Editor: Prof. Guo Xi, Chinese language teaching and curriculum development have always been your academic interests. Your last visit to SCCL was in 2010. This is your second. Could you share with us your observations of the current situation of Chinese language teaching in Singapore? And what changes are noteworthy in recent years, in your opinion?

In teaching of Chinese language, Singapore is indeed very different from other parts of the world. Chinese language teaching is getting more and more attention and is attached with greater importance here. Educators and scholars have been exploring various pedagogies and different modes of teaching with some remarkable achievements. The most noteworthy development in the past years is the increasing attention given to bilingualism in early childhood education. I believe this is significant for Chinese language teaching in Singapore.

Editor: What do you think are some of the key factors that could influence the outcome of Chinese language learning?

I think learners' motivation and attitude are among the most important factors. In Singapore, the facilities for learning Chinese are very good, the government is supportive, and the environment is getting increasingly conducive for the learning of Chinese. If learners could make use of these advantages and take every opportunity to learn and use Chinese, we can expect better results.

Editor: As far as CL2 acquisition is concerned, what kind of instructional materials you would consider to be the best?

It is not easy to say what kind of instructional materials are the best. But in my view, good instructional materials should have clear objectives and be able to meet the needs of the learners. There are a wide variety of teaching materials available; teachers should select the most appropriate ones on the basis of learners' actual needs.

Editor: What other suggestions would you offer to Chinese language teachers in Singapore?

It is important for a Chinese language teacher to develop a scientific concept of language teaching, to understand students' needs and to be able to motivate students and boost their enthusiasm in learning. Teachers need to develop themselves and learn from reflections on their teaching. Fundamentally, the aim of language teaching is to teach students to use the language, and we should not deviate from this. Teachers should help students understand that to master a language they have to put in substantial time and effort.