Course Overview

Technology-Mediated Task-Based Chinese Language Course
Moving Toward the Advanced Level 

An Innovative Course Funded by NEH (National Endowment for The
Humanities) for Distinguished Teaching Professorship
Created by Professor Miao-fen Tseng (曾妙芬)
University of Virginia (UVA)

Course Description

This course is created for learners who have completed CHIN3010 at UVA or the equivalent. Following the World-Readiness Standards advocated by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), this course prepares students to develop competence in Chinese language and culture across three communicative modes (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) through a standards-based (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities) curriculum in genuinely communicative and authentic settings.

According to ACTFL’s Proficiency Guidelines, learners are expected to attain proficiency toward the pre-advanced level in four language skills upon the completion of the course. To attain the expected proficiency level, learners will build confidence through constant practice of formulaic and idiomatic expressions and key structures in a variety of meaningful, communicative, and authentic contexts. By being well equipped with appropriate use of language and communication strategies, learners will be able to develop communicative competence in “shumianyu” (written language) in addition to “kouyu” (oral language) through constant immersion experiences. Learners will make efforts to speak Chinese exclusively in the total immersion setting. Written assignments are to be completed with a combination of handwriting and word-processing skills.

The sources of authentic materials are listed at the end of this video.

Upon the completion of the course, learners will accomplish learning goals in the following four domains. 

1. 1. Communicative Functions: Develop communicative competence to describe, narrate, express, explain, persuade, compare, and contrast a variety of themes (predetermined and collaboratively chosen) at the paragraph and discourse levels.
   2. Spontaneous and Impromptu Language Performance: Demonstrate ability to perform and participate in rehearsed and unrehearsed discussions with balanced use of informal and formal language in different genres, i.e., narrative, descriptive, expository, and argumentative.
   3. Critical and Analytical Thinking: Present ideas and thoughts analytically, elaborately, and intellectually with a high level of critical thinking skills and organizational devices based on well-integrated factual information and supporting evidence.
   4. Cultural Understanding and Global Connection: Understand and critique cultural differences and values in the Chinese and US communities, and appreciate heritage and legacy that are unique to Chinese cultures and subcultures. This contributes to the awareness and development of global perspectives.

Innovation in Authenticity and Task  

The course is made possible through funding by the Daniels Family NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) Distinguished Teaching Professorship. It is a technology-mediated task-based language and culture course grounded in two central notions: authenticity and task. It centers on the continuing theme of a virtual US-China exchange program. Students embark on a journey, land at the Beijing airport, visit Chinese universities, and explore historical sites and relics, immersing themselves in different cities and areas. They observe, compare, and contrast cultural products, practices, and perspectives in China and the United States, focusing especially on educational systems, urban and suburban development, and environmental and climate change. Learners in the virtual program immerse in authentic settings, enabled by technologies including, but not limited to, online learning tools, mobile devices, and virtual reality applications with proven pedagogical value and effectiveness.

The technology-mediated task-based course is designed to create opportunities for learners to immerse in real-world and digital authenticity as they accomplish the following.

1) Interact with a wide array of authentic MATERIALS compiled by the instructor, based on a thematic approach. Materials encompass is

sues critical to societal, national, and international communities and global change.

2) Engage in authentic TASKS that place a synergized focus on the philosophy of student-centeredness and communicative methodology. Each thematic unit includes a series of well-sequenced pedagogic tasks that increase in authenticity as the semester proceeds.

3) Immerse in authentic SETTINGS through tasks that approximate real-life experiences, made possible by interactive and virtual reality technologies.

4) Participate in authentic COMMUNITY-BASED interaction in which students interact with native speakers, exchange different perspectives, and develop global awareness, competence, and citizenship.

Each thematic unit is organized by a series of tasks: pre-task, core task, and post-task. The tasks increase in difficulty and authenticity as each unit progresses, culminating in a summative authentic task in which learners work with native speakers in a community-based collaborative task. This concluding task is designed to develop learners’ global awareness, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities as they search for resolutions to global challenges, which are US-China specific but applicable more broadly to other geographic areas and other international issues.

Virtual US-China Exchange Program (UCEP)  

Students enrolled in the course will embark on a virtual journey through participating in the US-China Language and Culture Exchange Program (简称UCEP中美交流访问团) situated in Beijing, China. In the linguistically and culturally rich journey, learners will experience the multifaceted modernity and traditions in China’s capital, Beijing. The themes unfold in chronological order, as follows:

Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) 社区体验学习

In alignment with UVA’s mission and community engagement initiatives, this course includes a Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) component to enrich the existing course and reinvigorate learning experiences. The conceptualization of CBEL involves rendering service in the community and applying language skills and cultural understanding to engage in structured activities. The CBEL program is mutually beneficial for UVA learners and participating community members. UVA students will meet with Chinese speakers to engage in discussions of different topics, complete a diversity of communicative tasks, and summarize learning experiences and inspiring discussions with Chinese friends in a CBEL journal entry after the meeting. Participating community members can also develop different perspectives and better their understanding of targeted aspects of US culture and society. Focal topics include those required by the course as well as those identified by community members as emerging and critical needs. Students are required to participate in the CBEL program as part of the three-credit course.

At the end of each two-week cycle in the virtual program, learners have opportunities to interact with native speakers of Mandarin Chinese, one-on-one. The native speakers serve as language partners in the virtual CUEP. Each student will meet with their partner on a biweekly basis to exchange ideas and explore issues related to the content of each theme. This creates opportunities for learners to exert critical thinking and analytical and problem-solving abilities to discover and discuss critical societal issues and collaborate to find resolutions to societal and global challenges.

          This OER site includes two thematic units that are of great interest for learners                working toward the advanced level.