Extra-Curricular Program Design

Input, both authentic and modified, plays a fundamental role in second language acquisition. In addition to teaching with textbooks meticulously tailored to students’ level in class, I also aspire to provide students with authentic input to enhance students’ motivation of language learning and bridge the gap of the language inside and outside the classroom.

During Princeton University’s Wintersession in 2022, my colleague and I held a two-day workshop with the aim of providing students with an opportunity to learn Chinese by watching Chinese drama clips and TV shows and acting out scenes or video dubbing. The workshop was designed to provide engaging and rewarding learning experience for students linguistically, culturally and affectively. Specifically, students are able to 1) be exposed to authentic language including slangs and idioms and improve their oral proficiency, 2) deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and society through watching the videos and discussion, and 3) reduce anxiety and build up their confidence in Chinese speaking. To benefit more students in the COVID situation, the workshop was adapted to a hybrid mode.

Please click the button below to view the handout of “人民的名义”video clip, which demonstrates implementation procedure of the activity.