1、 Introduction

The importance of Chinese language teachers in British primary and secondary schools in international Chinese education was emphasized, and the necessity of building a high-quality teacher team was pointed out. The research aims to explore the competency characteristics of excellent local Chinese teachers in British primary and secondary schools, construct a competency model, and explore its implications for overseas Chinese education.

2、 Literature Review

The literature review section points out that "competence" is a hot topic in interdisciplinary research, and with the increasing demand for Chinese language learning, the shortage of international Chinese language teachers has become a bottleneck for educational development. The release of the International Professional Standards for Chinese Language Teachers marks a shift from quantity to emphasizing both quality and quantity. The research focuses on the competence of international Chinese language teachers, including global competence framework, digital competence, cultural communication competence, etc. Existing research focuses more on international Chinese education volunteers, while there is relatively little research on the competence of local Chinese teachers overseas. This study aims to explore the competency characteristics of excellent local Chinese teachers in primary and secondary schools in the UK, in order to improve the "Standards", guide career planning, selection management, and career development, and provide reference for building an excellent international Chinese teacher team.

3、 Research Methods

This chapter introduces the use of qualitative research methods to conduct a study on 15 outstanding international Chinese language teachers in the UK through interventional interviews. The research subjects include 9 British Chinese and 6 British local teachers, covering both secondary and primary school teachers, with more than 3 years of teaching experience. Most of them have a background in education or linguistics and have received relevant awards and qualification certificates. The research tools include voice recorders, text transcription software, and NVivo11 software. In depth interviews are conducted using behavioral event interview method, covering teachers' learning experiences, teaching processes, and career planning. The interview data underwent three-level coding: 16 nodes were selected through open coding, 24 sub nodes and 5 root nodes were formed through axial coding, and 15 factors affecting competence were analyzed through selective coding. Finally, an excellent local Chinese teacher competence model was constructed.

4、 Research results

The study classified and examined the competency characteristics of excellent local Chinese teachers in primary and secondary schools in the UK based on the "Standards", and identified five primary indicators and sixteen secondary indicators. Excellent Chinese language teachers in the UK are highly aligned with the 'Standards' in terms of professional philosophy, knowledge, skills, and practices. However, there are problems in their professional development, such as insufficient teaching reflection awareness and unclear professional development plans. Through the distribution of tree node results, 24 sub nodes were formed, which were summarized into five root nodes, including multicultural adaptability, core teaching abilities, personality and qualities, dedication to work, sense of mission and honor. The study also found that teachers have weaker performance in career planning and research abilities, therefore these characteristics are included as important parts of the competency model.

5、 Discussion

The competency characteristics of excellent local Chinese language teachers in primary and secondary schools in the UK are highly consistent with the teacher competence indicators under the framework of the Standards, especially in terms of cross-cultural communication skills. Adapting to overseas cultural environments is crucial for teachers' daily lives and teaching work. Teachers need to understand students' learning behavior in order to improve classroom management and teaching quality. The construction of a standard system for local Chinese language teachers should include strengthening teacher beliefs, exploring teaching practicality, improving professional competence and teaching skills, strengthening career development concepts, and enhancing cross-cultural communication and cultural interpretation abilities. The professional competence, teaching ability, work achievements, and professional title evaluation of teachers change over time, and it is necessary to construct a dynamically developing local teacher competency model.

6、 Conclusion

This study constructed a competency model for Chinese language teachers in the UK based on the "Standards" and found that its characteristics are highly consistent with the indicators of the "Standards". The research optimized the model to compensate for the shortcomings of local teachers in scientific research and career development, providing reference for the training of overseas teachers. The limitation of the study lies in the lack of differentiation between primary and secondary school teachers, Chinese and immigrant teachers, and the limited sample size. Future research should expand the sample and explore the competencies of teachers from different educational stages and backgrounds, as well as their similarities and differences with other language teachers, in order to cultivate excellent local Chinese teachers who can meet the needs of the times.