The Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) has developed a set of standards for teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages, or TCSOL Standards for short, in response to the growing demands of Chinese learners for more and better qualified teachers.

TCSOL Standards provides an overall framework for the knowledge, abilities and skills required of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages. It serves as the basis for the education, training, assessment, and accreditation of teachers.
    
TCSOL Standards includes five modules. Module I "Language Abilities and Skills" consists of two standards: "Chinese Language Abilities and Skills and "Foreign Language Abilities and Skills". Module II "Culture and Communication" also has two standards: "Chinese Culture" and "Chinese-Foreign Cultural Comparison and Intercultural Communication". This module is designed to help teachers raise multicultural awareness, understand the similarities and differences between Chinese culture and other cultures, and understand the basic principles of intercultural communication. Module III "Second Language Acquisition and Learning Strategies" sets requirements for teachers to understand the principles of second language acquisition and the individual characteristics of learners in order to help them succeed in learning Chinese. Module IV "Teaching Methodology" features four standards: "Chinese Language Teaching Methodology", "Testing and Assessment", "Curricula, Syllabi, and Teaching Materials", and "Technology Enhanced Language Teaching". This module requires that teachers understand second-language teaching theories and methods and be able to practice classroom management and teaching. The fifth module "Professionalism" describes what makes a good teacher in terms of occupational qualifications, professional development, and moral principles. In sum, TCSOL Standards draws on the most recent research insights in the fields of second language acquisition and teaching English to speakers of other languages, as well as the experience teachers have accumulated in teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language in various international contexts.
   
TCSOL Standards has been developed under the sponsorship of the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban). Since October 2006, more than 300 scholars and experts in the field of teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language at home and abroad have contributed to the writing of the Standards. For all those who labored and sweated on this project at different stages, we extend our sincere thanks and great appreciation. In particular, we are grateful to the leadership and dedication of professor Liu Jun, president of TESOL, inc. (2006-2007) and director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona. We are also grateful to the advice and comments given by professor Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.

Specifically designed to establish criteria for teacher qualification, TCSOL Standards represents the first major attempt of its kind in the history of teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages. Due to time constraints, thorough field-testing of this work has not yet been possible; therefore, your comments and suggestions, which will help perfect the standards through the process of application, are most welcome.