I have read more reports and heard from more colleagues these two years that the Chinese program enrollment numbers have either plateaued or decreased. At my university, enrollment has remained in general strong, however, we did see one of our smallest incoming 1st-year language classes this fall. I hope it’s just a blip and the numbers will bounce back next fall, but as most private higher ed institutions are facing enrollment drop, the prospect of continuing growth in Chinese program is looking grim. My university has invested the past 30 years to build a solid Chinese program, and as one of the senior faculty members, I feel particularly responsible to ensure the program’s continuing success.
Here are some of the advices I have gathered in my research and readings, given by fellow teachers, administrators and researchers in the field:
1. Rethink course goals for beginning learners: motivation to continue vs. developing linguistic accuracy and fluency;
2. Identify more ways inside and outside classroom to motivate and engage students in the process of learning Chinese as a foreign language;
3. De-mystify the myth that “Chinese is too hard to learn”; re-evaluate course design to mollify learner anxiety;
4. Develop pedagogy and resources for making learning Chinese an intellectually stimulating educational experience;
5. Better address learning issues within a class or a program facing
overwhelming number of students of Chinese background;
6. Increase campus advocacy; come up with creative and doable ways to recruit students;
7. Make study abroad more accessible especially for STEM students, and more affordable for all;
8. Find ways to change negative views of China among young Americans, … or wait until China’s pop culture and pop stars to gain more global recognition.
Serious reflections & discussions of these issues will help all of us in the field to better cope and correct the trend. I look forward to attending the 3rd Chinese Innovation Forum tomorrow to network with colleagues to share ideas and learn.
Reference articles:
– American Students Lose Interest in China Studies, Nikkei Asian Review, April 15, 2017
– Why is China so …Uncool? George Gao, Foreign Policy, March 8, 2017.
– A New Era for Chinese for Chinese Language, Jennifer Walker, July/August 2016 issue of International Educator magazine.
– Issues in Chinese Language Teaching in Australian Schools, Jane Orton, Chinese Education and Society, Volume 49, 2016 – Issue 6.
– Tasks and Learner Motivation in Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language, Youjin Ruan, Xiaoju Duan &Xiang Yun Du, Language, Culture and Curriculum, Volume 28, 2015 – Issue 2.
