你好 Nǐ hăo, and welcome to NZCLW 2025!

Welcome to this June newsletter as we gear up to celebrate New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2025.

Everything is gearing up for another fantastic celebration of Chinese language and culture from August 31 to September 6 – how are you planning on celebrating the week? Let us know, and we can share your event on our website. 

Language Learning for New Zealand’s Future

The New Zealand Chinese Language Week Trust is delighted to be hosting a National Forum on Growing Foreign Language Learning Capability in New Zealand. The forum will be held in Auckland next month.

Foreign language learning in New Zealand is at a critical turning point. With fewer students studying languages than at any time in the past century, we risk falling behind globally — diplomatically, economically, and socially. Despite a strong base of skilled language teachers and PLD support through the Ministry of Education's Tui Tūia Learning Circle, the lack of formal curriculum mandates and limited University Entrance recognition continue to hold language education back.

That’s why the New Zealand Chinese Language Week (NZCLW) Trust, in partnership with the University of Auckland, is convening this national forum: to bring together leaders across education, government, academia, and industry to drive collective solutions and champion a new future for second-language learning in Aotearoa.

Lunch, morning and afternoon tea will be provided, there will be networking drinks at the end of the day.

To learn more about the forum and register your attendance, please complete the form linked below.

Date: Thursday, 17th July 2025

Location: Pullman Hotel, Princes St, Auckland

Everyone loves a delicious dumpling! National Dumpling Day gives us all a good excuse to join with family and friends to celebrate cultural exchange through one of the most iconic Chinese foods: the humble dumpling.  

This year, restaurants and hospitality sector partners across New Zealand will again be creating unique new dumplings as part of our signature Design-A-Dumpling Competition. Previously, people from Auckland to Christchurch, and even the Chatham Islands took part. This year, Dumpling Day promises to be bigger and better than ever before!  

Click the button below to nominate a restaurant that you would love to take part in this year’s competition!

This year’s tri-lingual children’s book is Birdsong, written by Maris O’Rourke, illustrated by Claudia Pond Eyley, with Te Reo and Chinese translations by Stephanie Huriana Fong and Hazel Juechen Shao respectively.

Birdsong/He Korihi/鸟儿的歌 is a charming tri-lingual 1-10 counting book. It is beautifully illustrated with a mix of familiar native and introduced birds – just as Aotearoa has a mix of indigenous and immigrant peoples. 

Birdsong will be distributed free of charge to all school and council libraries leading up to the week.

Make sure you keep an eye out for book readings. To find out if one is being hosted in your local area, check our upcoming newsletters, or head to the events page on our website. Feel free to organise your own book readings and let us know how it goes too – we can’t wait for you to see, read, and listen to Birdsong! 

Spotlight: NZCLW at the 6th Oceania Chinese Teachers’ Conference

On Saturday, NZCLW was proud to participate in the 6th Oceania Chinese Teachers’ Conference at the University of Auckland. NZCLW Project Manager Rebecca Needham shared reflections on the importance of language learning—not just as a communication tool, but as a powerful bridge between people, cultures, and nations.

It was energising to be among such a passionate and forward-thinking community of Chinese language educators from across Aotearoa. And reassuring to know that despite the nationwide decline in student enrolments since 2020, there are still schools where Mandarin programmes are thriving. One standout example was Fairfield High School, where Principal Richard Crawford spoke about how school leadership and alignment with broader educational goals have helped sustain strong student interest in Chinese.

In a thought-provoking keynote, Associate Professor Danping Wang from the University of Auckland addressed eight common myths about generative AI in language, including some interesting insights into the different ways AI is viewed in China versus the West. Her message was clear: while disruptive, AI is not optional—teachers will need to adapt and lead the way in integrating it thoughtfully.

These themes and more will be front and centre at the upcoming National Language Forum, co-hosted by NZCLW on Wednesday 17 July in Auckland.

We’d also like to thank the conference organisers—Vincent Zhang, Laura Deng, and their wider team—for putting together such a thoughtful and energising programme. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect, learn, and reaffirm the value of the work we all do to support Chinese language learning in New Zealand.

Other Ways to Take Part

Become a sponsor, host an event, or simply stay in touch—we always love hearing your thoughts and ideas. 2025 is going to be a fantastic year for celebrating New Zealand Chinese Language Week!