1. Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language Presented by: Karen He, Jenny Lin, Hanru Li & Songtao Shu

2. Section 1 Teaching Chinese in Context  The Importance of Standards  Bringing Culture into the Chinese Language Classroom through Contextualized Performance  Focusing on the Learner in the Chinese language Classroom  Technology in Chinese Language Teaching and Learning

3. The importance of Standards Content Standard (ACFFL 1999)  Communication Include interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational dimensions  Culture The relationships among the practice, the products and perspectives  Connections Information and viewpoints only available through usage of Chinese  Comparisons Understand the differences between Chinese Cul/Lan and others  Communities Use Chinese within and beyond school setting; continue to learn

4. Bringing Culture into the Chinese Language Classroom Through Contextualized Performance  Defining Culture: achievement/informational/behavioral culture  Culture and Performance  Provide Opportunities for Students to Perform  Provide a Variety of Cultural Contexts  Apply to reading and writing exercises (pre- reading, reading and post-reading)

5. Focusing on the LEARNER in the Chinese Language Classroom:  Attention to students Leaning styles, i and i+1. The highest level of energy, the peak of the “action” not from the teacher, but from students  Learner-directed materials/activities Road signs, written announcements, subtitles on movies, product labels, etc. Text-messaging Chinese Friend, telephone rally, etc.  Multiple directions of communication Facilitating meaningful interaction.  Guide on the side Limit teacher’s role to arranging the best condition for learning, assessing and feedback

6. Technology in Chinese Language Teaching and Learning  CALL: Computer-aided language learning, teaching in Chinese, web resources, technology Effective or not? Between simplified and traditional characters / Tone marks / Internet resources Before/During/After reading Online materials: Listening / Speaking / Reading / Writing Computerized Tests

7. Section 2 Teacher Knowledge and Pedagogical Decisions  Literacy Development in Chinese as a Foreign Language  Teaching Chinese Orthography and Discourse: Knowledge and Pedagogy  Teaching Listening and Speaking: An Interactive Approach

8. Literacy Development in Chinese as a Foreign Language  “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” Reading is a skill that must be learned through instruction (p.98).  Components in L2 reading process ( Bernhardt Model 1991, 2000) : => Text-based vs. extratext based components 1) word recognition; 2) phonemic/graphemic decoding; 3) syntactic feature recognition vs. 1) intratextual perception; 2) metacognition; 3) prior knowledge => First language reading ability: a significant contributor to L2 reading comprehension.

9. Literacy Development in Chinese as a Foreign Language  Six issues: #1: Students Coming from an Alphabetic Reading Background Reading with “grapheme-phoneme conversation rules (gpc-rules)” vs. reading the logographic characters #2: Becoming “Aware” of Chinese Orthography The strategy of visualizing graphic structures of characters, connecting with previously learned characters and using semantic and phonetic radicals #3: Reading is a Language Activity - Reading is a language activity that is heavily dependent upon a learner’s experience with the language (p. 103). - Keep skills in balance to motivate CFL learners

10. Literacy Development in Chinese as a Foreign Language #4: The Role of Practice and Experience - Reading must be practiced (p. 105). - “ Extensive reading ( Day & Bamford 1998 )”, proper materials, independent reading in classroom #5: The Role of Background Knowledge - Schema theory (Anderson & Pearson 1984) & Top-down - Brainstorming sessions & invoke the schema - Reading materials in cultural and historical context #6: The Use of Authentic Materials - Level – appropriate materials - “Graded readers” within reading competence - Review vocabulary in receptive and productive contexts

11. Teaching Listening and Speaking: An Interactive Approach  Three modes of communication ( Standards in ACTFL ): interpersonal, interpretive and presentational.  Interpersonal activities: dialogues, interviews, discussions, role plays, and debates.  Three processing theories: the model of working memory, schema theory and input-output model of SLA  Task-based instruction: Five rules: build up the path; establish a clear purpose; state specific requirements for the output; specify a time frame; end with learner output.

12. Section 3 Challenges and Strategies for the American Classroom  Teaching Chinese as a Heritage Language: Key to Success  Linking Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Development  Understanding the Culture of American Schools, and Managing the successful Chinese Language Classroom

13. Teaching Chinese as a Heritage Language: Key to Success  Definition of HL  key to success 1: Understanding factor associated with CHL leaning and literacy development 2: Understanding and valuing: CHL learners are typically marked with varied ethnic identities 3: Individual’s ethnic identity goes hand in hand with his/her motivation : positive attitude & negative attitude 4: CHL learners have skewed linguistic abilities 5: how to reach it? Pre-Program Survey+ Placement Test Appropriate Placement + CHL Program alongside A CFL program SUCCESS

14. Teaching Chinese as a Heritage Language: Key to Success  CHL Development Path Speakers of English L2: L2A HL development: Insufficient input, low social status, Home literacy environment— Incessant attrition or decline— Incomplete linguistic system Re-learn CL as a foreign language: HLA L1: non- Dominant HL English L2 Development : English-only mainstreaming The CHL Learner: Early exposure to non- dominant home language

15. Understanding the Culture of American Schools, and Managing the successful Chinese Language Classroom  Goals and perspectives in American Schools 1: all schools are different 2: Open access 3: the ideal of universal literacy 4: Local control 5: Parental Involvement 6: productive vs. Receptive learning 7: Well-Rounded People  Strategies of managing successful Chinese classrooms 1: establish classroom rules : general students expectations, develop your list with guidelines 2: be friendly but firm 3:learn to control the classroom 4: how to confront misbehavior 5: working with parents

16. Summary  Designed for teachers of Chinese at all levels.  Focuses on “Big Issues”, pedagogical principles, as well as the practical strategies.  Provides ample class-tested experience and teaching samples.  Guides Chinese language teachers to make appropriate decisions and to be successful in an American classroom.  Serves as a resource guide for “teachers-in-development.”

17. Reflection Pro:  Communicative, student-centered and interactive Chinese language instruction  Teaching reading/language with cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspectives  Keep reading, listening, speaking and writing in balance to develop strong literacy skills in Chinese Con:  Lack of differentiated teaching strategies for a multiple- skills and multi-levels Chinese class  Lack of connections between foreign language acquisition and content area learning  Lack of accommodation and modification for planning and teaching students with special needs