Our registration form is open for sign-up now. Please go to our conference page HERE to sign up.

Space is limited, and registration will close after the room capacity is reached.

We have confirmed lectures by the following three invited speakers:

• Keynote speaker Dr. Helena Curtain, Associate Professor, Emerita, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, will give the following lecture.

Building Proficiency with Deep and Rich Student-Centered Learning Tasks

What are important aspects for both teachers and learners that we must consider as we implement  proficiency-focused Chinese language programs?  Where do we need to go and how will we get there?  How can we enrich our programs with tasks that are deep and rich and motivating to our students? We will examine strategies that are always intrinsically interesting, but that also incorporate elements that are cognitively engaging and culturally connected.  This session will focus on exploring deep and rich strategies that build  both proficiency and  student engagement. Through demonstrations and hands-on activities, we will focus on practical ways to deepen activities so that they have maximum impact on our learners.

• Dr. Hongyuan Dong, Assistant Professor, George Washington University will give the following lecture.

Meaning, Context and Prosody: Theories and Their Applications

In second language acquisition research and the teaching of Chinese as a second language, the emphasis has always been on correct tones, in order to reduce the so-called “non-native accent”. In contrast, intonation and prosody have not been paid much attention to. Actually, prosodic properties can affect a learner’s accent, on a par with tones. Furthermore, prosodic patterns are often indispensable mechanisms for distinguishing meaning. If a learner cannot use the appropriate intonation according to the specific context, it can often lead to problems with expression and understanding. Therefore in this lecture, I discuss the semantics-phonology interface and the relevant research on information structure in linguistics, but the focus of this lecture is to propose a few prosodic patterns that have different meaning structures, so that such supra-tonal characteristics can be more adequately attended to in the research and teaching of Chinese as a second language.

• Ms. Jing Dai of the Meade High School of AACPS will give the following lecture.

Kinesthetic Chinese Classroom: Teaching and Learning through the movement

“Tell me I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” Confucian philosopher Xunzi’s (340 BCE-245 BCE) maxim makes a strong point of kinesthetic learning, demonstrating that true learning is achieved only through students’ active involvement. Kinesthetic learning is now defined as a methodology in which learning takes place when students carry out physical activities in response to visual, auditory, and tactile stimulations. Movements and activities promote an energizing learning environment where students’ mental and emotional growth is accomplished with physical, social, and cognitive engagement. This teaching method helps teachers move from the traditional teacher-centered lecturing to a new paradigm of teacher as “facilitator of learning” and “designer of the learning environment.” It effectively facilitates student-centered learning, ensuring that students discover their individual capabilities and spark optimal learning.