On October 13^th, the Confucius Institute at Colorado State University participated in CSU’s homecoming parade. This year the homecoming theme was, “home,” and CICSU participated with the motto, “We’ve come from out of town, out of state, and out of country. From silken fans to whirling batons, from the ancient zither to the modern marching band, from the precious panda to the mighty ram. Our cultures may be different but our hearts are one, and home is where the heart is. Home is the mountains, home is Old Town, home is CSU. We are the Confucius Institute and we are ram-ily!”

CICSU’s parade presentation was unique, a truck and trailer adorned with Chinese fans, traditional pieces of Chinese paper-cutting, and many knick-knacks such as safety knots and “firecrackers.” Inside the trailer traditional Chinese music was played, and following behind a traditional fan dance was performed. CICSU’s panda was very popular as he greeted spectators, distributed Chinese White-Rabbit Candy, and posed for photographs.

CSU’s homecoming parade was a fantastic event to be a part of. Seeing some many diverse campus and community organizations coming together to share their own unique school pride only inspired us to want to do things bigger and better. We here at CICSU hope everyone who attended had a fantastic time and we cannot wait to see you all again next year!

On June 11, the 2017 Taste of Fort Collins took place in Old Town Fort Collins with more than 50,000 local residents in attendance. The annual cultural event offered attendees the opportunity to taste lo
cal food and drink, and listen to music played by local performers. The Confucius Institute at Colorado State University participated by handing out free unique CI fans featuring a famous Chinese painting, as well as environmentally-friendly reusable bags containing Chinese home-style recipes. Teachers from the Confucius Institute handed out the giveaways to people who stopped by the CICSU booth, which was adorned with Chinese-style decorations.

Throughout the three-day event, many attendees could be seen walking about with Chinese fans and reusable bags, and many expressed their thanks to CICSU for the cooling breeze on a hot summer day. The event further enhanced the visibility of the Confucius Institute at CSU in Colorado, and brought the charm of Chinese culture to the
local people of Fort Collins

On November 17, the Chinese guqin made its debut at the CSU School of Music. Two representatives from the Confucius Institute gave a recital and presentation about the history and philosophy of the guqin – one of the oldest Chinese stringed instruments. The presentation was well received and music students were able to try out the instrument, giving them an opportunity to experience an instrument played during the times of Confucius. The guqin has a history of over 3,000 years and, as of 2008, has been inscribed by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Guqin playing developed as an elite art form, practised by noblemen and scholars in intimate settings, and was therefore never intended for public performance. Furthermore, the guqin was one of the four arts – along with calligraphy, painting and an ancient form of chess – that Chinese scholars were expected to master. (For more information click here.)

The Confucius Institute at CSU offers classes for the guqin. Please contact them at ciinfo@colostate.edu if you are interested in learning the guqin or finding out more about classes.

On September 15, 2016, the Confucius Institute joined the Global Business Network along with students from the U.S., India, China, Saudi Arabia, and Japan in the Gray Rock room of Lory Student Center, to share traditional ethnic clothing and global business customs. Representatives from each county culture explained the meanings behind some of their traditional clothing, discussed the history of the clothing and how it has affected business habits. There was a question and answer session after each presentation.

Chris Lewis, a sophomore at Colorado State University, claimed second place in the Midwest regional Chinese Bridge language competition held in Chicago in April. His prize is a trip to China to participate in the event finals.

A physics major, Lewis has always been passionate about Chinese language and culture. As a young child, he watched “Discovery Atlas: China” that inspired him to want to learn the language. In eighth grade, he started learning Mandarin Chinese and became proficient enough to be placed into accelerated Chinese programs in high school.

“I loved the tonal aspect, something I still think to this day is one of the most beautiful things about the language,” Lewis said.

During his years at Legend High School, Lewis had the opportunity to travel to China and participate in an exchange program.

“China matured me into a young adult. I met some of my best friends there, with whom I am still in contact today,” he said.

Lewis will be returning to China in July to participate in the “China Bridge” finals. While there, he will attend a one-year study abroad program at Hunan University.

CHINESE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
A STARTALK Program on Incorporating Learner-Centered Technology Tools in the Chinese Language Curriculum

Program for Teaching East Asia
Center for Asian Studies
University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado

The University of Colorado’s Program for Teaching East Asia will host a STARTALK program for middle and high school Chinese language teachers to provide them with a thorough understanding of and practical experience with implementing effective learning technologies appropriate for the secondary Chinese language classroom. Based on the premise that the sustainability of both a program and its teachers increasingly depends on the teachers possessing skills and behaviors of a digital-age professional, this STARTALK program will introduce the theory, standards, frameworks, knowledge, and practice necessary for incorporating into the curriculum, with comfort and ease, a range of learner-centered technology tools. Program participants will work with language technology specialists, experienced Chinese language curriculum designers, and master teachers from successful language programs to gain a clear understanding of and competency in a variety of technologies around which they can create effective and engaging lessons.

Program Dates:
Asynchronous Online Learning: June 10 – 21, 2015
Residential Institute: June 23 – July 1, 2015

For more information: Contact Jon Zeljo, Program Director, at jon.zeljo@colorado.edu  or 303-735-5128.

Detailed flyer and application: www.colorado.edu/CAS/TEA/programs/downloads/STARTALK_application_2015.pdf.

Application deadline: June 1, 2015

To meet the diverse needs of various countries in learning about Chinese language and culture, a digital edition of Confucius Institute magazine is now available on iOS, Android, websites and other mobile media platforms with content in 11 languages, including Chinese-English.

To download the magazine for free:

• If you are an Apple (iPhone/iPad user), search “confucius institute magazine” in the iTunes App store.
• For Android phone and tablet users, search “confucius institute magazine” in Google Play.
• On Kindles, search “confucius institute magazine” in Amazon.
• PC users can visit www.confucius-institute-magazine.com

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Confucius Institute, to demonstrate its development achievements and to promote the understanding and recognition of this institute from all walks of life, Confucius Institute Headquarters has joined the WeChat social network, with 孔子学院 as its official account. Followings will be greatly appreciated. Details of the operation are as follows:

1. Download the WeChat application;
2. Search for the account 孔子学院

为庆祝孔子学院成立10周年，展示孔子学院发展成就，增进各界对孔子学院的了解和认同，孔子学院总部开通官方 微信——孔子学院。欢迎大家关注。
具体方法如下：

1.下载微信软件（WeChat）
2.查找公众号“孔子学院”