Instructor Qualifications for CHN 1011/1012/1015/3021/3022/3016

The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach UMN courses CHN 1011: Beginning Modern Chinese I, CHN 1012: Beginning Modern Chinese II, CHN 1015: Accelerated Beginning Modern Chinese, CHN 3021: Intermediate Modern Chinese I, CHN 3022: Intermediate Modern Chinese II, and CHN 3016: Accelerated Intermediate Modern Chinese

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license or an approved alternative

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

• Three years of teaching experience, including:
  • Experience teaching advanced levels of Chinese in high schools and
  • Using communicative, proficiency-oriented instructional approach 
• Native or near native fluency. Speech must be reasonably unaccented, grammatically correct, and employing appropriate vocabulary, phrases, and sentence structures. Candidates who are non-native speakers of Chinese will demonstrate Advanced-Mid or higher level skills based on ACTFL standards.
• Commitment to staying current with both pedagogy and content through reading, ongoing professional development, and/or graduate coursework.

Observations (all required)

• Prior to submitting application materials, the potential applicant should contact the CIS Chinese faculty coordinator to arrange to observe Chinese language classes on the UMN Twin Cities campus.
• As part of the application process, the CIS Chinese faculty coordinator will also observe the applicant teaching at the high school to make sure they are using appropriate instructional approaches and pedagogy.

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

1. Graduate degree in the field(s) of Chinese, Chinese language instruction, world language instruction, or second language acquisition;
2. Graduate degree in any field plus 18 graduate semester credits in fields of Chinese, Chinese language instruction, world language instruction, or second language acquisition;
3. Graduate degree in any field, such as education, plus six equivalent experience options from options A through N, below.
4. Undergraduate degree from an accredited university where the coursework was taught in Chinese and a graduate degree or 18 graduate semester credits in education.

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3 is selected above)

A: Graduate credits in related fields

Specifically in Chinese, Chinese language instruction, world language instruction, or second language acquisition. These need not be taken as part of a degree program.

• Three semester-length credits are considered one experience 
• Can be applied up to six times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and number of credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Discipline-specific professional development

This may include workshops or non-credit courses offered by, CARLA, The Chinese Language Teachers Association, or other relevant workshops, trainings, conferences, or seminars.

• 30 hours of professional development is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to six times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of each professional development workshop, the sponsoring group or organization, and total hours. Refer to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

C: Published textbook, journal article or essay

Must be in the fields of Chinese, Chinese language instruction, world language instruction, or second language acquisition. Similar scholarly or creative work may be considered.

• Each publication on a unique topic is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe the significance of the work, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. Provide a copy of the cover of the publication, and of the page that lists your authorship.

D: Experience requiring regular use of Chinese

Specifically in the performance of professional responsibilities such as interpreting or translating, or teaching in a weekend Chinese school. May include paid employment or volunteer work.

• Each year is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

E: Participation in a discipline-specific community of practice

Such an undertaking is intended to develop particular skills or understandings.

• Each year is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #6: Discipline-specific community of practice.

F: Fellowships or awards for recognition of high school or undergraduate teaching

This includes recognition from school, district, state, regional, national, or international organizations for recognition of high school or undergraduate Chinese language instruction, world language instruction, or second language acquisition.

• Each fellowship or award is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

G: Participation in nationally normed assessment activity

Specifically related to Chinese, for example, serving as an evaluator of language skills for ACTFL.

• Each year of participation is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your participation using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #10: Participation in a nationally normed assessment activity related to the field.

H: National Board Certification in World Languages.

• Include a copy of your certification letter or certificate with your application
• Can be applied one time

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your certification using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #11: National Board Certification.

I: Successful and effective teaching experience in a course leading to undergraduate credit

These should be Chinese courses, including dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college or university campus.

• Two years of teaching is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to five times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

J: Discipline-specific leadership role in a secondary or postsecondary institution

Qualifying positions include department chair, or in a professional organization such as American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages or the Chinese Language Teachers Association.

• Each year of service is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your leadership experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #4: Discipline-specific leadership role.

K: Presentations at relevant conferences

These include local, state, regional, or national workshops or conferences such as the National Chinese Language Conference.

• Each presentation on a distinct topic is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe presentations using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #5: Presentations.

L:  Serve as a content or pedagogy trainer or coach, or student teacher supervisor

• Each year in role is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field and/or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.

M: Field test or review curriculum

This may include working with a publisher or serving on a textbook review and selection committee for Chinese, Chinese language instruction, world language instruction, or second language acquisition curriculum for a postsecondary or secondary institution.

• Each distinct project is considered one experience
• Can be applied one time

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe your roles and responsibilities using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #12: Field test, review or edit curriculum for publisher and/or #13: Serve on textbook selection committee for secondary or postsecondary institution.

N: Activities which develop discipline-specific cultural competence, knowledge

Specifically about Chinese community rites of culture, history, or geography such as organizing a foreign study exchange program to China or personal travel or study in China. You can apply this multiple times toward meeting the requirements, up to two times, for different activities.

• Each distinct activity is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, provide information about the scope, duration, and significance of this experience.