Hello to everyone out there with nothing better to do than check out my blog!
First, let me say that you have not hit rock bottom because you're here. It's not that bad. Besides, I'm sure you saw a few things that made you want to visit the page. Maybe it was the title of the blog, which, just by reading it, I'm already teaching you Chinese! Or it could've been that after reading the headline, you saw my picture and thought "Well, he definitely doesn't look like he's from China" (which I'm not; Rochester, New York to be correct). But it was probably the overcast background pic that puts you in the mood to watch a movie. Whichever your reason for stopping by, welcome.
My name is Darius and I'm currently a candidate for a Masters in Chinese Education at the University at Buffalo. Two years of Beijing living and three years of Mandarin study has qualified me (along with GMATs and such) to be in this program. I'm studying specifically to become a Chinese teacher in a public school, as I'm seeking to address the lack of minorities engaged in Chinese affairs by creating a pipeline of instructed scholars at the high school level. I'm starting this blog to share my experiences, updates and engage with students, professionals and those who are curious about the language.
A New York State performance indicator for students learning languages other than English (which Chinese falls under) is for students to be able to comprehend simple vocabulary and structures in face-to-face with peers and familiar adults. I don't want students to just pass a class by memorizing words that they'll forget next week; I want them to learn this great, critical and rarely spoken language in the US by Americans. This blog will help with their vocab as well as hopefully light a fire under some schools to explore bringing on a Chinese program (SHAMELESS PLUG: I can help).
Looking forward to sharing all I know and learning from you all as well!
I hope that when you are teaching in high school that you will be able to arrange f2f or inline interactions between your students and native Chinese-speakers. I think that would help motivate students to consider Chinese a communication tool and not just another school subject to pass.
ReplyDeleteDarius,
ReplyDeleteInteresting first post. The personal intro part is quite good as it helps establish a connection with the reader (and prospective students) that would otherwise be missing in an online setting. The title of your blog is also very clever. A good title is key. They say "don't judge a book by its cover (nor a blog by its title!), however a catchy and interesting element can certainly behoove said book and/or blog!
Darius - great first post! Your introduction is awesome, and as Michael said, it does help establish a connection that you sometimes don't get in an online setting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about not wanting students to just memorize vocabulary, but rather it is the real life, f2f, experiences with the language that will make a lasting impact on them.