Keynote Speakers

Chris Livaccari (李克力)

Principal, International School of the Peninsula in Palo Alto

Topic: Beyond Linguists and Diplomats: Toward a New Paradigm for Language Education in the Twenty-First Century

21世纪语言教育的新模式

Abstract : In order for language education to occupy a more central role in American education, language educators need to look beyond linguistic proficiency and help their students develop a broader cognitive, academic, and professional skill set that can help them be successful in a highly interconnected, rapidly changing, globalized world. Over the past several years, the presenter has used the twin lenses of "student as linguist" and "student as diplomat" to develop a framework for creating a new generation of students with this broader skill set. As the pace of technological and social change continues to accelerate, we need a true revolution in language education °? one that will put multilingualism at the center of transforming our education system. Given both its long history and cultural tradition and the increasing influence of the Chinese speaking world on the global stage, Chinese language teachers are uniquely positioned to lead this revolution. Click here to see his biodata.

Juefei Wang (王觉非) University of Vermont	Lixing Tang (唐力行） New York University

Topic: Preparing Qualified Chinese Language Teachers for the Global Community 培养适应全球化汉语教学的教师
Abstract: This presentation discusses the new demands and challenges that teachers of Chinese as a foreign language face around the world and in the United States. Dr. Juefei Wang will address the issues from a macro perspective by examining the challenges resulted from educational and cultural differences. He will discuss the recent initiatives at the US Federal and state levels, such as the alignment to national learning standards, the common core, and new teacher licensure requirements. Dr. Lixing Tang will address the issues from a micro perspective. He will present findings of an on-going study on graduates of NYU's Chinese teacher preparation program who are currently teaching in K-12 schools. Specific cases from the classrooms on challenges of teaching Chinese as a foreign language in American schools will be presented and implication to teacher preparation will be discussed.
Click here to see Juefei Wang's biodata. Click here to see Lixing Tang's biodata.