Chinese Language Pedagogy Assessment program

American Councils for International Education is pleased to announce The Chinese Language Pedagogy Assessment program for the summer of 2010. This program is made possible with funding from the Fulbright-Hayes Group Projects Abroad program and will have additional support from the Hanban in Beijing and the Taiwan Ministry of Education.

American Councils seeks 12 U.S.-based Chinese language teachers and university pedagogy experts to travel to China in July, 2010 for this four-week seminar project and assessment mission. Through an exchange of presentations, discussion with faculty, classroom observation and curriculum unit development, participants will compare and assess centers of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSL) in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai and Taiwan. The focus will be on specific pedagogy appropriate to teaching students from the United States. Preference will be given to teachers experienced in pedagogy training.

The Chinese Language Pedagogy Assessment program will provide the first comparative study of advances in TCSL pedagogy in China, while deepening participants’ knowledge of Chinese language pedagogy and teacher training. Improving the teaching of critical languages in U.S. school systems is a priority of educational and political leaders alike. While many existing programs address the needs for language improvement and deeper understanding of pedagogy, programs that bring U.S. teachers to China have never visited more than one TCSL center. An initial comparative study of available Chinese language pedagogy training will help us understand how China is in meeting the increasing demand for effective Chinese language instruction and teacher training and which centers in China provide the most effective Chinese language pedagogy and teacher training.

Before departing, all selected teachers and faculty will be required to develop a presentation on methodology for teaching Chinese to Americans to share with their Chinese colleagues. While on the four-week assessment mission in China in summer 2010, participants will meet with local faculty, observe classes, and assess methodology at each of the TCSL training centers visited. Each visit will include American program participant and host TCSL center faculty presentations, classroom observation if possible, and seminar-style discussions regarding best practices for TCSL and the state of Chinese language teaching and pedagogy training.

All presentations will be in Chinese and participants are expected to be professionally fluent.

Participants in the program will be required to contribute to the final assessment report and to develop a TCSL curriculum unit based on what they learn in China and drawing on their practical classroom experience and knowledge of theory.

All participants will receive:

International roundtrip airfare
All domestic travel in China and Taiwan
All hotels and meals during the four week program overseas

The Fulbright-Hayes grant does not cover any U.S. domestic costs. Therefore, a $35.00 application fee will be required to defray costs of the selection process. Chosen participants will be asked to pay $500 each to defray the costs of visa fees, program insurance, and the costs of a required pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. If American Councils is able to raise additional funds to defray these costs the participants will be reimbursed at the end of the program.

To fill out the online application, please go to http://apps.americancouncils.org/webForms/?frmno=37
The deadline for applications is January 19, 2010.

For further information contact Anthony J. Kane, American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, E-mail: akane@americancouncils.org