hihilulu – Editor’s Note: Professor Joël Bellassent frequently emphasized, during the hihilulu teacher training camp, the importance for teachers to shift perspectives in teaching—namely, to think and design lessons from the learner’s point of view. Professor Bellassent generously shared with hihilulu his article presented at the 2015 International Chinese Language Teaching Forum and authorized us to republish it. Although the article was published years ago, the truths it contains remain timeless and thought-provoking. As the article is quite long, we are publishing it in 3 parts.
Preface written by Professor Joël Bellassent when the article was first published:
“Human beings are noble because of their capacity for thought and reasoning. People can think under any circumstances, but one of the costs is that they often view issues only from their own perspective and frequently center everything around themselves. This can lead to a narrow vision like that of a frog at the bottom of a well, and also to the ‘Mount Lu phenomenon’. The famous verse from Song-dynasty poetry—‘I cannot recognize the true face of Mount Lu, simply because I am within the mountain’—means that subjective obstacles can prevent us from seeing the truth and essence of things. Therefore, it is necessary to go beyond a self-centered viewpoint and cultivate the ability to think from another’s position.”
The core driving force of any academic discipline lies in its continuous development and refinement. In addition to microscopic research (such as teaching methods for various speech activities, Chinese character instruction, classroom teaching, vocabulary, cultural and grammar teaching, assessment, learner motivation, and other specific areas), the field of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language urgently needs macroscopic research that complements these micro-level studies. Such macroscopic research includes the ontology of Chinese language teaching as well as examining the history of Chinese as a second language education from the perspective of scientific epistemology.
Macroscopic research should maintain a certain distance from microscopic research, objectively analyzing the developmental crises the discipline has experienced and the epistemological obstacles it faces. In other words, researchers in Chinese second-language teaching need to step out of “Mount Lu,” to stand outside it in order to observe, reflect, and undertake the work of excavating and clarifying knowledge.My thanks go to the colleagues participating in this column’s discussion, who, from various positions “outside Mount Lu,” explore the “Mount Lu phenomenon” in the teaching of Chinese as a second language.
Epistemological Obstacles of the Discipline and the “Mount Lu Phenomenon”
From the front, the mountain stretches like a long ridge;
From the side, it rises as a towering peak.
From far or near, from high or low — it appears in different ways.
I cannot recognize the true face of Mount Lu,
Simply because I am within the mountain itself.
— Su Shi, Northern Song Dynasty, “Inscription on the Wall of the Xilin Monastery
In Su Shi’s poem “Inscription on the Wall of the Xilin Monastery”, the final two lines—“I cannot recognize the true face of Mount Lu, simply because I am within the mountain itself”—express in poetic imagery a truth: to perceive an issue fully and comprehensively, and to avoid errors arising from partial experience, one must maintain a certain distance from the object of inquiry. Applying this principle to self-reflection, we define the “Mount Lu phenomenon” as:
a closed state of thinking, limited by personal experience and centered on the self, lacking proper analysis of surrounding matters and one’s own situation;
and as a narrow mode of thinking, caused by insufficient distance and clarity regarding one’s environment, leading to incorrect judgments about external phenomena.
Every science or discipline, throughout its emergence, consolidation, and gradual development toward qualitative transformation, experiences twists, downturns, and even regressions. Faced with crises and challenges, the epistemology of a discipline develops through difficulties, until it undergoes a rupture and achieves qualitative change. Such an epistemological rupture is a crucial factor and a key marker in the establishment of a discipline. Conversely, if the development of a discipline encounters epistemological obstacles, it risks falling into crisis.
The epistemological rupture of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language occurred in the latter half of the twentieth century. In 1978, at the “Linguistics Discipline Planning Meeting for the Beijing Region” convened by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Mr. Lü Bisong first proposed that the teaching of Chinese to foreigners should be studied as a specialized discipline, and that higher-education institutions should establish programs to train teachers in this field. He articulated the necessity and urgency of creating such a new and independent discipline. His view received recognition and support from the linguists present. The meeting summary, “Brief Report of the Beijing Region Linguistics Discipline Planning Forum,” clearly stated: “The teaching of Chinese to foreigners should be studied as a specialized discipline; dedicated research institutions should be established, and specialized personnel should be trained.” This marked the epistemological rupture— the qualitative transformation—of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, and signaled the establishment of this emerging discipline. Thereafter, the field entered a phase of disciplinary development.
However, as various issues surfaced during the discipline’s development, we found that many “pre-scientific” notions continued to hinder the formation of a true “scientific spirit.” Epistemological obstacles have planted hidden risks for the discipline’s future. These obstacles take various forms, including ideology, culture, and educational beliefs. And the root of these obstacles often lies in the fact that we have not stepped out of “Mount Lu”—we have not maintained sufficient distance for scientific observation, and thus cannot achieve more rigorous cognition and judgment. This is the “Mount Lu phenomenon” in the teaching of Chinese as a second language.
