The Target Language Civilisation Subject at the Hungarian–Chinese Bilingual Primary and Secondary School – A Case Study in the Light of the Local Curriculum and Teaching Practice

Abstract

The Hungarian–Chinese Bilingual Primary and Secondary School is the only educational institution in Central and Eastern Europe where education is carried out in Chinese and the language of the host country—in this case, Hungarian—across twelve grade levels. Among the subjects that can be taught in the target language at bilingual schools in Hungary is the Target Language Civilisation course, which aims to provide students with knowledge about the target country and its culture in the target language. The purpose of this case study is first to review the local curriculum of the Chinese Target Language Civilisation subject at the school, then to reflect on the teaching practices through the lens of the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) educational approach, based on Coyle’s (1999) 4C’s model, and finally to propose recommendations for the revision of the local curriculum.