Newsletter No. 7

• CUHK Newsletter Mandarin teachers. Most of the students were missionaries, scholars, and diplomats. In the 1967-68 academic year the centre experienced a dramatic increase in enrolment, thus beginning a steady climb towards the large enrolment it has enjoyed in recent years. Meanwhile, one of Ms. Ling's early decisions was to invite Mr. Liu Ming, an experienced Chinese language teacher from Taiwan, to join the centre. In 1967 he became deputy director of the centre, and in 1971 he was appointed director, a position he retains today. Relationship with the University In 1974 the centre joined The Chinese University, though it remained at the traditional Kowloon site of New Asia College. The centre shifted to the CUHK campus in 1980 ， when its present premises were opened. Interestingly, despite its 16-year association with the University, the centre continues to enjoy a rather unique distinction: only a handful of its employees are paid by the University. As in its early days, the centre is somewhat a self-supporting institution relying on tuition fees for its survival. This is the main reason why its fees - nearly $10,000 per term (for the intensive courses) in the first two terms and $6,600 tor the summer term - are unusually high. Challenges Having to basically pay its own way is just one of the challenges the centre faces. Catering to the most diverse student body on campus is another. Over the past 27 years, students from 47 countries have studied at the centre. Satisfying the needs of such a broadly-based student population has been a complex task, particularly since their reasons for studying Chinese have varied so widely. In addition to preparing missionaries for the linguistic demands of their work, the centre has had to provide the necessary language skills for people in many other fields. One interesting indication of the kinds of language- related needs the centre must supply is the factor which has recently brought a large group of Japanese students to the centre: to acquire enough Cantonese to chat with Hong Kong movie stars and popular singers. Changing political circumstances provide another major challenge. This is particularly true with respect to the 1997 question. In the past, for example, students interested in learning Mandarin came to the centre not only because of its excellent reputation, but also because of the open political atmosphere not available in Taiwan or China, especially with respect to the types of course materials used. How much that will change in the future remains to be seen. Political changes will also likely affect the enrolment in Cantonese courses, since it is expected that fewer missionaries will come to Hong Kong. This will necessitate an increased enrolment in Mandarin courses, but that, too, is something which may not occur, especially since Hong Kong, as a Cantonese speaking place, does not offer a linguistic environment in which students can practise Mandarin outside class. Whatever the future may hold in store, the centre is at present enjoying the finest days in its history, and is contributing significantly, both to the University and to the local and international communities, in the teaching and learning of Chinese. 5