Exploring the Current State of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language in Primary and Secondary Schools: Issues and Countermeasures

Amid the increasingly mature cultural exchanges between China and the international community, the discipline of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL) has progressively developed into a more systematic and diversified field. As the global demand for Chinese language education expands, learner populations have become more heterogeneous, necessitating pedagogical approaches that are context-sensitive and learner-specific. In particular, the instruction of Chinese at the primary and secondary level presents distinct challenges and demands targeted strategies that differ from those applied in higher education or adult learning contexts. This study examines the current state of Chinese language instruction in primary and secondary schools affiliated with a Romanian institution of higher education, serving as a representative case for analyzing broader issues within the region. Focusing on three core dimensions—namely, teacher resources, the utilization and adaptation of instructional materials, and pedagogical methodologies—the paper investigates the principal obstacles hindering effective Chinese language teaching and learning at these educational levels.