The idea of this network comes from a team based at Roma Tre University and whose members are young researchers and scholars engaged in Chinese applied linguistics research.

The project starts from the belief that it is necessary to link Chinese language teaching to linguistic research. Given the fact that Chinese has become an increasingly commonly taught second language, as European operators we feel that the need for such synergy and boundary –crossing is particularly acute at this juncture.

The mission of the CFLnetwork is therefore to provide a platform for researchers to share ideas and research materials on the acquisition paths and teaching practices of Chinese as a foreign language. Given the growing number of learners of Chinese in European countries and the changing picture of those interested in learning Chinese, including heritage learners, primary and secondary school learners, professionals and so on, it is necessary to design and share specific tools to better understand the features of different types of learners and to hopefully satisfy their needs, as well as to establish common standards for both researchers and practitioners in this field. The scholars and instructors involved in this project belong to different European academic institutions, have a rich experience in teaching Chinese and a solid knowledge of the themes and tools of applied linguistics. They are all interested in improving the way Chinese is taught by grasping insights from research results.