Riga Municipal Government Presents Appreciation Letter to Chinese Teacher Dong Fang
新华社里加4月19日电（记者郭群 李德萍）拉脱维亚里加市政府为中国汉教董芳颁发嘉奖感谢信，以表彰其勤恳敬业的精神和为汉语教学做出的突出贡献。
当天，在董芳任教的里加文化中学举行的颁奖仪式上，校长索尔维加•琳达•雷梅赛（Solveiga Linda Remese）向董芳转交了里加市政府颁发的嘉奖感谢信。
里加文化中学是拉脱维亚久负盛名的中学之一，该校孔子课堂于2013年6月由孔子学院总部/国家汉办批准成立，这是拉脱维亚乃至波罗的海地区第一所孔子课堂。当年10月，董芳受中国国家汉办派遣，成为该校第一位汉语教师，目前，她在该校任教已近5年，是拉在任时间最长的汉语教师。
去年9月，董芳曾荣获里加文化中学优秀教师称号。在颁奖仪式上，校长索尔维加•琳达•雷梅赛（Solveiga Linda Remese）说，4年来，董芳在推进本校汉语教学和促进拉中文化交流中表现出色，她通过汉语教学和举办丰富多样的中国文化体验活动，为学生学习汉语带来无限灵感，校方对她所做的工作表示认可和感谢。
“董芳老师是拉大孔院汉语教师的楷模和汉语教学的顶梁柱，具有强烈的使命感和责任感，她教学经验丰富，全身心扑在汉语教学第一线，为孔子学院和孔子课堂做出了杰出贡献”，拉脱维亚大学孔子学院拉方院长贝德高（Peteris Pildegovics）教授对董芳及其所做工作给予了高度评价。
董芳曾经的学生、正在中国留学的诺拉•齐耶德坎那（Nora Ziedkalna）说，“我在里加文化中学初学汉语时，中文老师经常变换，学习效果不佳。随着董芳老师的到来，情况发生了积极变化。她善于调动学生学习的兴趣，她的课使我受益匪浅，为我继续深造打下了坚实的语言基础。我非常感激她，因为她给我们打造了一个良好的中文学习环境和美好的中国形象，消除了当今西方文化中一切损害中国形象的成见。
“我认识董芳老师4年了，正是她激发了我对中国书法和艺术的兴趣。董芳老师是一位充满正能量、魅力无穷的人，她像磁铁一样吸引人，激发人们交流，每个人都想和她做朋友,”–学生阿尔塔•罗泽纳这样评价她（Arta Rozena）。
董芳热爱汉语教学，立志献身汉语教学和中国文化的海外传播事业。4年多来，她承担着6个班级的教学任务和孔子课堂各种文化活动的组织安排任务，同时承担了孔院大量工作，负责一年一度的汉语桥比赛、汉语水平考试等各种活动和与中国传统节日相关的文化活动的策划、组织和安排,每一场活动都凝结着这位年轻汉教的心血和汗水。
对于里加市政府的嘉奖，董芳对记者谦虚地表示，“这不仅是对我个人的褒奖和鼓励，也是对孔子学院工作的充分肯定和大力支持”。
她说，“一路走来，心中有太多感慨。4年来，我通过努力向校方证明了自己，同时也对汉语教学事业交出了一份满意的答卷”。
如今，随着中国国际地位的不断提高和经济的飞速发展，以及中拉两国关系的顺利发展，在拉脱维亚汉语热不断升温，学习汉语、喜爱中国文化的人越来越多，他们从学习汉语和感知中国文化中感受到快乐、发现中国文化的精髓和智慧、寻找就业和经商的机会。对此，董芳说，“我决心继续努力，不辜负拉脱维亚学子们学习汉语和了解中国文化的热情，为中拉两国的文化交流架起一道桥梁”。
By Guo Qun, Li Deping
RIGA, April 19（Xinhua）–Latvia Riga municipal government presented an appreciation letter to Chinese teacher Dong Fang for her hard work and outstanding contributions to Chinese teaching.
Solveiga Linda Remesee, the principal of Riga Cultural Secondary School where Dong Fang working, handed an appreciation letter which came from the Riga municipal government over to Dong Fang at the awarding ceremony.
Riga Cultural Secondary School has always enjoyed a great reputation in Latvia. On June 18th, 2013, Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters officially approved the establishment of Confucius Classroom at Riga Cultural Secondary School, which is affiliated with Confucius institute at the University of Latvia. It is the first Confucius Classroom not only in Latvia, but also in the three Baltic states. In October 2013, Dong Fang was send by Hanban, became the first Chinese teacher in Confucius Classroom at Riga Cultural Secondary School. So far, she has worked at the school for nearly five years , who is the longest-serving Chinese teacher.
In September, 2017, Dong Fang was awarded the title of Excellent Teacher of Riga Cultural Secondary School. “We appreciated for her outstanding performance in promoting Chinese teaching as well as cultural exchanges between Latvia and China. She sparks students’ inspiration of Chinese learning through Chinese learning and varies Chinese cultural experience activities. We are so thankful and approbatory for her four years efforts in teaching Chinese and cultural exchange works. ”Said the Principal of Riga Cultural Secondary School Dr. Solveiga Linda Remese.
” Dong Fang is the model and the backbone of Chinese teaching in Confucius Institute at Latvia University. She has a strong sense of mission and responsibility. She has rich teaching experience and has devoted herself to the front line of Chinese teaching. She has made outstanding contributions to the Confucius Institute and the Confucius classroom.”the Latvia-side director of Confucius Institute at Latvia University Professor Peteris Pildegovics highly appraised.
Nora Ziedkalna, a former student of Dong Fang who is studying in China, said“When I first learned Chinese in Riga Cultural Secondary School, our Chinese teachers changed frequently and the learning effect was not good. With the arrival of Dong Fang, the situation has changed positively.She is good at arousing students’ interest in learning. Her lessons have benefited me a lot and laid a solid foundation for my further study. I am very grateful to her because she has created a terrific Chinese learning circumstances and a beautiful Chinese image for us, and has eliminated all stereotypes of China in today’s western culture.”
“I have known Dong Fang for 4 years. It is with such a person full of positive energy and infinite charm who inspires my interest in Chinese calligraphy and art. She is like a magnet to attract people and stimulate people to communicate. Everyone wants to be friends with her. ” her student Arta Rozena appraised.
Dong Fang has enormous enthusiasm for Chinese teaching, she commits to teaching Chinese and spreading Chinese culture abroad.For these years, she has been responsible for the teaching tasks of six classes and the organization of various cultural activities of the Confucius classroom. At the same time, she has taken on a great deal of work of Confucius institute and has been in charge of the annual Chinese Bridge Competition, the Chinese proficiency test, the planning, organization and arrangement of various activities which related to Chinese traditional festivals, each of which is the embodiment of her efforts and sweat.
“This is not only a recognition and encouragement for me, but also a fully understanding and enthusiastic support for Confucius institute” regarding the commendation of the Riga municipal government, Dong Fang modestly said to the reporter.
“There are too many feelings in my heart. Over the past four years, I have proved myself to the school through hard work, and I have also handed over a satisfactory answer to my Chinese career.” she said so.
Nowadays, with China’s rapid development of economy and continuous improvement international status, also the smooth development of Latvia-China relations, the popularity of Chinese language learners in Latvia is increasing. They enjoy learning Chinese and experience Chinese culture, they discover the essence and wisdom of Chinese culture, and seek employment and business opportunities through this way. In response, Dong Fang said, “I am determined to continue my efforts to live up to the enthusiasm of Latvian students in learning Chinese and understanding Chinese culture, and to build a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and Latvia.”
