On September 29, 2024, the USC U.S.-China Institute hosted a workshop at the Huntington’s Chinese garden, offering K-12 educators hands-on insights into using the garden as a teaching tool. With expert presentations, a guided tour, and new resources, the event explored how Chinese gardens' rich history and cultural significance can be integrated into classrooms. Interested in learning more? Click below for details on the workshop and upcoming programs for educators.
Y.R. Chao’s Teaching Tradition and New Developments in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language
This talk discusses basic principles and practices of teaching Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL) in the United States, based on the pedagogical model developed by Y. R. Chao in the 40's, and the Declarative/Procedural model discovered recently by Ullman (2001).
Where
It is shown that Y.R. Chao's teaching principles are solidly confirmed by recent studies of neurosciences and that Practice Effects must be taken as an ultimate criterion, by which all L2 theories and practices are examined and evaluated not only for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language but also for L2 teaching of all human languages. More specifically, I will elaborate on some important issues in the field, including (1) the northern American tradition of Direct Method established by Professor Yuen Ren Chao, (2) the Neuroscience-based evidence for Yuenren Tradition, and (3) some empirical principles and results derived from the “structural-function approach” developed recently. Finally, it is argued that no matter how the L2 theories are formed, drilling always goes first.
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