Panel 42: CJK in the University Classroom

Chair: Chengxu Yin, University of Notre Dame

Panelists

Mina Kim, University of Texas at Austin, “Designing Curriculum with Reality: Exploring Innovative Methods to Teach Korean Culture in a Less Commonly Taught Language”

Korean education has gained popularity and undergone dynamic changes in terms of enrollment and program expansion over the years. All Korean teachers and college instructors teach in different settings but share many interests and need to collaborate more frequently to ensure that Korean as foreign language learners are prepared for high-level study and real-world contexts beyond the classroom. One of the goals of Korean education is to train bilinguals in a wide range of areas, so building a more comprehensive landscape of Korea and promoting interdisciplinary as a pedagogical approach. To move toward these goals, how can we implement innovative language learning and teaching in the classroom and curriculum? What opportunities and experiential language learning can be implemented to promote a sense of responsibility in our society? Participation in a Korean Heritage Language School: Immersive Interactive Storytelling through puppetry and theater performance Theatre performance in the language classroom is expanded role-playing that is a great educational resource, helping to develop confidence, teamwork, creativity when speaking a target language. Korean picture books and folktales were combined into immersive interactive puppetry and performance for Korean children, and it has promoted effective learning for Korean learners (both heritage and non-heritage). It’ll foster a various community to develop language proficiency by establishing friendship and networking, promoting mutual understanding and cultural interaction, maximizing learner identity and competency, motivation, and social contribution, giving more responsibility to students. Also, it’ll contribute to the development and activity of Korean studies, including Korean education for K-16, in more diverse collaborative ways.

Chengxu Yin, University of Notre Dame, “Relationship-Rich Teaching in CFL: Strategies and Implementation”

Though relationships are foundational to learning at college level, building and sustaining relationship-rich learning environment has not been the norm in the field of teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL). This presentation explores the power of relational approach in Chinese language teaching and expounds the necessity and effectiveness of implementing relational pedagogy in teaching CFL. It begins by describing strategies for integrating the implementation of relational teaching into CFL curriculum at both beginning and advanced levels. Various teaching practices are then introduced for fostering a relationship-rich classroom, encompassing the thoughtful design and selection of activities and assignments. Additionally, the presentation addresses feedback and assessment strategies within the framework of relational teaching, offering illustrative examples. The presentation concludes by examining the efficacy of relational teaching through the lens of student feedback. The attendees will be invited to provide feedback on the best practices presented, to assess the applicability of those practices in the instructional settings of their own schools. Through conversations with the audience, the presenter aims to articulate some principles for integrating relational pedagogy in CFL classes. Recommendations on best practices, cautions about potential pitfalls, and suggestions for further explorations will also be offered.

Congcong Ma, University of Notre Dame, “Promotional Strategies for College Chinese Language Class”

This paper highlights the diverse methods adopted by our college to increase Chinese language class enrollments at the University of Notre Dame. It explores interdisciplinary curriculum development and program publicity strategies, emphasizing social media and collaborations with other language programs and student organizations, to amplify program visibility. To the benefit of the audience, the presenters will use a dynamic approach to promote the engagement. A visually appealing PowerPoint presentation will serve as a focal point, which is complemented by concise handouts and flyers summarizing crucial information. Integrated screenshots of course promotion flyers, social media posts, and course sites will not only provide visual clarity and also reinforce key concepts. The audience can learn about effective promotional tactics utilizing social media, extracurricular activities, peer tutoring and inter-program collaborations by attending this session. These tactics can significantly contribute to the vitality and sustainability of language programs by generating increased awareness, engagement, and enrollment. Additionally, these practical strategies can be shared among peer colleges to enhance the overall quality and relevance of their language programs.

Janet Federici, University of Notre Dame, “Teaching Herself inside the Language Classroom: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Conflicts”

If a student wants to achieve a native-like proficiency in a second language, the classroom alone will not suffice. Thus, a major endeavor of second language instruction research is to get students to learn more outside the classroom. This is called self-directed learning (SDL). Naturally, the majority of this research addresses teachers and prescribes instructional methods, but what about the students’ perspective? How can an ambitious language student who is taking a class but who also wants to advance more rapidly become her own self-directed learner? Such a student faces a conflict between the external motivation of coursework and the intrinsic motivation of learning languages for the love of it. Thus, my research questions are: 1) How does the extrinsic motivation of course requirements affect an intrinsic motivation to learn languages (specifically Japanese), and 2) What can a student do to combat any challenges arising from possible conflicts? Using an integration of Zoltán Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System and his Process Model of Student Motivation as a model for how student motivation works, I use a survey to locate myself in Dörnyei’s Self System, and I use autoethnography to analyze the interplay of motivations and language learning actions in myself and the Japanese students of the University of Notre Dame. The results suggest that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation cannot co-exist, which implies that students should base their actions on their intrinsic motivation and focus on their self-driven study plans while maintaining their coursework.