The 19th Cross-Strait Conference on Foreign Language Teaching & Learning took place at Fu Jen Catholic University (FJCU) in Taiwan from Oct 17 to 20.

This year’s conference, themed "Transitions, Boundary-Crossing and Innovations in Foreign Language Teaching", brought together nearly 100 experts and scholars representing four major universities, including Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), FJCU and Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (WZU).

Participants at the 19th Cross-Strait Conference on Foreign Language Teaching & Learning pose for a group photo. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn] 

Zhao Gang, a member of the standing committee of the CPC BFSU committee and vice-president of the university, attended the opening ceremony and participated in the Presidents' Forum. 

In his keynote speech titled "Developing Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) to Promote People-to-People Exchanges between China and Other Countries", Zhao provided an in-depth analysis of the current state of education in this discipline. He discussed the definition of LCTLs, reviewed the history of LCTL education, highlighted BFSU’s contributions in this area and talked about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. 

Zhao emphasized the importance of LCTL education in the current global landscape, where the world is undergoing profound changes. According to him, training professionals in these languages is crucial not only for introducing the world to China but also for presenting China to the world, thus fostering international understanding and trust. Ultimately, this contributes to achieving the broader goal of strengthening people-to-people connectivity across nations. 

The conference featured five parallel forums covering topics such as innovative approaches and materials, teaching models, theory and practice, technology and foreign language teaching, as well as university social responsibility. Scholars engaged in discussions and exchanges of ideas on each of these themes.

The Cross-Strait Conference on Foreign Language Teaching & Learning was jointly initiated by BFSU, SISU, FJCU and WZU in 2004. With 19 successful editions to date, the 20th conference is scheduled to be held at BFSU in 2025.