EDUCATION

M.A. in Chinese literature, University of Wisconsin M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language
University of Michigan Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Michigan

BIOGRAPHY

I view teaching Chinese as a foreign language as my passion and lifelong career. Teaching brings me constantly renewed joy, because one teaching method can’t be applied to all situations. Students vary and times change. As a teacher, one needs to keep learning and keep changing, adjusting, experimenting, and readjusting. Teaching humbles me and my students surprise and challenge me, which is a constant reminder that there remains much to be learned—and I enjoy being a lifelong learner.

My research focuses on the practical application of theory to teaching Chinese. The hardship of once being a novice teacher has inspired me to write articles, conduct workshops, and give lectures in order to help those who are serious about becoming professional teachers, but have yet to achieve that goal. I believe that having many years of teaching experience does not necessarily make one a more successful teacher than one without much experience. To know exactly how to become a successful teacher is essential, and I would like to make some contribution to our field by providing know-how. In addition to teaching-related research, my newly developed interests include how to enhance students’ Chinese learning in a total-immersion environment. In addition, I experiment with applying various technologies to assignments inside and outside the classroom, in teaching, and in my collaborations with students and other professionals in the field.

As the Field Director and now the Executive Program Director of the UVA-in-Shanghai Chinese Language Program since 2006, I transformed this study abroad program into a platform for students to learn Chinese language and culture in an immersion environment, and for the graduate students of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language to practice teaching Chinese, allowing these new professional teachers the opportunity to hone their skills in the classroom.

I feel blessed and fortunate to have been able to realize many of my professional dreams at the University of Virginia.

SPECIALIZATIONS

Pedagogy of Chinese, teacher training, curriculum design, and Chinese linguistics

BOOKS

Co-authored with De-an Wu, Julian Wheatley, and Jinyu Li. 外国人生活汉语教材系列（Success in China: Mandarin for Living: A Communicative Approach: Chinese Textbook Series）. Vol IV. Beijing University Press, 2018.

Co-authored with De-an Wu, Julian Wheatley, and Jinyu Li. 外国人生活汉语教材系列（Success in China: Mandarin for Living: A Communicative Approach: Chinese Textbook Series）. Vol III. Beijing University Press, 2017.

Co-authored with De-an Wu, Julian Wheatley, Xianmin Liu and Judy Zhiyun Mu. 外国人生活汉语教材系列（Success in China: Mandarin for Living: A Communicative Approach: Chinese Textbook Series）. Vol II. Beijing University Press, 2016.

Co-authored with De-an Wu, Julian Wheatley, Xianmin Liu, and Judy Zhiyun Mu. 外国人生活汉语教材系列 (Success in China: Mandarin for Living: A Communicative Approach: Chinese Textbook Series). Vol I. Beijing University Press, 2014.

The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course:
Crossing Cultural Boundaries, Routledge 2nd,May, 2014

The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course:
Crossing Cultural Boundaries, Routledge, November, 2009

留学生在华汉语教育初探: 汉语作为第二语言习 得的留华教育研究
Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language in the Study Abroad Context, Peking University Press, Beijing, First Edition, June, 2008

One chapter in the volume. Carolyn Kunshan Lee, Hsin-hsin Liang, Vivian Ling, and Neil Kubler (eds., pp. 62-74)

Co-edited with Dr. Chen-ching Li and Prof. Yea-Fen Chen of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee the Festschrift proceedings of the conference “Reflecting on the Future of Chinese Language Pedagogy: A Conference honoring the 40-year Career of Prof. George Chih-Ch’ao Chao”.  Published in March, 2005.