http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/
I very much enjoy using multimedia in my class when teaching any given unit. I have come to realize how much students look forward to different types of exposure to information which can also be a perfect complement to any given text that we may be reading and analyzing. It is with this in mind that I recommend this page of Al Jazeera, which is specifically focused on the “Asia-Pacific” part of the world, especially for those teaching current affairs that may be happening in that region. It is an added bonus to be able to have access to videos that accompany the news articles.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/intro.htm
http://english.people.com.cn/
For a more general overview (historical, cultural, political, etc.) of the country, the former of the above websites has some very useful links, while the latter of the above websites takes an in-depth look at various different aspects of current China from what seems to be an insider’s perspective. What’s particularly noteworthy about this same last website is that its information can be accessed in any of the following languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese and Arabic. This is a huge plus for those of us foreign-language teachers who need to present information to be read, understood, responded to, etc. in a target language other than English.
One of the subtler objectives here would also be to point out to the students the significance of Asia in general and China specifically in terms of not only philosophical and cultural differences, among so many others, but also to have them appreciate those same differences. In so doing, the idea would be for students to view both the similarities and differences to a degree that they may be able to achieve a higher level of appreciation of their own cultural-historical makeup as well.
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