Jing Zhang Emory University Jzhan2@emory.edu

Incorporating Small Course Projects into Chinese Classes

Something new each yearCreativityUpdated materials and new technology

Advantages of Small Course Projects

Small:

For teacher: it is easy to incorporate into an existing course. For students: it is easy to accept.

Course: It is an inseparable component of an existing course. It is anchored closely in existed teaching materials

Project It usually needs students to collaborate with each

other. It bridge the gap between classroom learning and

real-life experiences.

Advantages of Small Course Projects

Types of Small Course Projects

Service-based Projects

Task-based Projects

Service-based learning is “a form of experimental education in which students engage in activities that address human condition and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development” (Jacoby, 1996)

It is an effective way to connect classroom learning with the community.

Many colleges and universities have tried to engage students in active service-learning (Corporation for National Service, 1996).

Service-based Learning

Service learning should be incorporated into second and foreign language curricula (Overfield (1997)

Service-based projects enhance students’ motivation and promote positive attitudes toward learning (Morris,2001,Bräuer 2001)

Task-based Learning (in Willis, 2004, p.14-15)

“task as response” (Richards, Platt, and Weber 1985)

“task as derived outcome” (Prabhu, 1987), “task as focus on meaning” (Nunan, 1989), “task as goal-oriented activity with real outcome”

(Willis D. 1996) “task as workplan with content-oriented outcome”

(Ellis, 2003), “task as focus on meaning with assessment of

outcomes” (Skehan, 1998).

Tasked-based learning has been practiced worldwide (Willis, 2004).

The learning method “leads to high proficiency” (Altena, 2004, p. 79)

It helps learners to “learn more effectively”. (Lopes, 2004, p.92).

Task-based Learning

Service-based Projects

Project I: “Serving Chinese Tea in Chinatown” Project II: “Energy Conservation”

Task-based Projects

Project III: “Podcasting for Oral Exams”

Project IV: “Chinese Newspaper Design”

Small Course Projects at Emory University

Chinese 101 Section 002 and Section 02A is a video conferencing class between Emory University and Oxford college of Emory University.

Students from both sites don’t have an opportunity to see each other in person during the whole semester.

instructor brought these two groups together to serve Chinese tea in Atlanta Chinatown.

Project I: Serving Chinese Tea in Chinatown

Students at “Elementary Chinese II” and “Intermediate Chinese for Heritage Speakers” used bilingual posters to promote energy conservation in the outside dining area of Cox Hall cafeteria around noon.

Students in these two classes are mainly Korean, Chinese and Americans. In the last hour of the activity, students used three different languages (Korean, Chinese and English) to discuss energy conservation with people.

Project II: Energy Conservation

Project II: Energy Conservation

Project II: Energy Project II: Energy ConservationConservation

Project III: Podcasting for Oral Exams

classes.emory.eduPodcated oral exams online.Reached more audiences.PublicationsRocords.

Project IV: Chinese Newspaper Design

Project IV: Chinese Project IV: Chinese Newspaper DesignNewspaper Design

Project IV: Chinese Project IV: Chinese Newspaper DesignNewspaper Design

ReflectionReflection

Something new each yearCreativityUpdated materials and new technologyFUN!

Altena, Alicia Mora van (2004). Using media-based tasks in teaching Spanish. In Betty Lou Leaver and Jane Willis (eds.). Task-based instruction in foreign language education: Practices and programs, pp. 67-82. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press. Brauer, Gerd. (2001). Language learning centers: Bridging the gap between high school and college. In Gerd Brauer (ed). Pedagogy of language learning in higher education: An introduction, pp.186-192. Westport: Ablex Publishing. Corporation for National Service. (1996). Learn and serve America: Higher education program descriptions. Washington, DC. Ellis, Rod. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jacoby, Barbara. (1996). Service learning in today’s higher education. In Barbara Jacoby (ed.).Service-learning in higher education: Concepts and practices, pp.3025. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

References

Lopes, Juarez (2004), Introducing TBI for teaching English in Brazil: Learning how to leap the hurdles. In Betty Lou Leaver and Jane Willis (eds.). Task- based instruction in foreign language education: Practices and programs, pp. 83-95. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press Morris, Frank (2001). Enhancing motivation and promoting positive attitudes toward second language learning through community experience. In Gerd Brauer (ed.). Pedagogy of language learning in higher education: An introduction, pp.47-60. Westport: Ablex Publishing. Nunan, David (1989). Northwestern undergraduate catalog 2001-3. Evanston I11.: Northwestern University. Overfield, D. (1997). From the margins to the mainstreams: Foreign language

and education and community-based learning. Foreign Language Annals, 30: 485-491

References

Parch, N. S. (1987). Second language pedagogy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richards, J., J. Platt, and H. Weber. 1985. Longman dictionary of applied linguistics. London: Longman. Skehan, Peter (1998). A cognitive approach to language learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Willis, D. (1996). Accuracy, fluency and conformity. In J. Willis and D. Willis (eds.). Challenge and change in language teaching. Oxford: Heinemann Macmillan. Willis, Jane (2004). Perspectives on task-based instruction: understanding our practices, acknowledging different practitioners. In Betty Lou Leaver and Jane Willis (eds.). Task-based instruction in foreign language education: Practices and programs, pp. 3-44. Washington D.C.: Georgetown

University Press.  

References