Computer Chinese A New Five-Skilled Approach to Teaching Chinese Presented by: Wayne Wenchao He, Associate Professor of Chinese at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Dela Jiao, Senior Lecturer of Chinese at New York University

What will we discuss today? Why was Computer Chinese (CC) developed? What is Computer Chinese? Why does it work? How to incorporate it into your classroom.

Why was CC developed? Students intimidated by the unfamiliarity of Chinese language Students frustrated by delayed application of language Large number of mistakes in handwriting Problems with handwriting took away from the development of other language skills High drop-out rate

CC was developed Rise in computer use Computer technology Field-tested at New York University for 5 years

What is Computer Chinese? 5-skilled approach that teaches keyboarding plus the four, traditional language skills Emphasizes the use of pinyin Uses the computer as a study tool, not just a word processing system 聽 說 讀 打 寫

Five Language Skills Reading, writing, listening, speaking + typing Handwriting is introduced gradually Keyboarding allows students to recognize more vocabulary

Emphasis on pinyin Pinyin is used to type Chinese typing pinyin = typing English Pinyin is used as a phonological tool and not a substitute for character writing Allows students to compose sentences and recognize Chinese characters more quickly and thoroughly than handwriting

CC as a study tool Not just typing—students need to know pinyin, tone, and character

Why it works—Results! Reduces students’ anxiety! Students recognize and produce characters more quickly Better accuracy on vocabulary assessments new words per lesson vs ! 93.22% vs %

Why it works—more Results! Prepares students for AP Chinese exam Relevant in light of today’s most common means of communication Increased reading comprehension 98.08% vs %!!

Common Questions About CC How do I choose appropriate software? Should handwriting be taught at all? How do I assess student learning?

How to incorporate CC into the classroom Practice exercises Listening & speaking exercises Composition Lab and homework Using examples from Chinese for Tomorrow, Volumes 1 and 2

Unique keyboarding practice Exercises for computing and learning characters in each chapter (e.g. V.1, L.3, p. 114) 1.Type the following passage. 王小年請他的中國朋友去看電影，可是她的中國朋友不喜歡看 電影。他問王小年去不去打球， … 2. Type the following pinyin sentences and select the correct characters 3. Circle the correct character to fill in the blanks. ( 不、嚇、下、丁、才 ) 課以後我們才去吃中國飯。

Developing speaking proficiency Varied listening & speaking exercises to reinforce learned vocabulary (e.g. Volume 1, p. 148)

Composition Vol. 1 – simple sentences and short compositions starting in Lesson 1 (e.g. p.58) Vol. 2 – more in-depth compositions (e.g. p.241)

Lab & Homework Example from the Chinese for Tomorrow Teacher’s Manual, Volume 1:

Program Components Textbook / workbook Grammar book Teacher’s manual Free online audio & flashcards

Questions? Contact the authors at: (Wayne Wenchao He) (Dela Jiao) Continue the conversation with your peers at PeerSource my.cheng-tsui.com/forum/584

Thank you for attending We will be ing you a brief survey for your feedback on this online seminar. V isit for more information on the Chinese for Tomorrow series, and computer Chinese. And be sure to enter Cheng & Tsui SuperStar—our National Chinese karaoke contest for students and teachers. Videos due Nov. 9 th, Visit