Almost 100 Mandarin teachers from Chinese schools across the Philippines gathered for a two-day training aimed at strengthening classroom instruction and professional skills, as the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), in partnership with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Culture Center, held the 2026 Mandarin Teaching Workshop–Philippines Group on April 11–12.
Hosted at the Filipino Chinese Cultural and Economic Association, the program focused on equipping educators with updated teaching methods and practical tools to better engage learners.
OCAC Director Eric Po-chih Chuang led the opening ceremony, joined by guest Jasper Huang. Chuang highlighted OCAC’s sustained efforts to advance Mandarin education overseas through teacher development programs, workshops, and cultural initiatives that support educators in diaspora communities.
Participants were introduced to OCAC’s suite of teaching resources, including the Let’s Learn Mandarin textbook series and its digital learning platform, HuayuWorld, which offers flexible and interactive materials for classroom use. The Culture Center likewise continues to collaborate with local partners to mount cultural activities that deepen students’ appreciation of language and heritage.
Huang underscored the role of Mandarin education in preserving cultural identity among overseas Chinese communities, urging educators to continuously innovate and adapt to evolving teaching environments.
The workshop covered a range of topics, including teaching methodologies, pronunciation and tone mastery, beginner-level listening and speaking instruction, and creative vocabulary-building activities. Sessions also tackled common challenges faced by overseas learners, offering practical, classroom-ready solutions.
To ensure high-quality instruction, OCAC tapped experts from the Chinese Language Center of National Sun Yat-sen University, whose teaching demonstrations drew positive feedback from participants.
Interactive sessions—ranging from icebreakers to group discussions and peer exchanges—encouraged collaboration and the sharing of best practices among teachers. The program concluded with a forum and certificate presentation, with participants citing valuable takeaways they can immediately apply in their classrooms.
OCAC reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Mandarin education globally, emphasizing continued collaboration with overseas partners to nurture skilled educators and sustain the growth of Mandarin learning worldwide.