Early 21st-Century Power Struggles of Chinese Languages Teaching in US Higher Education


Book Description

This book exclusively focuses on visible and under-the-table power struggles with regards to aspects of communities, connections, cultures, and communication related to Chinese language teaching in US higher education in the past two decades. As long as there are diverse communities in a society, conflicts between different groups of people become inevitable, and these lead, in turn, to power struggles. Once there are conflicts or power struggles among various communities, problematic subtleties about connections to different communities, as well as comparisons and contrasts of social varieties and cultural legacies, indubitably ensue.




King Hu's Kung Fu Cinematic Art


Book Description

This scholarly compendium offers a comprehensive analysis of King Hu’s transformative impact on Chinese martial arts cinema. It begins with a foundational examination of King Hu’s directorial influence, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of his filmography, including critical works like Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen. The volume employs advanced theoretical frameworks, such as David Bordwell’s film poetics, to dissect King Hu’s pervasive influence across generations of filmmakers, and the analysis of cultural translation and subtitling practices further illuminates the global dissemination and reception of Hu’s films. A critical focus is placed on King Hu’s oeuvre, analyzing its adaptability and intertextual resonance within broader artistic milieus. The book also critiques Hu’s representation of women in martial arts cinema, interrogating both progressive and problematic elements. Concluding sections emphasize Hu’s mastery in marrying classical Chinese narrative techniques with visual storytelling, highlighting his enduring legacy in the martial arts genre and global cinematic landscape. This volume asserts King Hu as a pivotal cultural auteur, whose work continues to shape cinematic expression and discourse, making it an essential resource for scholars in film studies and aficionados of wuxia cinema.




The Field of Chinese Language Education in the U.S.


Book Description

This book will be the first account of the development of Chinese as a foreign language in the U.S., as it interacts with the relevant entities in China and beyond. There are virtually no systematic retrospective reflections on the field outside of the greater China region; and yet over the past decades the field has grown by leaps and bounds, and it is critical now that we pause to reflect on what has happened and what we can learn from the past. The contributors are among some of the most influential pioneers in the field whose entire academic lives have been dedicated to its development. The Field of Chinese Language Education in the U.S.: A Retrospective of the 20th Century is aimed at those who are currently engaged in Chinese language education, as teachers or as students.







Chinese Language Education in the United States


Book Description

This book offers historical, philosophical, and sociocultural perspectives on Chinese language education for speakers of other languages with a special focus on Chinese language education in the United States. It provides a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary look at changes in CFL/CSL education over time in China and the U.S. and the philosophical, political and sociocultural influences that led to these changes. The essays address a wide array of topics related to Chinese language education, including: A historical overview of the field Theories that apply to CFL/CSL learning Policies and initiatives for CFL/CSL by the Chinese and U.S. governments Medium of instruction Curriculum and instruction for CFL/CSL learners at K-12 and college levels Technology for CFL/CSL education Chinese language learning for heritage learners CFL in study abroad contexts CFL teacher education and training This work is essential reading for scholars and students interested in gaining a greater understanding of Chinese language education in the two countries and around the world.




Performed Culture in Chinese Language Education


Book Description

Performed Culture in Chinese Language Education: A Culture-Based Approach for U.S. Collegiate Contexts elaborates on a cultural awareness-oriented, cultural performance-based, and cross-cultural communication-focused foreign language pedagogical paradigm—Performed Culture Approach — in the context of U.S. collegiate Chinese language education. Guangyan Chen draws on the data collected through questionnaires, comparisons between this pedagogy and mainstream pedagogical frameworks, and analyses of curricular development, lesson plans, and classroom discourses. Chen promotes the performed culture approach by delineating the theoretical framework of this pedagogy, reporting studies that empirically support cultural primacy in Chinese language education, and illustrating this pedagogy through analyses of a curricular structure, a lesson plan, and classroom discourses. Chen shows how this pedagogy addresses the gaps between the social need for global citizens and the insufficient integration of culture into foreign language education. The performed culture approach also addresses the overall drop in U.S. collegiate foreign language enrollment as this pedagogy connects foreign language programs to university missions and social needs.







A Hybrid Approach to Teaching Chinese through Digital Humanities, CALL, and Project-Based Learning


Book Description

A Hybrid Approach to Teaching Chinese through Digital Humanities, CALL, and Project-Based Learning presents an exposition of current thinking, research, and best practices in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Digital Humanities (DH), and Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) in the context of teaching Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL). It proposes integrating CALL and DH into PBLL to form a Digital Humanities–Augmented Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Language Learning (DATEPBLL) approach to transform student learning. By combining DH pedagogy and CALL technology with PBLL, the approach takes advantage of their synergies, which enables instructors to help students develop linguistic and cultural competency as well as 21st century skills. Case studies and best practices from experienced Chinese language teachers are presented to demonstrate the value of the DATEPBLL approach. This is the first volume that covers all three fields and makes a strong case for the importance of incorporating CALL, DH, and PBLL for effective language learning. Written for professionals in language education, including educators, curriculum designers and developers, graduate students, publishers, government personnel, and researchers, the book provides theoretical insights and practical applications of CALL, DH, and PBLL.




The Unimpressible Race


Book Description




Soft Power and the Worldwide Promotion of Chinese Language Learning


Book Description

‘The Confucius Institute Project’ – consisting of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms, the posting of Chinese language teachers to overseas schools and universities and the Chinese Bridge language competition – represents an attempt by China to extend its influence globally through the use of soft power. Facilitated by a rapidly increasing demand for Chinese language learning, it has established a presence across the globe and made valuable contributions to the learning and teaching of Chinese. However, this has not necessarily led to an increasingly positive view of China, either at a political or a societal level. Through an analysis of official documents, interviews with those involved, a survey of Chinese-language learners and a study of academic and media sources, the author evaluates the aims of the project, and discusses whether these aims are being met.