ 1 and online on TVNZ+.
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