The other day in Face Book, a UK young guy expressed his curiosity about my activities in face book . He said , “ I didn’t know people of your age used face book ?! ” Well , I told him it was quite natural to think it is unusual for people of my age ( I might be much older than what he imagined ) to use face book , but that means I am really having a motivate , active ,younger , modern and updated mind.
I remember one day in the early 1970s, when I was a young worker of a melting factory in P.R.China, a friend of mine showed me a big calculator which can only deal with some “ complicated ” problems like the “√ ” . I was so shocked about that . I did wonder that in this world there was such a miracle invention ! My friend told me secretly that it had been made by a military factory his brother was working in . That was my young age ! And also when I began to learn English during the 1970s. I even dreamt of having a machine which may show me all definitions of a word I am looking up to avoid me from holding those heavy dictionaries. Those are computers we are using today . My dreams have come true now.
The great invention of computer and internet is really a fantastic revolution of human beings. The world has changed a lot since this invention . Computer networks are quite advanced and popular nowadays. Chinese people are also taking advantage from computers and the internet . Billions of people in China are using internet , and among them , young people can get most of the advantages because of their young , active acceptance and smart intelligence . Most young kids have become experts in this field. Once when I asked questions to one of my old students who had graduated for years, he shook his head and said : “ Hey, Mr. Pan , you have already fallen behind . ” What a shame ! I don’t want to fall behind. Why don’t I pick up this useful tool and take advantage from it ?
No advance is to fall behind; Falling behind means being defeated .To be updated , we have to learn , learn and learn again. Never too old to learn. My 85- year- old mother has an old friend who is 88 years old . He is always sending me emails with attached powerpoint documents compiled by himself, and he is quite updated to transfer lots of newer and useful information to me. He is a very good example to us .
Thanks for the computer skills, I can get used to my immigration life here in the U.S.A. . I use internet to check out useful information , deal with many daily activities and chat with friends all over the world. With the help of one of my student Xiao Luo ( Rob Rohan) here , we have built up this Chinese communicative website which is such a wonderful stage for us to present the glorious Chinese cultures and language and share our opinions and experience in teaching and learning Chinese. We are now setting up many friendly links to different websites, like Face Book and Linkedin etc. to let all participators take more advantages from this resource . We can still do more , can’t we ?

中国的崛起势必令海外的中文热加温，这已经成为了不争的事实。然而，如何在这热潮中展开实实在在的教学，确实值得从事中文教学人士的探索和考究。根据近年在美国加州的教学探研经验，我想在此提出以下的一些看法仅供大家参考：
首先，如何激励美国人学中文的动力非常重要，因为众所周知，学外语真的很难，没有强大的动力和毅力驱动根本无从谈起。咱们中国人因穷而思变，前赴后继拼了老命去啃英语背英文。而 美国的人们多年来坐享着超级大国的富贵悠闲，哪用费煞那苦心呢？ 就算真的要学外语，西班牙语更贴近美国生活的人群；其他拉丁语系的语种更容易接受和理解。而土生土长的美国华人子弟也并不那么热衷中文，他们中一些人的父母往往因为当年脱离苦难，巴不得让孩子迅速漂白成 Americanized . 叫他学中文象走回头路似的。
要突破这些现实的尴尬有何良策呢？ 我对美国朋友和学生们讲，面对竞争，任何社会都在变化着，不进则退。美国正面对着来自中国以及众多发展中国家的竞争和挑战，如果不学会与人沟通，互相尊重理解，就会因被动而没落。其实美国政府自伊战后，也开始意识到这个问题的严峻性，迅速把中文定位为Critical Languages。普通美国老百姓也无法回避来自Made in China 的冲击，美国社会的发展有赖于济济的中国人才物财。你们现在和将来的工作和生活环境都不可避免地在和中国联系起来，意识到这一点，想到中国做生意、旅游、娶老婆领养儿女；想和中国人打交道，学中医、学功夫、学中文就来神了！有一点，很多美国人甚至我们相当一部分中国人只是肤浅地看到中国近年经济崛起的一些表面因素，而没有意识到博大精深的中华文化才是中国人民勤劳智慧和欲立于世界民族之林雄心的真正底蕴。学中文的价值正在于此 。至于部分华人试图以去中文来忘却过去，一方面犯了把苛政与中华优秀文化相提并论数典忘祖的逻辑错误，另一方面，更因为没有与时俱进而失去了作为中国人的优势和机遇，落后于时代。
第二， 海外的中文教学宛如一盘散沙，缺乏标准的权威，规范的指导和管理。既没有权威的教材，也没有与之相匹配的教学队伍。在美国，繁简并存，注音拼音自由发挥；普通话、台湾国语，广东话都是中国话，也难怪美人们摸不着头脑； 教学山头林立，各自为政。许多所谓的中文学校成为华人子弟课外活动的托管班，挂羊头卖狗肉，名不副实。 一方面，虽然美国的教育体制较为完善，却没有因应中文特殊形势而制定的特别师资和行业准入培训制度。没能发挥华人中教学人才的作用。另一方面，有人想指望从中国大陆空降能适应美国教学的中文教师那样的想法显然是不切实际的。此外，事实上中国两岸政府对海外中文教学的能耐也极其有限。孔子学院徒有虚名，成立多年也无法培养出几个可以在美国本土教中文的教师，无法协调各方面的师资力量，更谈不上为传播中华文化做多少贡献了。如此现状显得目前美国的中文教学发展有点畸形，不那么健康。
当前，除了两岸中国政府可以发挥宏观支持的作用外，各方有识之士应当整合优化松散的力量，组织相应越来越强有力的教学协会，选用较为规范的教材和界定教学内容和标准。逐步形成能在美国教育界具备权威角色的实体，这样才有利于汉语教学的健康发展。
第三， 中文教学和所有的语言教育一样，都要顺应语言规律 ，从语音，词汇 ，语法循序渐进地开展。学中文当然应当从汉语拼音或者注音开始，如果一开始便学写汉字，没有发音作为记忆的依据，学习就无以为继 ，至少也是事倍功半的。学外语的人特别是成年人一定会受母语的干扰，当然受干扰的强弱因人而异。汉语四声对许多美国人来说简直成了不可逾越的天然屏障。真要他们感知四声的正确音频定位，确实要费相当的力气。现在许多海外汉语教材对语音的渐进设计不足，如果课堂练习不够而急于求成过早进入文字学习的话，学生离开教师的指导便无所适从了。由于国家学外语的氛围不足，大多数美国人只能处于基础汉语的学习水平。所以现阶段汉语教学定位和计划都应当以打基础，特别是语音训练为重点。同时，无论语音还是语法，凡是两种文化有分歧的地方，通常都是教学的难点。因此，教学过程中，应该不断地进行语言的对比和分析，还要深入浅出，循循善诱，因材施教。
第四，不一定每一个中国人都会教中文，不一定每个会教中文 的人都会英语。中文教学成功有赖于游刃于双语，或者精通于双语的人才，这样的人才难得也！本人曾见识过某“国际汉语教学研讨会”，那里不乏只会炫耀受美国教育成果，对汉语教学认知寥寥，本末倒置的假洋鬼子。也有一大帮热热闹闹熙熙攘攘来自各中文学校既教中文又负责照看甚至接送孩子的老师。目前，在美国教中文的中国人很多，美国人却凤毛麟角。教者的中英文程度以及双语置换和教学能力参差不齐，良莠不齐，教学效果当然千奇百异了。本着对中华民族以及世界人民负责的态度，各位荣登国际汉语讲台的人士确实需要付出极大的努力，磨练出双语的利刃来，才不至于误洋子弟嘛。
海外中文教学事业方兴未艾，美国的中文也会越也来越热。我们每一个中文教师都有责任为实施这项意义重大的工程出谋献策，添砖加瓦。相信通过大家的努力，团结和开拓。中文教学的星星之火势必燎原，从而实现我们对世界和平的贡献。