1. Comments
on
Teaching
Approach
Michael
Nusbaum
I
became
interested
in
foreign
language
ever
since
I
was
an
adolescent,
especially
Chinese.
I
have
a
Chinese
wife
who
is
pregnant
with
a
boy.
I
plan
to
create
a
sustainable
bi-­‐lingual
environment
for
him.
This
way
he
will
be
able
to
master
both
English
and
Chinese.
I
plan
to
do
the
same
with
my
prospective
Chinese
students
to
help
facilitate
them
in
acquiring
Chinese.
I
will
encourage
and
remind
them
that
if
they
learn
Chinese
they
will
be
able
to
communicate
with
over
1
billion
people.
Also,
with
enough
conscientious
effort
and
proper
instruction,
they
can
master
one
of
the
world’s
most
difficult
languages
to
master.
I
learned
Chinese
through
my
own
extensive
efforts
and
some
guidance.
I
scored
exceptionally
high
on
Columbia
University’s
Chinese
placement
exam
and
tested
into
the
highest-­‐level
class.
Colleagues
and
professors
mention
that
my
accent
is
very
minimal
and
word
usage
and
fluency
are
comparable
to
native
speakers.
I
am
familiar
with
ACTFL
(The
American
Council
for
Teaching
of
Foreign
Language)
and
have
reached
the
level
of
‘superior-­‐distinguished’.
I
have
created
and
will
recreate
systemized
curriculums
that
are
suitable
for
particular
student
bodies.
While
a
curriculum
should
not
just
adhere
to
a
textbook,
I
highly
recommend
the
Integrated
Chinese
series,
along
with
the
Beijing
Language
and
Culture
University
Series
for
foreign
Chinese
language
learners.
For
higher-­‐level
learners,
I
can
teach
Classical
Chinese,
Chinese
newspaper
reading
and
modern
literature
reading.
The
curriculum
I
implement
coincides
with
regional,
nation
and
international
standards,
such
ACTFL
and
Hanban.
Within
every
class
or
level
of
Chinese,
every
student’s
level
and
needs
are
unique
and
therefore,
I
plan
an
ILP
(Individualized
Learning
Plan)
for
every
individual
student.
Exercises
will
be
differentiated
to
accommodate
the
diverse
language
learner
needs.
I
teach
using
the
‘backwards
design’;
where
goals
are
set
before
the
first
lesson
starts.
Assessments
are
planned
ahead
of
time
and
then
modified
according
to
the
class
dynamic.
Assessments
are
used
to
display
whether
students
have
reached
desired
results.
Results
should
be
compared
with
data
of
other
student
bodies
and
analyzed.
It
is
crucial
for
me
as
the
teacher,
to
learn
the
school’s
curriculum
and
overarching
aspirations,
in
order
to
tie
in
relevant
language
use.
Also,
just
as
acquiring
any
particular
subject
matter,
it
is
important
to
create
a
facilitative
learning
environment
and
create
situations
where
students
have
to
go
through
problem
solving
process
to
acquire
language
skills.
In
order
to
engage
students
in
language
instruction
and
ensure
they
use
the
target
language,
classes
will
not
just
focus
on
vocabulary
and
grammar.
Rather,
groups
and
pairs
will
be
a
major
focus
to
practice
language
and
simulate
real
life
situations
inside
and
outside
of
classrooms.
My
philosophy
is
to
focus
more
on
function
and
not
form.
In
other
words,
while
grammar
and
vocabulary
drills
are
necessary,
it
is
important
to
focus
on
meaning
and
have
students
practice
to
simulate
real
life
situations
as
much
as
possible.
When
I
notice
students
do
not
understand
what
I
am
saying,
I
use
the
TL
(Target
Language)
for
circumlocution
(use
simple
language
to
talk
around
or
about
the
topic),
this
way
the
learners
will
develop
the
habit
not
to
wait
for
English
explanation.
I
believe
only
when
students
truly
can’t
gather
meaning
and
start
losing
interest
in
crucial
concepts,
then
I
can
use
English
for
concise
explanation.
As
much
as
possible,
input
the

2. teacher
provides
during
instruction
needs
to
be
comprehensible
to
the
students.
Further,
I
am
aware
of
students’
comprehension
by
being
attentive
to
their
class
performance
in
pairs/groups,
homework
and
traditional
assessments
(tests,
quizzes
etc.).
Teachers
should
be
versed
in
the
5
“C”s
of
language
education.
The
first
one
is
Communication
and
its
three
modes:
Interpersonal
Communication
(speaking/listening
and
writing/reading
between
at
least
two
people);
Interpretive
Communication
(interpreting
the
content
of
a
written
or
spoken
text)
and
Presentational
Communication
(students
presenting
information
in
either
spoken
or
written
form).
The
second
“C”,
is
Culture,
in
terms
of
practices
and
products
of
a
culture
and
their
underlying
perspectives.
The
third
is
Connections;
primarily
to
other
curriculum
areas.
The
fourth,
Comparisons,
both
comparing
the
culture
students
are
learning
about
to
their
own
as
well
as
comparing
the
language
they
are
learning
to
English).
The
fifth,
Communities,
instilling
the
desire
to
be
a
life-­‐long
language
learner
and
taking
the
language
beyond
the
classroom
setting.
A
lesson
I
have
taught
that
has
gone
particularly
well,
highlighting
how
I
integrated
language
and
culture
throughout,
is
about
Chinese
New
Year
(Lunar
New
Year),
emphasizing
zodiac.
Most
cultures
within
China
celebrate
this
festival
and
it
is
now
a
public
holiday
in
the
state
of
New
York.
This
lesson
can
be
taught
to
students
on
of
any
age
and
to
low-­‐intermediate
language
ability.
Materials
and
equipment
used
are:
Chalkboard
or
whiteboard;
Computer
and
screen
with
internet
connection;
Flashcards
(homemade
to
present);
Red
and
Black
paper,
scissors
for
every
student;
Pen,
pencil,
notebook,
character
practice
book.
The
lesson
went
as
follows.
Students
learn
《贺新年》song
to
enhance
interest,
as
well
as
the
ability
to
begin
to
use
learned
information.
Everyone
will
go
over
lyrics
first,
ensure
that
pronunciation,
especially
tones
are
sounded
accurately
(10
minutes).
Watch
Video
on
Chinese
New
Year
in
English
and
Chinese
to
gain
basic
understanding
of
the
holiday
and
key
terminology
(5
minutes).
Teacher
presents
Power
Point
lesson
on
Chinese
New
Year.
Presentation
should
mainly
be
in
Chinese,
pictures
are
used
as
visual
support.
Special
attention
should
be
paid
towards
Chinese
Zodiac.
Student
will
be
asked
their
understanding
of
Chinese
Zodiac
(15
minutes).
Review
flashcards
with
student
both
in
Chinese
and
English
on
the
key
vocabulary
learned
in
the
video
and
presentation
(5
minutes).
Students
complete
matching
worksheet
that
includes
relevant
vocabulary
in
Chinese
Pinyin
and
English.
Play
music
video
《恭喜发财》as
background.
Review
correct
answers.
Have
students
practice
the
vocabulary
as
homework
and
give
dictation
next
class
(5
minutes).
Make
“福”
decoration
to
prepare
for
the
Chinese
New
Year.
Use
yellow
and
black
paper.
Students
will
cut
out
the
character
“福”
in
black
and
paste
it
to
the
red
paper.
Students
will
be
instructed
to
hang
the
“福”
upside
down,
as
it
symbolizes
“fortune
has
arrived”
(福到了)
(5
minutes).
If
time
permits,
start
character
practice,
as
well
as
role
play.
Use
character
practice
book
and
chalkboard
or
whiteboard
to
practice
writing.
Students
can
start
using
“Happy
New
Year”
greetings
to
greet
each
other,
as
well
as
can
interact
regarding
their
Chinese
zodiac.