Indonesian students attend classes taught by Chinese teachers at the Pahoa school in Tangerang city, outside Jakarta. The demand for studying Chinese language and culture is on the rise in Southeast Asian countries, as many students are eager to learn more about Chinese heritage while boosting their job prospects. [Provided to China Daily]

To meet the shortage of Chinese teachers in other countries, Hanban, a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education, launched the Volunteer Chinese Teacher Program in 2004. By the end of 2012, it had sent more than 18,000 volunteer teachers to 101 countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.

Qualified volunteers undergo a series of training courses conducted by Hanban, before they are dispatched overseas to teach the Chinese language, usually for one year. Volunteers receive between $800 and $1,000 as a monthly living allowance.

"However, the supply is not enough. The demand for Chinese language teachers far surpasses the supply," Zhu says.

While the salary level of Chinese teachers in Southeast Asia falls below those seen in the United States and Europe, it is still considered competitive.

"The salary of a Chinese teacher in Indonesia is about 6,000 yuan per month. Chinese teachers in Thailand earn about 4,000 yuan," Zhu says, adding these are medium to high levels of income.

Suo Bei, who teaches Chinese in an international school in Surabaya, the third-largest city in Indonesia, is more than pleased with her job. Despite her heavy workload, her work as a Chinese language teacher to kindergarten, primary and secondary students brings her joy, says Suo, who arrived in the country in November last year.

"I teach them Chinese listening, oral Chinese, about traditional Chinese holidays and some interesting stories. The students are also taught calligraphy and traditional Chinese musical instruments," Suo says.

She suggests that Chinese parents talk more in Chinese with their children so the latter can master the language faster.

Ding Fangyun, a professor at Beijing Normal University and an expert in Chinese language teaching, confirms that the demand for Chinese teachers in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries is increasing rapidly. Even children aged three and four are learning Chinese at local schools.

"Due to the boom in the tourism industry in Southeast Asian countries, tour and shopping guides who speak Chinese are in great demand," Ding says.

Chinese teachers, to be considered qualified, should have received formal training, especially if they did not major in Chinese, she says.

Ding says that teachers need to learn contemporary Chinese, the culture of China, teaching theory and methods, even some traditional Chinese arts like Chinese painting, paper cutting and Chinese knotting.

They should also apply teaching methods suited to the ages of their students, including children's songs, to stimulate the latter's interest in learning the language, Ding says.