The Effectiveness And Value Of The Mandarin Language Assistant Programme In New Zealand

The Mandarin language Assistant(MLA) Programme in New Zealand is a part of Hanban’s Volunteer Chinese Teacher Programme, which formally started in 2010.Considering the great expense and resources invested to the MLA Programme by Hanban and Confucius Institutes, and the development of local Chinese teachers, it is very necessary and meaningful to study the present effectiveness and limitations of the MLA Programme. However, the related researches are rather rare both in China and overseas.Therefore, this study aims to investigate the perceived effectiveness of the MLA Programme through interviews with related staffs in the Confucius Institute in Auckland and a few schools in Auckland who have engaged an MLA, it is hoped to gain insight into the actual situation of the MLA Programme in local schools.The study concludes that overall the MLA Programme plays a positive role in promoting the development of Chinese language teaching and Chinese culture in local schools. Nevertheless, some problems in its current implementation emerge, such as time management, the gap between Hanban training and the actual planning and teaching involved, the schools’ lack of understanding of the MLA’s role and the schools’ reliance on the MLAs to develop their Chinese programme. Recommendations for schools, Confucius Institute and Hanban are raised in the conclusion, it is hoped that the study would help to enhance the MLA Programme and to provide references for the Volunteer Chinese Teacher Programme in other countries.