Chinese Language & Culture
Instructor: T. Richard Chi

< Return to subjects

T. Richard Chi is Professor of Chinese language and linguistics in the Department of Languages and Literature at the University of Utah. He has been a teacher of Chinese language, culture and linguistics for over 25 years. His research areas include second language acquisition, applied linguistics, curriculum and assessment design, language learning strategies, and teaching Chinese as a second language. He served as Department Chair from 1998 to 2004. He was also Director of the Chinese School at Middlebury College from 1993 to 2002. As an ACTFL-certified Mandarin oral proficiency tester and tester trainer, he has conducted numerous workshops on the OPI, proficiency-based language instruction and assessment in the U.S. and abroad. He has also participated in or chaired various research and material development projects for ACTFL, Center for Applied Linguistics, US Department of Education, the Army Defense Language Institute, the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland, the Center for Applied Second Language Studies at the University of Oregon, and the College Board. He also served on the Modern Language Association ADFL Executive Committee. He is the author of the College Board AP Chinese One-Day Workshop Manual and has taught AP Chinese workshops and summer institutes in the U.S. and abroad since 2006. He has served on the AP Chinese Development Committee as College Board Advisor and participated in reviewing AP World Languages and Cultures courses as a member of the AP Chinese Language and Culture Commission. Currently, he serves on the AP Chinese Curriculum Development and Assessment Committee. He will start serving as AP Chinese Chief Reader in fall 2011.

Education: Richard received his BA in English literature at Soochow University in Taiwan. He received his MA and Ph.D in linguistics from UCLA.

2012 Session Outline

Tuesday, June 26
"The AP Chinese Course and Exam: Concepts and Procedures"

• College Board Mission Statement: Why AP? Why AP Chinese?
• Pedagogical principles and instructional strategies: course functions, content, skills, and instructional strategies
• AP Chinese Curricular requirements
• Resources for AP Chinese teachers
• The AP Chinese Exam: format and specifications
• 2011 Exam Results: Score distributions and implications
• The Special Focus Materials
• Institute Project

• The National Standards
• The Chinese standards: Progress Indicators; Learning Scenarios
• Integration of the Standards: Sample--Standard 4 Comparisons
• Enhance and apply cognitive skills
• Develop learning strategies
• Use authentic linguistic and cultural material for instruction and assessment
• Design and share learning activities using authentic materials

• Criterion-referenced assessment
• Rubrics-based assessment procedures
• The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: hallmark characteristics "Assessment"
• The ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners: What is assessed?
• Review guidelines for Comprehensibility, Comprehension, Language Control, Vocabulary Items, Communicative Strategies, and Cultural Awareness
• The ACTFL Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA): How is performance measured? Review assessment criteria and procedures
• The cyclical approach of performance assessment
• Practice using IPA to assess student performance

• AP World Languages: 2012 and Beyond
• AP World Languages and Cultures Curriculum Framework: Claims about World Languages Learners and Achievement Level Descriptions
• The Thematic Approach
• Group presentations