Chinese Language - Columbia University

New Jersey
Chinese Language Teaching Initiatives
Janis Jensen
World Languages and International Education Coordinator
New Jersey Department of Education
Mary Curran
Assistant Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
2007 Symposium on Asia in the Curriculum, Columbia University
September 28, 2007
Chinese: A Critical Language in the
Era of Globalization
In a global economy, our students need to be
prepared with world languages and culture.
Eighteen New Jersey schools offer Chinese- but
that’s not enough. We need to do better at teaching
the high demand languages that are increasingly
important in the new world . . .
Governor Jon Corzine
September, 8, 2005
New Jersey Department of Education and
Rutgers State University Partnership

Background: The Beginnings of a Collaboration


NJDOE Bi Annual Seminars on Teacher
Preparation for World Languages (2002Present)
Rutgers World Languages Institute:
Incorporating the Message of Standards-Based
Reform

Building Capacity in Chinese
 The Launching of the Accelerated Chinese
Certification Program
 Approval of the First World Languages
Alternate Route Center

Other Rutgers DOE Reform Initiatives
 World Languages Regional Testing/Training
Centers
 Evaluator: NJDOE FLAP Grant Project

Future Project:
 New Jersey K-20 International Education
Resource Center
 Creating an infrastructure for the
development of a systematic and systemic
approach for infusing international
knowledge and skills, Chinese and other
critical languages into New Jersey’s Core
Curriculum
World Languages Certification Requirements
-Undergraduate or graduate degree (accredited institution)
-30-credits in language, literature, civilization and culture
courses- up to 16 credits may be obtained by taking
the NYU 16-Point Proficiency Exam
-3-credits in a state-approved course on second language
acquisition and related methodologies.
-A rating of Advanced-Low or higher on the ACTFL Oral
Proficiency Interview
-Praxis II (where applicable)
-Completion of the above requirements leads to a
Certificate of Eligibility to seek employment.
-Candidates may then enroll in the Provisional Teachers
Program/Alternate Route which leads to standard
certification.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Chinese Language Teaching Initiatives
Collaborators

World Languages Institute

Department of Asian Languages and Cultures

Graduate School of Education
Project Funding

Freeman Foundation
Chinese on the Rise: A Collaborative Proposal
For Coordinated Initiatives to Enhance and Expand
The Training of K-12 Chinese Language Teachers

STARTALK
Promoting Chinese in the New Jersey World
Language Classroom
Freeman Foundation






Expand and enhance existing Chinese language and teacher
training programs
Design and implement new options for Chinese language
teacher training
Conduct a high school summer institute to provide internship
experience for teacher candidates
Increase institutional cooperation to expand study abroad
options in China
Enhance the on-line functions and content of the Rutgers
Multimedia Chinese Teaching System
Promote and market these initiatives throughout the region
Teacher Training Programs

World Language Institute


Graduate School of Education and World Languages Institute


World Languages Teacher Certification-Alternate Route Program
Department of Asian Languages and Cultures


Accelerated Chinese Teacher Certification Program
Master of Arts for Teachers of Chinese
Graduate School of Education

Traditional Teacher Certification Programs
World Languages Institute
Accelerated Chinese Teacher Certification Program




Composed of specially-tailored, standards-based,
New Jersey Department of Education-approved
courses in pedagogy, methodology, language and
linguistics.
Suited for proficient speakers of Mandarin Chinese
who are currently working in other fields.
Delivered in intensive two-week summer courses.
Facilitates achieving a Certification of Eligibility in
as few as two summers.
World Language Teacher CertificationAlternate Route Program

Applicants to the program

must have received an intermediate high score in Chinese
on ACTFL’s Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI).

must have 30 credit hours in Chinese language course
work on a college transcript.

must have a post-baccalaureate (BA) degree.
World Language Teacher CertificationAlternate Route Program
19-Credit Program

Pre-service Summer Courses

In-service Academic-Year Courses
World Language Teacher Certification
Alternate Route Program
Pre-service Summer Courses



16:617:500:D1 Methods of Foreign Language
Teaching
16:617:504
Assessment in the World
Languages Classroom
15:253:624
Practicum in Language Education
[20-day supervised clinical
experience in a summer school
program]
World Language Teacher Certification
Alternate Route Program
Academic-Year Courses
Fall Session
Participants must successfully complete summer
coursework with a grade of B or better and submit proof
of full-time employment in a K-12 school to continue to
the fall session course work.

15:255:536
Internship Seminar

15.255:534
Classroom Organization
World Language Teacher Certification
Alternate Route Program
Academic-Year Courses
Spring Session (two classes)
15:253:523
Language and Culture

15:253:522
Bilingual/Bicultural Education

05:300:306
Principles of Classroom
Learning

or
Department of Asian Languages and Cultures
Masters of Arts for Teachers of Chinese


Designed for those already teaching Chinese and
those interested in pursuing a career related to
Chinese language and culture teaching.
Requirements include

30 credits of Course Work





9 credits in language
12 credits in literature and/or culture
6 credits in methodology
3 elective credits
Comprehensive Examination, Thesis or Portfolio
Graduate School of Education
Traditional Teacher Certification
Ed. M. in Language Education with Certification


Five-year Program for Undergraduates
Post-baccalaureate Program




45 Credits
Two-year program (if done full time)
Two-practica (elementary and secondary)
Full-semester internship
STARTALK Project
 Developed under National Security Language Initiative
 Establish summer language study “feeder” programs,
grants and initiatives with K-16 educational institutions
 Begin in 2007 with summer camp programs for 400
high school students and 400 high school and college
teachers in 5 states
 By 2011, encompass all grades, with the goal of
reaching 3,000 students and 3,000 teachers in all 50 states
STARTALK
Summer 2007

Collaborative Summer Program




RU, WLI, and Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro
Regional School Districts
Two-week immersion language camp for 53 high
school students
Practicum site for 10 Chinese language teacher
candidates
Scholarships were given to participating Chinese
language teacher candidates
High School Student Comments





“I efficiently learned a lot in a short period of time,”
“As an out of towner, I am glad that I attended Chinese camp
because in my town there are few (if any) resources for
studying Chinese, so I am thankful for having had one.”
“I would recommend the camp in a heartbeat to my friends. I
would tell them it was completely worth it to go.”
“It’s been an amazing experience!”
“Coming here I didn’t enjoy my past Chinese learning
experience. This has given me a more positive attitude about
learning Chinese.”
(from student evaluations of the language camp)
“I really appreciate the experience to work
with students in a real classroom setting with
the help of the classroom teacher, the program
instructor, my fellow student teachers and the
district supervisors at Princeton High School
and West-Windsor-Plainsboro Schools.”
(from a teacher candidate’s journal entry)
WLI Contact Information
Rutgers Language Institute
20 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 932-7373
[email protected]
http://wli.rutgers.edu
Department of Asian Languages
and Cultures
Contact Information
43 College Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 932-7383
http://asianlanguages.rutgers.edu/
Graduate School of Education
Contact Information
10 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 932-7496
http://www.gse.rutgers.edu