Integrating Culture into Language Instruction

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Integrating Culture into Language Instruction

• 2008 STARTALK at Bryant University
  
• October 17, 2008

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2008 STARTALK at Bryant University

• Both Teacher training (3 weeks) and student
  learning (2 weeks)
• 24 teachers were divided into Language Track and
  Culture Track
• 67 middle school and high school students were
  divided into 8 small classes
• Beijing Olympic theme and optional trip to China
  (funded by another grant)

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TEACHER PROGRAM Language Track

• First week intensive training on pedagogy
• Second and third weeks
• Morning Practice classes with students with the
  Olympic theme
• Afternoon Cultural workshops and activities with
  students and cultural track teachers

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TEACHER PROGRAM Culture Track

• Beginner Level Chinese Class 30 hours
• Lectures and seminars on culture and history with
  top scholars in New England
• Workshops by experienced teachers to share and
  develop curriculum
• Cultural workshops and activities with students
  and language track teachers
• Practice classes with students on culture and
  geography

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STUDENT PROGRAM Language Learning

• Utilizing the comprehensive Chinese language
  knowledge and rich culture elements embedded in
  the Beijing Olympic Games as well as the
  Confucianism
• Activities
• Learn Beijing Olympic Song Beijing Welcomes
  You
• Design a Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony
• Presentation on Olympic Mascots, logo, sports,
  and countries
• Presentation on Confucius and Confucius ideas

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STUDENT PROGRAM Culture Learning

• Diverse culture activities in different areas
• Sports martial arts, Tai Chi, table tennis,
  Chinese chess, Majiang, yoyo and Shuttle rocket
• Arts folk dance, folk music instrument
  calligraphy Chinese fork art (paper cutting)
  Chinese ethnic group fashion show
• Social Studies Chinese traditional holidays
  (dumpling making), Greeting card making
• Others Chinese lunch, field trip to a Asian
  grocery market and Museum seeing China-related
  exhibition

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Benefits

• Motivate students to learn the vocabularies and
  phrases relating to the cultural activities
• Generate curiosity and interest of participants
  to explore the country by themselves.
• Create topics for further discussion and forge
  friendship to make the Program a life-changing
  experience
• Understand Chinese and China with a rich
  historical and cultural content
• Cultivate long-term interest in learning the
  language

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Thank You!