Michigan State University’s highly regarded teacher preparation program and the newly founded Confucius Institute at MSU have collaborated to craft a high-quality program to prepare teachers of the Chinese language and culture.

The Chinese Teacher Certification Program prepares both individuals who are already certified teachers, as well as individuals who have college degrees in other areas, to teach Chinese in American schools. The program is a one-year post-professional program for candidates who are already proficient in Mandarin.  The program provides academic training and field experiences to qualify already certified candidates for the Chinese K-12 endorsement and qualify those not yet certified to be recommended for a provisional license to instruct Chinese in K-12 classroom.  The program provides candidates with the training and experiences necessary to become excellent teachers of Chinese in American classrooms.  
Candidates in the Chinese Teacher Certification Program will engage in coursework and field experiences that will prepare them to teach Chinese in American classrooms.
 
The Program’s coursework will help candidates develop skills in teaching Chinese as a foreign language via multiple approaches that allow them to teach students of diverse learning styles.  

The Program combines field placements during an intensive summer training component with supervised teaching placements during the public school year.  These varied field experiences provide candidates with experiences at different grade levels and in different learning settings.   Field experiences are structured to give candidates the opportunity to put into practice innovative second language methodologies such as using on-line learning tools, multimedia tools, and a range of diverse instructional materials to help students develop phonemic ability, writing and reading capacities, and aural comprehension.

The program spans three semesters, beginning in the summer semester with classroom studies that integrate a course on teaching Chinese as a second language with field experiences in Chinese language and culture camps that are hosted by the CI-MSU.  The language methodology course will help candidates develop skills in instructional materials selection, student assessment, and instructional practices.  A second class during the summer will give candidates the opportunity to explore the history as well as philosophical and social dimensions of American curriculum.

During the fall semester, candidates will assume teaching positions in Michigan schools.  Coursework and mentorship will continue via the College of Education’s new and unique on-line course system and the College’s intensive mentoring at a distance program.  For candidates who are already certified, fall semester coursework will be a supervised practicum.  For candidates who are not yet certified, fall semester coursework will focus on classroom management skills and a supervised practicum.

During the spring semester, candidates will continue to teach in their positions and engage in MSU coursework.  Spring semester coursework for already certified candidates will include ways to integrate the use of text and literacy skills across content areas.  For candidates who are not yet certified spring semester coursework will include on-line classes in child and adolescent development and ways to integrate the use of text and literacy skills across content areas.  

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