Chinese Teacher PreparationChinese Teacher Preparationin North Americain North America

Meeting the Growing Demand forMeeting the Growing Demand forK-16 Chinese Language EducationK-16 Chinese Language Education

Der-lin Chao, Hunter CollegeDer-lin Chao, Hunter CollegeMary Curran, Rutgers, The State University of New Mary Curran, Rutgers, The State University of New

JerseyJerseyJoe Wu, University of AlbertaJoe Wu, University of Alberta

National Chinese Language Conference, 2010National Chinese Language Conference, 2010

Plan for PresentationPlan for Presentation

Critical Challenges to Meeting the Critical Challenges to Meeting the Demand for High Quality Chinese Demand for High Quality Chinese Language TeachersLanguage Teachers

Meeting the Challenges in New JerseyMeeting the Challenges in New Jersey– Rutgers Chinese Language Teacher Rutgers Chinese Language Teacher

InitiativesInitiatives– Our Responses to the ChallengesOur Responses to the Challenges

Individual Variation Individual Variation in Teacher Candidate Needsin Teacher Candidate Needs

Heritage and non-heritage backgroundHeritage and non-heritage background

Chinese dialectal variationChinese dialectal variation

Preparation (coursework) in ChinesePreparation (coursework) in Chinese

Previous pedagogical studies or Previous pedagogical studies or experienceexperience

Citizenship or visa status Citizenship or visa status

Life situationLife situation

The Journey to Become a The Journey to Become a Chinese Language TeacherChinese Language Teacher

Curran and Chang, 2009Curran and Chang, 2009

Pilot research study, interviews with 7 pre- Pilot research study, interviews with 7 pre- and in-service participants who had and in-service participants who had participated in professional development participated in professional development opportunities opportunities

Research findingsResearch findings– Community of LearnersCommunity of Learners– Community of PracticeCommunity of Practice– Identity PositioningIdentity Positioning

Community of LearnersCommunity of Learners

Pre- and in-service teachers arePre- and in-service teachers are– Sharing information and experiences;Sharing information and experiences;– Getting moral support; andGetting moral support; and– Forming strong and tight networks.Forming strong and tight networks.

ChallengesChallenges– Chinese LT community versus larger WLT Chinese LT community versus larger WLT

communitycommunity– Changing teacher beliefs and practicesChanging teacher beliefs and practices

Community of PracticeCommunity of Practice

Some pre- and in-service teachers see Chinese Some pre- and in-service teachers see Chinese language teaching as a way to spark interest and language teaching as a way to spark interest and generate respect for other cultures and people, as generate respect for other cultures and people, as “a way to open the door to the world”.“a way to open the door to the world”.

Challenges:Challenges: Others have a more limited view, for example:Others have a more limited view, for example:

as teaching for entertainmentas teaching for entertainmentas teaching as a check-list of certification as teaching as a check-list of certification

requirements to completerequirements to complete

Identity PositioningIdentity Positioning

Challenges:Challenges:

Gap between teacher identities and Gap between teacher identities and student identities; andstudent identities; and

Some pre- and in-service teachers hold Some pre- and in-service teachers hold linguistic and cultural expectations based linguistic and cultural expectations based on stereotypical assumptions about non-on stereotypical assumptions about non-heritage and heritage learners.heritage and heritage learners.

Our Response to the Our Response to the ChallengesChallenges

Created multiple routes to professional Created multiple routes to professional development and certificationdevelopment and certification

Hired a bilingual, bicultural program Hired a bilingual, bicultural program coordinatorcoordinator

Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityChinese Language Teacher InitiativesChinese Language Teacher Initiatives

Program ModelsProgram Models

Graduate School of Education and World Graduate School of Education and World Language InstituteLanguage InstituteTraditional Ed.M. Degree and CertificationTraditional Ed.M. Degree and CertificationChinese Language Teacher Alternate Route Chinese Language Teacher Alternate Route ProgramProgramAccelerated Chinese Language Teacher Accelerated Chinese Language Teacher ProgramProgram

Asian Languages and Cultures DepartmentAsian Languages and Cultures DepartmentChinese Masters of Arts for TeachersChinese Masters of Arts for Teachers

Traditional Master’s DegreeTraditional Master’s Degreewith Certification Programswith Certification Programs

45 Credit Programs45 Credit Programs

Two-years, Full-time StudyTwo-years, Full-time Study

Five-year ProgramFive-year Program

Post-Baccalaureate ProgramPost-Baccalaureate Program

Chinese Master of Arts Chinese Master of Arts for Teachersfor Teachers30 Credit Program30 Credit Program

Students select courses in Chinese Students select courses in Chinese language, literature, culture, and language, literature, culture, and

pedagogy.pedagogy.

Chinese Language TeacherChinese Language TeacherAlternate Route ProgramAlternate Route Program

19 Credit Program19 Credit Program

Pre-Service Summer ComponentPre-Service Summer Component– Methods CourseMethods Course– Assessment CourseAssessment Course– Practicum Practicum

In-Service Academic-Year ComponentIn-Service Academic-Year Component

Generous SupportGenerous Support

Chinese Language Teaching InitiativesChinese Language Teaching InitiativesFreeman FoundationFreeman Foundation

Chinese Summer Practicum SettingsChinese Summer Practicum SettingsFreeman FoundationFreeman FoundationSTARTALKSTARTALK

Responses to Challenges ofResponses to Challenges ofCommunity of LearnersCommunity of Learners

Have regular one-on-one feedback sessions Have regular one-on-one feedback sessions with participantswith participants

Created a Roundtable Networking GroupCreated a Roundtable Networking Group– Meets regularly for on-going professional Meets regularly for on-going professional

development with Chinese and other WL Tsdevelopment with Chinese and other WL Ts– Develops curriculumDevelops curriculum– Uses on-line forum for communication and Uses on-line forum for communication and

sharing of resourcessharing of resources

Responses to Challenges of Responses to Challenges of Community of PracticeCommunity of Practice

Work with districts where teacher candidates will Work with districts where teacher candidates will observe and participate in best practice; observe and participate in best practice; Expose them to flexible settings (summer Expose them to flexible settings (summer camps, for example);camps, for example);Have participants reflect upon their own Have participants reflect upon their own experiences learning languages; experiences learning languages; Connect the practical experiences to theory; andConnect the practical experiences to theory; andAsk participants to develop short and long-term Ask participants to develop short and long-term professional development plans.professional development plans.

Responses to Challenges ofResponses to Challenges ofCommunity of PracticeCommunity of Practice

We grow our own expertise.We grow our own expertise.

Practicum:Practicum:– Program SupportProgram Support– Materials DevelopmentMaterials Development– TeachingTeaching– MentoringMentoring

Traditional Program:Traditional Program:– Hosts for Student TeachersHosts for Student Teachers– Continue on for a Master’s DegreeContinue on for a Master’s Degree

Roundtable NetworkRoundtable Network

Responses to Challenges ofResponses to Challenges ofIdentity PositioningIdentity Positioning

Developmentally appropriate and culturally Developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant pedagogyrelevant pedagogy

– Practicum experiences with elementary studentsPracticum experiences with elementary students– Practicum experiences with secondary studentsPracticum experiences with secondary students– Practicum experiences with heritage and non-Practicum experiences with heritage and non-

heritage studentsheritage students

Teachers need to bridge the gap Teachers need to bridge the gap

between their experiences and between their experiences and

the experiences of the experiences of

the heritage and non-heritage learners the heritage and non-heritage learners

in their classrooms.in their classrooms.

Heritage Language InstructionHeritage Language Instruction

Understand the Chinese language learning Understand the Chinese language learning experience from an American Born experience from an American Born Chinese/Taiwanese (ABC/T) perspectiveChinese/Taiwanese (ABC/T) perspective

Understand that ABC/Ts have their unique Understand that ABC/Ts have their unique understanding and needs regarding what it means to understanding and needs regarding what it means to be Chinesebe Chinese

Design curriculum that appropriately takes into Design curriculum that appropriately takes into consideration the language and cultural needs of consideration the language and cultural needs of ABC/TsABC/Ts

Responses to the Challenges ofResponses to the Challenges ofIdentity PositioningIdentity Positioning

Open communication about the sensitive issues of Open communication about the sensitive issues of language and identity;language and identity;

Hiring teachers who reflect the multiple identities of Hiring teachers who reflect the multiple identities of our Chinese learners;our Chinese learners;

Advanced, graduate-level coursework in language Advanced, graduate-level coursework in language socialization and identity; andsocialization and identity; and

Create curriculum that focuses on these issues.Create curriculum that focuses on these issues.

Teacher Knowledge about Teacher Knowledge about Language and CultureLanguage and Culture

English(es) and the U.S. K-12 contextEnglish(es) and the U.S. K-12 context

Chinese(s) and the global Chinese contextChinese(s) and the global Chinese context

ResponsesResponses

Designed and implemented a new English for Designed and implemented a new English for specific purposes course to improve English and specific purposes course to improve English and knowledge of the U.S. public school system;knowledge of the U.S. public school system;Designed and will implement a new practicum Designed and will implement a new practicum course on Teaching Chinese as a Foreign course on Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language to focus on issues specific to Mandarin Language to focus on issues specific to Mandarin teachers; andteachers; andTeacher candidates need to build local and global Teacher candidates need to build local and global relationships with teachers and others outside the relationships with teachers and others outside the Chinese language teaching community.Chinese language teaching community.

These efforts lead to the possibility of These efforts lead to the possibility of

creating a new kind ofcreating a new kind of

Chinese language teacher identity.Chinese language teacher identity.

We are working to promote a We are working to promote a teacher identity where the teacher identity where the

Teachers are facilitators of language USE in Teachers are facilitators of language USE in meaningful ways inside and outside of the meaningful ways inside and outside of the classroom as opposed to absolute authorities classroom as opposed to absolute authorities ABOUT language;ABOUT language;Teachers are models and promoters of a hybrid Teachers are models and promoters of a hybrid and global identity that blends Chinese and and global identity that blends Chinese and American experiences;American experiences;Teachers foster intercultural competence, global Teachers foster intercultural competence, global awareness and citizenry; andawareness and citizenry; andTeachers are life-long learners.Teachers are life-long learners.