Chinese

Alice Zhang

Alice Zhang is Senior Faculty Specialist in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the College of Education, University of Maryland College Park, as well as Associate Director of Multilingual Research Center since 2015. She has been a Startalk site visitor for the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland College Park since 2011. She works as a Workshop Consultant/Presenter (AP Chinese Language), an invited AP Chinese Course Audit Reviewer as well as Certified AP Chinese Reader for The College Board.

Alice was a special educator for 13 years at Baltimore City Public School System. She helped establish the Chinese Immersion program at the Baltimore International Academy and guided BIA through the application process for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.  Alice’s research interest involves teacher preparation and teacher development. She has presented at various national and international foreign language conferences with the topics focusing on 21st language teaching and learning.

Course Description

This course will focus on the AP Chinese Language and Culture course and exam in relation to World-readiness Standards that serve as overarching principles for the development of curricular framework. Consultant and participants will discuss and brainstorm research-supported best practices, illustrate step-by-step instructions for creating a truly communicative and interactive immersive setting, and demonstrate effective instructional strategies in enhancing student performance in all three modes of communications (interpersonal, interpretive and presentational). Participants will gain hands-on experiences in assessing student responses by using grading criteria and rubrics applicable for AP Chinese and develop sample formative and summative assessments for their local classrooms. The entire group will also share and examine effective instructional resources.

Topics will include the following:

  • Examination of sample student answers from free response sections of an actual AP exam as well as released scoring guidelines for these sections
  • Best practices and classroom strategies in improving student performance
  • Integration of the ACTFL World Readiness Standards into instruction and assessment
  • Cultural integration into the AP course o Authentic materials, immersion environment and differentiated instruction

What participants should bring:

  • Textbooks you are currently using, student work samples, your sample assessments as well as your syllabus, if any
  • Your favorite thematic unit  
  • Authentic materials you have used in your classes
  • Any other items you think might be helpful for discussions and exchanges
  • A list of technology tools and apps you have used
  • Your laptop

Agenda

Day 1
  • Diversity & Inclusion; Equity & Access in AP
  • CED： AP Chinese Language and Culture Course and Exam Description
  • AP Chinese Course Syllabus
  • Curricular Requirements
  • Instructional activities corresponding to each curricular requirement
  • Semester/or yearlong instructional plan
Day 2
  • AP Classroom & Personal Progress Checks
  • Practice of scoring AP Chinese exam samples
  • AP Chinese daily lesson plan/s
Day 3
  • ACTFL OPI and AP Chinese
  • Teaching culture perspectives
  • Differentiated instruction multilevel Chinese classrooms
  • Technology
Day 4
  • Authentic materials
  • Effective strategies of teaching listening, speaking, reading, writing and target-language culture
  • Sharing of best teaching practices among participants
  • Teaching Resources for Pre-AP and AP Chinese