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The Department of Chinese Language and Literature at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) recently hosted the sixth University Chinese Forum and Guangdong-Hong Kong Conference on Chinese Language Teaching. Sponsored by the CUHK Faculty of Arts and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, the event brought together 88 scholars and frontline educators from 13 higher education institutions across Guangdong and Hong Kong. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on teaching transformation under the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration, and experiential learning, highlighting new directions for innovation and convergence in Chinese language education, and promoting innovative practice and integrated development in the new era.

With the increasing prevalence of AI, the forum focused on how institutions can leverage technological tools to enhance learning outcomes while upholding the core essence and value of education, and preserve the academic depth and warmth inherent in language education. It also highlighted the reshaping of teaching strategies, the strengthening of classroom interaction, and the modern transformation of traditional pedagogical wisdom, offering insights for the future development of language education.

In his welcome address, Professor Poon Ming-kay, Chairman of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at CUHK, stated that higher education in Chinese language is at a pivotal turning point. He advised educators to actively integrate AI tools into teaching while reflecting thoughtfully on education’s fundamental mission. He emphasised that language education is not just about imparting skills but also about cultural heritage and the cultivation of thinking, and that a balance must be struck between efficiency and depth.

The forum’s keynote speeches addressed modern teaching strategies tailored to the AI era, insights drawn from traditional methodologies, and the development of versatile curricula.

Professor Poon, in his talk titled From ‘No Enlightenment Without Frustration’ to ‘Teaching Through Q&A’: Inspirations of the Heuristic Teaching of Confucius and Mencius for the Design of Classroom Teacher-Student Dialogues, revisited the design of classroom questioning and teacher-student exchanges in the digital age based on the Confucian principle of “No Enlightenment Without Frustration”, addressing the prevalent challenge of shallow classroom interaction.

Professor Gao Xiaoping of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Dr Vichy Ho Wai-chi of The University of Hong Kong and Dr Ng Hok-chung of Hong Kong Baptist University, offered their insights respectively on AI-assisted language learning, student AI-utilisation habits, and proactive institutional coping strategies, examining the impacts of AI tools in teaching on students’ writing proficiency, academic integrity and critical thinking.

Several frontline university Chinese language teachers also shared their practical experiences, covering areas such as the practice of “informal learning” and interdisciplinary innovation, creative approaches to Chinese writing curricula, experiential learning, and AI integration.

In terms of curriculum development and innovative pedagogical approaches, representatives from various institutions demonstrated how they have reshaped their teaching strategies through concrete practices. Professor Zhao Pusong and Professor Lin Chengchuan from CUHK-Shenzhen examined Chinese discipline development within Sino-foreign cooperative universities in the Greater Bay Area. Dr Ren Tao’s team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology shared their experience in cross-institutional collaboration. Adopting the concepts of “contextualised curriculum design” and “experiential learning”, they extended classroom teaching into authentic settings such as innovation and technology enterprises. Dr Chan Kin-wing’s team from the Hong Kong Shue Yan University showcased an innovative practice of “gamified learning”, applying a “backward design” approach to transform classical texts into board game mechanisms, effectively enhancing students’ learning motivation and group collaboration skills. In addition, Dr Ally Cheung Yu-wan from Hong Kong Chu Hai College and Dr Lam Wing-kin’s team from The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, also shared their practical experiences in the transformation of cultural outcomes and the design of compulsory modules integrating liberal arts and professional education, respectively.

Participants also put forward a host of enlightening teaching strategies for deepening classroom interaction and technological integration. Dr Cheung Wing-mui from CUHK introduced the practice of “informal learning”, using 360-degree panoramic videos to design literary appreciation activities that guide students toward close reading and stimulate creative inspiration. Dr Eddy Fung Hon-fai of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology applied the concept of “situated learning” by transforming writing into learning tasks that simulate real-life social scenarios. In response to the challenges posed by AI, Dr Tao Yuan of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University proposed a “three-dimensional questioning approach”, which integrates Musk’s “first principles thinking” and the Socratic method to reposition AI from an answer generator to a facilitator of thinking, thereby addressing students’ cognitive dependence. Meanwhile, Dr Ma Sai-ho of The Education University of Hong Kong explored the positive impact of “drama-in-education” on enhancing non-local students’ Cantonese speaking skills.

The forum stood as testament to the long-term collaboration between CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen, driven by joint initiatives under the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant (TDLEG). Presenters showcased fruitful collaborative milestones in non-fiction writing, AI-interactive classical literature learning, and the proprietary “ERYA” system – reinforcing the profound value of inter-institutional synergy.