Abstract:

The major contradiction currently facing the development of international Chinese language education (ICLE) is the conflict between a weak supply capacity and a rapidly growing demand for Chinese language instruction. Effectively and efficiently expanding supply constitutes the primary challenge at this stage. Increasing supply, however, does not depend on any single factor but hinges on the functioning of the entire supply chain of ICLE. A well-functioning supply chain can enhance productivity, mitigate the adverse effects of high teacher mobility, and unlock the potential of idle and inefficient resources, thereby enabling a substantial increase in supply. Building such a supply chain requires a content-based, scaling-up, and nodes-to-network strategy, implemented through an“unobtrusive integration”design. Essential to this process are capacity-building efforts such as developing evaluation systems, establishing sharing mechanisms, and providing professional development support for educators. Collectively, these measures can address the key obstacles in constructing a multilateral supply chain platform, including the cold start problem, cost concerns, and the protection of participant interests.

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