1 Introduction

On March 22-23, 2024, the Africa School of Beijing Foreign Studies University and the French National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures jointly held the "2024 International Symposium on African Language and Culture Research", focusing on the teaching of African language and culture from the perspective of interdisciplinary and complementary disciplines. More than 40 experts and scholars from multiple countries attended the conference to explore innovative methods for teaching African language and culture, cross linguistic and cultural teaching, as well as the integration of literary culture and language teaching. The conference adopts Chinese French English trilingual simultaneous interpreting, and the participants actively discuss the difficulties, experiences and suggestions of African language teaching.

2. African Language and Culture Teaching Methods and Innovative Teaching Methods

Introduced African language and cultural teaching methods and innovative teaching methods. Experts shared cutting-edge perspectives such as interdisciplinary knowledge complementarity, teaching strategies that cater to multi-ethnic and multicultural students, teaching methods that highlight language characteristics, and digital technology to enhance teaching efficiency. Dr. Lantu Charles Lassoanilana explores the complementarity of different disciplines in teaching African languages and cultures, emphasizing collaboration, interaction, and contextualization in teaching activities. Dr. Tais Lara Wahanjim Pinuna Rasulo Aliwuni focuses on teaching strategies for Madagascar civilization that are suitable for multi-ethnic and multicultural student groups in the context of globalization. Dr. Wang Ting explores the teaching methods of African law courses using the graduate program at BFSU Africa College as an example. Associate Professor Murusif Aslati proposed that mastering the rules of word formation can help promote the learning of Amharic vocabulary. Dr. Landry Jos é Kunu Mfengdo explored the effectiveness of game based teaching methods in teaching spoken dialects in central Cameroon. Kandla Tevenin explores the effectiveness of using humor teaching methods in language and cultural education based on research in humor psychology and educational anthropology.

Teaching African Language and Culture from a Cross Language and Cross Cultural Perspective

The theory and practice of teaching African languages and cultures were discussed, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural understanding. Experts have put forward suggestions such as selecting teaching methods according to local conditions, enriching teaching activities, promoting overseas research and dissemination of oral literature, and promoting diversity cooperation between language and cultural institutions and international organizations. Professor Lawrence Purges from the French School of Oriental Studies explored the challenges and opportunities of using interdisciplinary and complementary approaches in teaching African civilization, and proposed the concept of "shared anthropology". Associate Professor Lina Laongjiarisu reviewed the teaching and research of Malagasy language and culture at the School of Oriental Languages, and introduced the development of online degree courses and MOOC platforms. Professor Carsten Lejer, Emeritus at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, reviewed his fifty year research on linguistics in sub Saharan Africa. Professor Yakubu Magaji Azare from Yale University in Nigeria introduced the contribution of his university's Nigerian Language, Translation, and Folklore Research Center in promoting the use of indigenous languages. Dr. Huang Lizhi from Beijing Foreign Studies University discussed the teaching choices and practices of Zulu grammar from a cognitive perspective. Associate Professor Olivia Lakutusson from the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar pointed out the importance of emphasizing cultural dimensions and using cross-cultural methods in foreign language teaching. Professor Su Xiaonan from Beijing Foreign Studies University introduced the "Madagascar+French" bilingual training program of Beijing Foreign Studies University and proposed the suggestion of increasing French practice time.

The Relationship between Literature, Culture, and Language Teaching

Discussed the close connection between literature, culture, and language teaching. Experts emphasize that African literature research should combine local knowledge and literary reading to enhance learners' language and communication skills. Local language is the carrier of cultural concepts, and language teaching plays a core role in protecting culture and national identity. Cross linguistic and cross-cultural comparative teaching methods are advocated to highlight the uniqueness of ethnic languages. Associate Professor Pamela Muhadia Ngugi from Beijing Foreign Studies University proposed that the skills courses for African language and literature majors should be reformed and integrated into literary reading to cultivate language communication skills. Professor Irena Labenuru discussed the teaching method of Malagasy as a foreign language, emphasizing the importance of cross linguistic and cross-cultural teaching. Dr. Iposas Xinbo Apeku proposed an innovative approach that combines indigenous knowledge from Africa to analyze places in African novels. Elsa Zizon explores the role of Arabic language teaching in cultural preservation and national identity in Morocco. Dr. Isabelle Odette Rafidimalara studied the terms related to "migration" in the Malagasy dialect and explored their cultural concepts.

Teaching African Language and Culture in the Context of China, Europe, America, and Africa

Discussed the diverse and inclusive methods of teaching African languages and cultures in different national contexts. In the African context, the importance of language and cultural learning for a diverse and inclusive learning environment is emphasized. Chinese experts propose to enhance the level of teaching staff, improve the textbook system, and focus on international cooperation to promote the comprehensive development of disciplines. Nigerian experts emphasize the role of language in national development, propose that improper language policies may become obstacles to national development, and explore measures to address multilingual phenomena in Nigeria. Experts from the Africa College of Beijing Foreign Studies University shared the reform and innovation of Swahili language professional skills courses, as well as the current situation and challenges of Rwandan language teaching, and proposed solutions. Experts from Ekiti State University in Nigeria discussed the goals, methods, strategies, and cultural adaptation issues of foreign language teaching, and proposed improvement suggestions. Experts from Beijing Foreign Studies University have explored the evolution of African language teaching from the perspective of disciplinary construction, pointing out the need to strengthen the integration of language teaching and regional research in Chinese African language teaching.

Teaching African Languages: Difficulties, Experiences, and Suggestions

African language teaching faces challenges such as language specificity, shortage of teaching staff, and insufficient policy support. Experts propose solutions such as flexible use of teaching methods, promotion of cultural exchange, and improvement of students' language and cultural application and understanding abilities. A professor from the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa emphasized the importance of African languages in national reconciliation, economic trade, and historical reconstruction. He analyzed the complexity of teaching Swahili and Zulu languages in a multilingual environment in South Africa and proposed suggestions such as strengthening foreign language learning promotion and developing localized teaching materials. A PhD from Yale University in Nigeria introduced the important position, teaching and research history of Hausa language in Africa and the world, emphasizing the importance of offline interaction between teachers and students. The teacher of Amharic language major at Beijing Foreign Studies University pointed out the challenges faced by professional construction in terms of faculty, textbooks, and student awareness. They suggested inviting experts to teach, cultivating local faculty, and writing textbooks suitable for Chinese students. A professor from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia analyzed the multifunctionality of Amharic vocabulary and the difficulties in teaching as a second language, and proposed suggestions for the comprehensive use of different teaching methods and the use of linguistic knowledge by teachers to explain language phenomena. A PhD from the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar analyzed the advantages and challenges of second language teaching in Madagascar, and suggested that teachers use Malagasy language teaching, improve literature and civilization curriculum content, and strengthen their understanding of cultural customs. Introduction to the Swahili Language major at the Africa College of Beijing Foreign Studies University, including the development of the major and the construction of textbooks, summarizing the characteristics and difficulties of the major's development. Foreign teachers majoring in Zulu language at Beijing Foreign Studies University introduced the working principle and application method of the web crawler developed to automatically retrieve Zulu language corpora. This tool can provide high-quality data for corpora and has interactivity and practicality.

7 African Literature, Culture, and Regional Knowledge and Their Teaching

Deeply explored the theory and practice of African literature, culture, and regional knowledge in teaching. Experts have analyzed the importance of teaching African literature and culture from different disciplinary perspectives, emphasizing literature as a reflection of language and cultural interaction, as well as the role of comparative studies of Chinese and foreign literature in revealing cultural similarities. Professor Joseph MacIntyre from the University of Hamburg in Germany explored the application of metaphor and metonymy in Hausa language teaching from a cognitive linguistic perspective, revealing the interaction between language and culture. Associate Professor Liu Tiannan from the School of International Relations emphasized the importance of cultivating professional talents with knowledge of African countries and introduced the innovative features of the course "Introduction to African Studies". Teacher Tang Lei from Beijing Foreign Studies University defined the concept of Malagasy culture and proposed strategies and challenges for cultural teaching. Associate Professor Zhou Xueli from Shanghai Normal University shared his experience in teaching Sangor poetry in African literature, emphasizing its role in building African cultural memory. Associate Professor Xinqinesh Attale Gaber from Beijing Foreign Studies University demonstrated the similarities in values between the two ethnic groups by comparing Amharic and Chinese proverbs.

8 Conclusion

The Sino French joint seminar has promoted the exchange and mutual learning of experts in the field of language and culture teaching between China and Africa, deepened mutual understanding, promoted the cultivation of Chinese and African language and culture talents, facilitated the global dissemination of African language and culture, and spurred theoretical innovation in teaching methods and research of African language and culture.