To support the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Confucius Institute at the University of Macau (UM), at the invitation of MGM Macau, offered a training course on business Mandarin and etiquette to MGM staff. The course aimed to improve employees’ communication skills in Mandarin and their professional etiquette.

The four-week course, designed independently by the UM Confucius Institute, was taught by visiting instructors Ma Yue, Li Haoxuan, and Xie Yining. It covered six topics tailored to the needs of integrated resorts in Macao, with a focus on business settings. Adopting a ‘language + culture’ learning approach, the course enabled participants from departments such as hospitality, sales, and information technology to practise their skills in business banquet, public relations, and contract negotiation scenarios. The instructors provided real-time feedback on participants’ language, as well as their professional etiquette and cultural awareness.

During the course, Ma explained the communication styles and etiquette on mainland social media platforms, including the use of emojis and festival greetings. Li led a session on ‘how to exchange greetings with mainland customers’ and held an interactive Q&A session to address the challenges participants had encountered. Xie incorporated geographical, social, and historical factors to help participants gain a deeper understanding of the mainland mindset. In the final session, ‘mock business negotiation’, participants worked in groups to role-play different scenarios. Their fluency in Mandarin and effective use of body language demonstrated the progress they had made.

One participant shared that they had often misunderstood customers from mainland China due to differences in intonation. They noted that the course helped them better understand the linguistic and cultural differences between southern and northern China, and they believed this will improve their communication with customers in the future. Another participant said that the instructors at the Confucius Institute were approachable, which made the class engaging and enjoyable.

Since its establishment in 2018, the Confucius Institute at UM has been committed to serving as an international platform for Chinese language education, with a focus on Portuguese-speaking countries. Leveraging Macao’s unique geographical location and rich cultural resources, the institute promotes Chinese language and culture education, provides teacher training, facilitates academic research and exchanges, develops online teaching resources, and fosters international academic and educational cooperation that bridges different languages and cultures. Each semester, the institute offers six levels of Mandarin courses for non-native speakers of Chinese: Elementary I, Elementary II, Intermediate I, Intermediate II, Pre-advanced, and Advanced.