Master of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language

Course Description

Core Courses

Special Topics in Contemporary China (2 credits)
This course is the fundamental course for the master Program of Teaching Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL). The significant issues of the contemporary Chinese society and culture and its theoretical origins will be taught in this course. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Chinese Linguistics (2 credits)
This course is an advanced course of Chinese philology. It mainly introduces theories about Chinese pronunciation, Chinese vocabulary and Chinese grammar, research achievements and the leading edge research subjects in Chinese linguistics and the influence of the research methodology of western languages on Chinese linguistic research. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (2 credits)
This course is the fundamental course for the master program of TCFL. It introduces the main theories of teaching Chinese as a second language, the schools of teaching methodology and their origins, the textbooks and their evaluations, as well as the testing theories and implementation, etc. Students will learn about the general situation of the subject of teaching Chinese as a second language and the research development of each area of the subject. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with class observations and student practices.

Second Language Acquisition (2 credits)
This course is an advanced course for TCFL. It introduces the theoretical framework of second language acquisition, the important research schools and achievements of second language acquisition, assesses the advantages and disadvantages of the theories, and introduces their influences and inspiration on teaching Chinese as a second language. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation.

Case Studies of Classroom Teaching and Teaching Practice (2 credits)
This course is the fundamental course for TCFL. It mainly introduces the approaches of designing lessons and conducting classroom teaching to Chinese language learners of different levels. The case studies include the lesson plans for learners of elementary, intermediate and advanced levels and for the classes of different subjects such as listening, reading and writing. Lectures and student practice are the main approaches in this course.

Special Topics in Chinese Culture (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL. It introduces the origin and development of Chinese culture, the development of the schools of thoughts such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and their influences on Chinese society; the major trend of development and outstanding persons, the cultural exchange between China and other countries and its influence on the world development. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation.

Cross-Cultural Communication (2 credits)
This course is an advanced course for TCFL which introduces the main theoretical schools of cross-cultural communication and their origins, the function of the theories towards the communication practice, the common research methodologies of cross-cultural communication and case studies. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Chinese Linguistic Elements and Teaching (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL and it introduces the main theories and research achievements in Chinese pronunciation, Chinese vocabulary, Chinese grammar and Chinese character, the common errors of the foreign learners in learning Chinese language and its teaching methods on the basis of language comparison. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Academic Activities (1 credit)
This course is a practical course for TCFL. Students are required to attend at least one academic conference and publish at least one academic paper. 

Chinese Culture or Cross-Cultural Exchange Activities (1 credit)
This course is a practical course for TCFL which requires students to attend at least one exchange activity such as dialect survey, urban language survey, Chinese folklore survey, cross-cultural exchange camps, and language and cultural studies of Macau, etc. Students will need to submit related reports afterwards. 

Teaching Practice (4 credit)
This course is a practical course for TCFL. Students are required to practice teaching Chinese. Actual teaching hours will amount to 30 hours. Other activities will include classroom observations, preparation work for teaching, reports about classes and teaching etc. 

Elective Courses 

Western Linguistics (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL which focuses on the main theoretical schools of western linguistics and their influences, analyses the origins of the schools, and introduces the classical research cases and their methodologies. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Teaching of Chinese Language Skill (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL which studies the important points in teaching listening, speaking, reading, writing, characters, business Chinese and HSK, etc in classes for teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Students will be equipped with related teaching skills and also the knowledge of related theories. Lectures and teaching practice are the main approaches for this course.

Research Methods for Linguistics (2 credits)
This course is an advanced course for TCFL. It mainly introduces the methods of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis in linguistic research, the methods of collecting and analyzing language data and the statistical methods related to linguistics. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Chinese Cultural Classics (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL which introduces the classical cultural books and their spirits which have great influence on Chinese culture; analyzes the influence and function of the these books on Chinese history and contemporary society. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Comparison of Chinese and Western Cultures (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL which introduces the differences and exchange between Chinese and the western cultures. Through this course, students will learn the basic characteristics, differences and connections of Chinese and western cultures. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Language Testing and Teaching Evaluation (2 credits)
This course is an advanced course for TCFL, introducing the main principles and their application on language testing and teaching evaluation. Based on the practical situations of teaching Chinese as a foreign language, students will learn about the means of Chinese language testing and teaching evaluation. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Teaching Design and Administration (2 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL, which introduces the theories and practices of the general design of teaching Chinese as a foreign language, the placement test, the curriculum design, and textbook selection. Students can learn the basic theories and skills of teaching plan design and administration. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

Special Topics on International Promotion of Chinese Language (2 credits)
This course is an advanced course for TCFL which introduces the overall situation and different regional characteristics related to the international promotion of Chinese language as well as the achievements and challenges so far. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and presentation. 

English (4 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL. Students completing this course will be able to read linguistic related books in English and to present their research in English. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and practices. 

Portuguese (4 credits)
This course is a fundamental course for TCFL. Students completing this course will be able to read linguistic related books in Portuguese and to present their research in Portuguese. Lecture is the major method of instruction, supplemented with after-class discussion and practices. 

Thesis 

Thesis (10 credits)
A thesis of no less than 20,000 words in Chinese language is required for TCFL degree. The thesis should be finished within 6 months. Thesis topics can be related to theories on Chinese language pedagogy, second language acquisition, Chinese language teaching skills, comparison of Chinese and western cultures, cross-cultural communication, and language testing, etc. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies should be applied; and the thesis should have both academic and practical values.