ERIC Number: ED020525
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1968-Aug
Pages: 38
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHING IN THE UNITED STATES--THE STATE OF THE ART.
WRENN, JAMES J.
IN THIS SURVEY OF CHINESE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES THE AUTHOR FIRST ASSUMES THAT MOST SERIOUS STUDENTS HOPE EVENTUALLY TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT READING AND WRITING ABILITY TO CONDUCT ORIGINAL RESEARCH USING RESOURCES WRITTEN IN CHINESE. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CHINESE WRITING SYSTEM, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT GOAL AND "THE LEVEL OF COMPETENCE REACHED IN READING CHINESE AFTER TWO OR THREE YEARS OF STUDY IS STILL SO LOW AS TO LEAVE THE STUDENT 'FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE'." THERE IS AT PRESENT A SCARCITY OF SCHOLARS WELL VERSED IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE AND A CONCURRENT SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS. CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS TO WORK AT ALL LEVELS OF INSTRUCTION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO POST GRADUATE, (2) EMPHASIZING MORE SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS TO SUPPLEMENT CLASSROOM WORK, (3) DEVELOPING A NUMBER OF SMALL CENTERS FOR INTENSIVE LANGUAGE AND TEACHER TRAINING, AND (4) CONCENTRATING SCARCE TEACHER TIME ON THOSE STUDENTS MOST LIKELY TO BECOME TEACHERS OR RESEARCHERS. A SELECTIVE AND ANNOTATED LIST OF TEACHING AND REFERENCE MATERIALS ORIGINALLY PREPARED BY NICHOLAS C. BODMAN IS UPDATED AND PARTIALLY REVISED IN THIS PAPER. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WHICH SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED ARE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED HERE AND INCLUDE AUDIOVISUAL AIDS, LANGUAGE LABORATORIES, SPECIAL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY SERVICES, AND OVERSEAS LANGUAGE CENTERS. (JD)
Descriptors: Chinese, Curriculum Evaluation, Language Instruction, Language Proficiency, Language Programs, Mandarin Chinese, National Surveys, Program Development, Programed Instructional Materials, Reading Instruction, Special Libraries, Standards, Surveys, Teacher Education, Teacher Qualifications, Teachers, Textbook Evaluation
Publication Type: N/A
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC. ERIC Clearinghouse for Languages and Linguistics.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A