Workshop Title: Discover China Teacher Training Day
Date and Time: Saturday, 15 October, 11:00-16:00
Location: Screening Room (G.04), 50 George Square, Edinburgh
Registration: All welcome, but booking is required. Please book your place HERE
In particular collaborated with Macmillan Education, this free half-day workshop is for Chinese language teachers who are currently or interested in using textbook Discovery China for your secondary, university or further learning teaching. During the course of the day, our professional trainers will introduce and demonstrate a range of practical teaching activities and strategies through their years of teaching experience. This in-person workshop will also provide an opportunity for participants sharing ideas, research findings and pedagogues of teaching Chinese as an international language.
Trainers bio and Abstracts:
HUANG Dian has taught Chinese language at University of Westminster, London, UK over 30 years. She was the Head of Chinese Section and now is the Module leader of Chinese in the University-wide Taught Language Programme of the University of Westminster. Huang Dian took up the roles as a Committee Member and Chair of the British Chinese Language Teaching and Learning Society (BCLTS) from 2006 to 2009, and as an executive committee member of the University’s China Committee in London (UCCL) from 2009 to 2013. Her research interest is in cognitive linguistics.
Abstract:
Leaning styles are thought to have experienced and constructive learning. If students are more experiential, they prefer to learn through talking to others. They probably find language explanation dry and hard to understand. If students are more constructive, they prefer to learn by studying how things work. This means that they like to learn languages by reading grammar explanations, memorizing wordlists, and doing language exercises.
Many students have a mixed learning, using sometimes experiential and sometimes academic learning strategies. ‘Discover China’ series satisfy the requirements and are fit to achieve the goal of learning Chinese well.
In Huang Dian’s presentation, she will demonstrate how to use ‘Discover China’ Book 1 and 2 for making Chinese more learnable and memorable to suit students’ learning styles and culture.
Dr WANG Liang is currently working for the Language Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, coordinating Chinese language programmes and providing with language learning support such as moderating Tandem Language Exchange programme and intercultural awareness training workshops. He also hosts the Chinese Culture Forum at Queen’s and runs staff training sessions on Chinese language and culture.
He joined SOAS, University of London as a research associate for the European Benchmarking Chinese Language (EBCL) Project. Before that, he worked as Associate Lecturer in Chinese for the Open University. He is a full member of the British Chinese Language Teaching Society (BCLTS) and served as committee member between 2014 and 2016.
He has research interest in computer-assisted language teaching and learning, learner autonomy, internet-mediated intercultural language education and intercultural communicative competence development.
Abstract:
Using a textbook in language teaching and learning has been regarded as one of the core elements in pedagogy. It is highly important that a good use of the textbook enables the success of teaching and learning in line with objectives, content, outcomes, and assessments. However, it is equally challenging that to what extent teachers and students can negotiate an effective approach to using it, on the grounds that textbook compilers have already recommended (or determined) their approaches through textbook development.
Using Discover China series as an example, this workshop aims to bring about such concerns and invite ideas for discussion, with reference to the EBCL project that followed the CEFR concepts and principles, to highlight the action-oriented approach in helping learners not only to develop their language competence, but also to encourage learner agency and engagement with social action through language use in real-life situations.
Liao Liyun is Mandarin and Arabic Language Module Senior Coordinator at UCL Centre for Languages & International Education, and Lecturer at UCL European and International Social and Political Studies (EISPS).
She has been teaching Mandarin since 2000, and have taught BA Mandarin course at university of Westminster and Chinese module course at Kings college, London and LBS. Joined UCL at 2007 to set up the first Mandarin Module courses with only 2 levels, and now there are 10 different module courses, inducing the general Mandarin courses, Business Chinese, Chinese Culture, Mandarin for Professional Purposes and for Academic purpose and the Mandarin translation skills. She has become a lecturer in Mandarin for Current Affair and Politics for EISPS since 2019 the 4 years degree course.
Abstract:
Learning a foreign language is not easy for many people, especially Westerners learning Oriental languages, or Orientals learning Western languages. As teachers, we all have the experience of beginner Chinese classes always being full come the new academic term in October, with only a handful of students left by Christmas. Not to mention intermediate or advanced level classes.
How to keep learners interested in learning is a constant challenge for Chinese language teachers.
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you how to use “Discover China Book 3 / 4 ” as a teaching course book, incorporate fun and interesting content into teaching, and how to weave classroom activities into the learning / teaching of listening and speaking skills, so that students are no longer afraid of listening/speaking Mandarin.
Of course, I will also discuss how to explain the more boring intermediate / advanced Chinese grammar in class to make it all less dry for the students.