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University teachers- what is the China Scholar Program?

 
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Noelle



Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 361
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:11 pm    Post subject: University teachers- what is the China Scholar Program? Reply with quote

Hi all

I may be reaching for the stars here by posting this question on a site like this, but does anyone working in a Chinese university know anything about a China Scholar Program or China Scholar Council?

I'm an instructor at Univ. of California in San Diego's international student program and I've just been assigned a class of Chinese professors to begin this January. According to my boss, the Chinese gov't has instigated this program to improve the fluency and academic oral discourse of Chinese professors from all over the PRC and they're sending them here to the U.S.

We already get huge amounts of Chinese university students in our program who come on some sort of gov't scholarship, but this is my first time to get professors.

Is China going the way of the Arabian Gulf? Do they intend to use English as a replacement language of instruction in the universities-- replacing Chinese?

I find that very hard to imagine. And I have no idea what to expect from these professors. My class will focus on oral presentation and public speaking, which I am not really an expert in as my primary focus here is academic writing and IELTS/TOEFL test prep. Do these professors have IELTS or TOEFL experience in China before they become professors?

Any feedback from university teachers in China would be much appreciated.
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My experience is that wideawake schools in China are promoting degree courses taught in English.
Presumably looking to cash in on the international student market.
As early as 2004 I met Indian students at Dalian Medical and their course was entirely in English and WHO accredited.
If you know the Chinese Unis these professors teach at then likely a Google search will reveal an English-language component - either at bachelors level or post grad.
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Blue Skies



Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Posts: 22

PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a limited program run by the CSC and only a dozen China universities are participating in it with exchange programs. What I was told by a Tshinghua senior professor is that that only the most privileged and favored kids of politicians are getting these scholarships and I have not heard about any professors getting in on the action. If they added some new twist to this 3 year old program, please post the links.
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Noelle



Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 361
Location: USA

PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the response.

I looked up China Scholar Program and China Scholar Council and didn't find any info. about professors. University of California (San Diego) has been hosting Chinese students from the scholar's program since it started, I think.

Participating professors will be coming in next week, so I suppose I'll find out more about it then. My employer at UCSD only told me that it was a program funded by the Chinese gov't intended to improve the oral skills of Chinese professors. As far as I know they will only be with us till March 7-- at least that's when my class with them will finish. Will be very curious to learn more about this too...
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 3:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking forward to hearing more Noelle.
Given that a parallel thread is running on Dave's giving instances of China wishing to de-Westernise itself this is an interesting development.
Perhaps extricating China from Western culture isn't the same as de-Englishing.
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Xie Lin



Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731

PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Non Sequitur wrote:

Given that a parallel thread is running on Dave's giving instances of China wishing to de-Westernise itself this is an interesting development.
.


It isn't necessarily a contradictory development if they are hoping that this will eventually help facilitate a decrease in China's dependence on foreign teachers. Of course, the government promoting two different contradictory policies at the same time isn't impossible either! Very Happy

I'm looking forward to hearing more about the professors once they arrive.

.
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Noelle



Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 361
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is part of an email I received from our program assistant regarding this 'China Scholar Council':

The China scholars are professors of different disciplines from different universities. They are divided into three teams by test scores, with Team One having high-intermediate and advanced skills, Team Two having high-intermediate skills, and Team Three having intermediate skills. They are all, however, required to complete the same work in an effort to deliver advanced English language lectures in their disciplines by spring quarter. Our agreement with the China Scholarship Council states:

"Program goals: To improve the participants' English language fluency so that they will be more skilled in using English as the medium of instruction in their teaching work in China, and so that they can participate more successfully in international dialog and conferences in their professional work; also, to improve their overall classroom presentation and instructional skills for university teaching. The participants must understand that this program is not designed to facilitate increased knowledge in their academic and research interests. It is a program to improve their communication/presentation skills for university teaching and to improve their English language fluency."

My class with these Chinese scholar participants will start on Jan. 11 and I believe it is called 'Effective Oral Presentation Skills'. I'm guessing it will be high-int. or high-int. advanced. Not really sure how this is going to go. I do NOT see these professors speaking only English if they're sitting in a room with all Chinese professors- even here in San Diego:(
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the update Noelle.
One of the big traps we fall into in the China classroom is giving groups a topic to discuss in English and for a leader to report back.
The topic is invariably discussed IN CHINESE and the best English speaker reports back.
Result: Bulk of students don't improve. Good speakers get better.
I'd have them recite first. Perhaps a short piece from a speech by Bill Gates or Steve Jobs to give it cred.
Then move to unsupported speech on the same topic ie in their own words, or let them use short notes.
Avoid loss of face.
Best
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Noelle



Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 361
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This group is doing well. The teachers here really seem to like them. My group is high int./advanced and they do use English during the class. They're put in groups of ten per class, which is a very reasonable size for a closed program of professors or associate professors doing an intensive course.

I am quite curious about what happens on the China side. Anyone with any more insights about the professors coming to the U.S. through CSC, please pm me. Thank you to those who already have. There is no website even in Chinese (our program ass't has checked and she is Chinese) for what this program is all about. I can only find information about the students who get scholarships.

But the professors have apparently been coming here for quite awhile. Though why-- nobody seems to really know. We're expecting another group of them to arrive this summer after our current group finishes up in the spring quarter.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check with the Regional English Language Office, Beijing at the US Embassy; they likely would know something about that organization or the program.
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