Introduction

The STARTALK initiative implemented 17 programs for Chinese language teachers' professional development in the summer of 2007. The programs, which were located in 14 states enrolled 292 Chinese teachers and teacher trainees. The programs varied in length, but the majority of teacher training programs ran for two weeks.

The teacher training Standards-based programs focused on classes that could be used for certification and many offered college credit. Several of the programs were combined with student programs and offered the teacher trainees the opportunity to observe veteran teachers in the classroom and to participate in microteaching. Instruction emphasized the importance of integrating the 5 C’s into instructional strategies and materials, and of using the target language throughout the class. The presence of non-native speakers in the classes surprised some native speakers and provided a new appreciation of how much their non-native students can achieve in the language.

According to the teachers' background survey data, 96% of Chinese teacher trainees were native speakers of Chinese, and 83% were female. 4% holds a doctorate degree, 64% holds a Master's degree, and 4% holds a Bachelor's degree. 92% of the teachers reported that they would be eager to participate in similar STARTALK classes next year, and 90% indicate that they plan to become certified to teach the language.

Program Information

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Chinese Language Association for Elementary and Secondary Schools (CLASS)
Glastonbury, CT and Wallingford, CT
ACTFL/CLASS Discovering Chinese Summer Initiative for Teachers
Dates: July 5 - July 15 and July 14 - July 25 (2 sessions)
http://www.actfl.org

Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
BYU Chinese Language Camp
Dates: July 23 - August 17
http://asiane.byu.edu

Bryant University
Smithfield, RI
Bryant Summer High School Chinese Immersion Program
Dates: July 16 - July 29
http://china.bryant.edu

Chicago Public Schools/DePaul University, Chinese Language Institute (CLI)
Chicago, IL
Teacher Professional Development (TPD)
Dates: June 18 - July 18
http://www.cps.k12.il.us
http://www.olce.org

The College Board
New York, NY
Summer Institutes for Chinese Guest Teachers
Dates: August 5 - August 14
http://www.collegeboard.com/k12chinese

Concordia Language Villages
Moorhead, MN
Authentic Learning, Authentic Teaching: Chinese Language Acquisition in Context
Dates: July 2 - July 14
http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Campus (ERAU)
Prescott, AZ
ERAU Upgrading Language Programs for High School Students
Dates: June 16 - July 26
http://www.erau.edu/omni/pr/academicorgs/prcoaas/foreignlanguage.html

University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI
A Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp
Dates: July 8 - July 28
http://chinesestudies.hawaii.edu

Hunter College
New York, NY
Teaching Practicum and Professional Development
Dates: July 2 - August 24 (4 or 8 weeks)
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/classics/chinese/summer.html

Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
Chinese Pedagogy Institute (CPI)
Dates: June 17 - June 29
http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/CPI/index.htm

Middlebury College, Sunderland Language Center
Middlebury, VT
Teacher Workshops and Continuing Education Programs in Chinese
Dates: July 15 - July 28
http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ls/startalk

Northern Kentucky University, NKU Research Foundation
Highland Heights, KY
Educating World Language (Chinese) Teachers
Dates: June 4 - July 20
http://www.nku.edu

Northern Virginia Community College
Alexandria, VA
Powering Up Your Chinese Language Courses with Technology
Dates: June 26 - June 29

Rutgers University, Rutgers Language Institute
New Brunswick, NJ
Promoting Chinese in the New Jersey World Languages Classroom: The Rutgers/NJ School District Summer Project
Dates: June 1 - August 31
http://wli.rutgers.edu

Seattle Public Schools
Seattle, WA
Chinese Language Teacher Certification
Dates: July 16 - August 31
http://www.seattleschools.org/area/main/index.dxml

Southern California Council of Chinese Schools
Torrance, CA
Chinese Immersion Summer Program
Dates: June 25 - July 26
http://www.teachingChinese.org

Stanford University's California Foreign Language Project
Palo Alto, CA
Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture Program for High School Students and Professional Development for Their Teachers
Dates: June 25 - July 20
http://www.stanford.edu/group/CFLP