Category: Teacher Teaching

Tea Time in Taiwan: A Tradition That Connects People

In Taiwan, the phrase “Come over for some tea!” is more than just an invitation for a drink. It’s a heartfelt way to welcome friends and loved ones into your home, much like how Westerners might offer coffee. In Taiwanese culture, tea is a symbol of warmth, hospitality, and connection. Friends often gather around a […]

Mastering Chinese: A Comprehensive Six-Volume Curriculum for All-Round Language Proficiency

This series consists of six volumes designed to comprehensively train students in Chinese language proficiency. The first three volumes focus primarily on spoken language, while the latter three shift towards written language instruction. The textbook features include: Volume 1

Understanding CEFR: A Comprehensive Guide to ‘Can-Do’ Descriptors

The CEFR Common Reference levels are comprehensively detailed through a structured set of illustrative ‘can-do’ descriptors across various categories. The initial descriptors for both the CEFR and the European Language Portfolio originated from a Swiss National Research Project and were also influenced by earlier Council of Europe’s “threshold levels” specifications. These descriptors have since been […]

Boost Your Chinese Language Journey with the Power of 214 Radicals

Learning the 214 Chinese radicals is a valuable endeavor for anyone embarking on the journey of mastering the Chinese language. While these radicals alone won’t make you proficient, they serve as an essential building block in understanding Chinese characters and can significantly enhance your language-learning experience. Chinese radicals are components of characters that often provide […]

List of Communication Topics Reference Guidelines for TBCL (Taiwan Benchmarks for the Chinese Languag) Application

During the development of the “Reference Guidelines for TBCL Application,” international language proficiency standards, such as the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (ACTFL 2012) from the United States and the CEFR (Council of Europe 2001) from the European Union, were consulted. These guidelines embraced mainstream perspectives, emphasizing practical language usage and a learner-centered approach. This effort led […]

Combinations of Initials and Finals Table

Mark Swofford of Banqiao, Taiwan, has compiled a comprehensive “Combinations of Initials and Finals” table, which serves as a valuable resource for learners and enthusiasts of Mandarin Chinese phonetics. This table presents a systematic arrangement of Mandarin syllables, listing the combinations of initials (consonant-like sounds) and finals (vowel-like sounds) used in the language. Key Features: […]

Unveiling the Tapestry of Taiwanese Culture: Exploring its Richness and Challenges

Originally, I thought that searching for “Taiwanese Culture” on Google Scholar would yield a plethora of textbooks and philosophical articles, just like “Chinese Culture.” However, upon taking action, I discovered that there is still a lack of systematic introductions to Taiwanese culture. Perhaps we shouldn’t try to understand Taiwanese culture from a systematic or holistic […]

What are Can do Statements? An Overview for Mandarin Learners

The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and ALG (Automatic Language Growth) are two widely recognized frameworks for language learning and assessment. In the context of Mandarin Chinese learning, the Can-do statements in CEFR and ALG can be particularly helpful for setting clear language goals and tracking progress. Can-do statements are brief descriptions […]

Situations of Communicative Language Activities

To carry out communicative tasks, users have to engage in communicative language activities and operate communication strategies. Many communicative activities, such as conversation and correspondence, are interactive, that is to say, the participants alternate as producers and receivers, often with several turns. In other cases, as when speech is recorded or broadcast or written texts […]

Breaking the Stereotype: How Learning Mandarin Can Be Fun and Exciting

Learning Mandarin, like learning calculus or organic chemistry, can be challenging and intimidating. Often, others will say that it’s too difficult, which can make it easy to hate the learning process. However, a formal classroom setting isn’t the only way to learn Mandarin. Unfortunately, if your language class is filled with endless grammar or vocabulary […]