Miao-fen Tseng, the inaugural Director of the Institute of World Languages and Associate Professor of Chinese, has been awarded the federal STARTALK funding at the total amount of approximately $1,000,000 since 2008. The 2016 Virginia STARTALK Chinese Teacher Academy (VSCTA) in conjunction with the Virginia STARTALK Chinese Student Academy (VSCSA) marks its historical juncture to transition from blended learning to online learning. Both programs have established a national reputation for academic rigor and quality instruction in the US.
This year the teacher program continues to offer the graduate level course in teaching Chinese as a foreign language that features a well-sequenced curriculum with online and onsite training. Interested teacher participants should demonstrate competence in teaching Chinese language and culture in K-16 settings, be familiar with STARTALK-endorsed Principles for Effective Teaching and Learning, have prior knowledge and skills in implementing online tools in teaching, and show willingness to collaborate with teaching fellows to explore the online teaching model in the VSCTA/VSCSA community.
With the versatility of advanced technologies and innovative pedagogy, students in the STARTALK student program will fully engage in active learning through powerful and user-friendly online platforms, frequently interact with instructors, assistants, and peers, and receive strong rapport within the online learning community. Students whose targeted proficiency level ranges from novice-high to intermediate-low are encouraged to apply. The program aims to recruit 9th-12th grade high schoolers who are highly motivated, self-disciplined, and passionate about learning Chinese language and culture in virtual classrooms.
The 5-week teacher program begins with 2-week online training (June 21 - July 1), followed by 3-week onsite training (July 5-22). The 12-day student program will be running virtually from July 7-21. Please visit http://www.virginia.edu/startalk/ to learn more about the 2016 combination program and read about the experience of participants from previous years. Online application for teacher and student participants is accessible through the website.