On the morning of November 5, the 2022 Meeting of China English Language Education Association (CELEA) was held in the lecture hall of the College of Foreign Languages, Nankai University.
Professor Sun Youzhong, President of the China English Language Education Association of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese and Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Professor Liang Qi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Nankai University, Dr. Chang Xiaoling, Deputy Chief Editor of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Ms Mu Xiangwang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College, Professor Yan Guodong, Dean of the College, Professor Li Min, Vice Dean and Associate, Hu Jun, Vice Dean of the College, Professor Zhang Wenzhong, Director of Research Center for Foreign Language Education and Teacher Development and Doctoral Supervisor of the College, attended the opening ceremony. Representatives of teachers and students from the College and other sister universities in the field of foreign language studies attended the conference online.
This symposium and the 11th Annual Conference of the China English Language Education Association (CELEA) of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese was organized by the College of Foreign Languages of Nankai University and co-sponsored by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Li Min, and Prof. Sun Youzhong, Prof. Liang Qi, Prof. Yan Guodong and Dr. Chang Xiaoling delivered speeches to kick off the 2022 CELEA annual event.
President Sun Youzhong firstly delivered a speech on behalf of the China English Language Education Association of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese. He welcomed the leaders of Nankai University and the experts and scholars who attended the opening ceremony, expressed his gratitude to the organizers, co-organizers and reviewers of this symposium, and congratulated the achievements of the College of Foreign Languages of Nankai University in international talent training and discipline construction. President Sun Youzhong explained the three key words in English teaching and research in China: “New Liberal Arts Construction”, “Courses for Ideological, Political Education” and “Three Advancing Work”. He encouraged colleagues in the foreign language field to base on teaching and research, answer and solve “pratical questions”, and produce original research results. He urged his colleagues to deepen the thinking and politics of the curriculum in English teaching, to achieve the trinity of “knowledge transfer, value building and ability cultivation” in teaching practice, and to cultivate foreign language talents who can “discern and act alone” and take up great responsibilities in the future. They will strive to cultivate students into new international talents who can “deeply understand Chinese culture, tell Chinese stories, and let the world understand China”.
Professor Liang Qi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Nankai University, opened his speech by quoting an ancient poem written by Yang Wanli, extending his warm welcome to the participants and scholars in such a beautiful autumn day. He pointed out that this symposium focused on the theory, methods and strategies for effective teaching of first-class curriculum and original content-language integration, explored the frontier reform topics of virtual teaching room construction and technology-enabled English teaching in the new development stage, and strived to promote the cultivation of discursive and innovative abilities integrated into English teaching, covering many topics with both theoretical and practical values. Professor Liang Qi hopes that through the in-depth discussion of hot issues, the collective wisdom of the English community will be gathered to more strongly promote the construction of high-quality English courses and the practice of teaching English courses with “morality education”.
In his speech, Professor Yan Guodong, Dean of the College of Foreign Languages of Nankai University, introduced the basic situation and achievements of the College of Foreign Languages of Nankai University. President Yan recalled the long history of the College with the development of Nankai University. He pointed out that the development and construction of the College of Foreign Languages in recent years has continued to adhere to the concept of “serving the country” in the cultivation of talents. The College is committed to cooperating with other sister departments of Nankai University to cultivate complex talents and contribute to the “internationalization of talents” of Nankai University, and has made great achievements in building first-class disciplines and cultivating people with moral character. Finally, on behalf of the College of Foreign Languages, Dean Prof Yan wished the seminar a great success.
In her speech, Dr. Chang Xiaoling, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, firstly thanked the organizers and experts for their hard work and excellent leadership in teaching reform. Dr. Chang Xiaoling introduced the fruitful efforts made by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press to promote the deepening reform of foreign language teaching and research. She expressed that she would actively assist universities in building a new ecology of digitalization and hoped to work together with the China English Language Education Association of the China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese and Nankai University to serve the strategic goals of the country.
The opening ceremony of this year’s symposium was broadcasted live through Tencent Conference and the WeChat video platform of “Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press” and “FLTRP Advanced English Information”, and more than 15,000 people watched the opening ceremony and keynote reports. The symposium lasted for two days, and many famous experts in the English language field gave keynote presentations, invited seminars and panel discussions on the theme of the conference and pratical issues in research and practice.
