2020 STARTALK Texas A&M University

Abstract

In collaboration with College Station Independent School District in Texas, we propose a summer program that provides engaging and stimulating language and culture learning experiences in Chinese and Korean to a total of 60 non-heritage language learners in 2nd/3rd grades. In the four-week program, students will develop communicative competence and cultural awareness in Chinese/Korean through the theme A Trip to East Asia. They will follow four characters on a trip to China/Korea, learn to use the target language with authentic materials and in culture-rich contexts. Standards-based and thematically-organized curriculum will be developed and implemented by a team consisting of language teachers, graduate students, and university faculty who are proficient in the target languages and cultures, knowledgeable about the U.S. education system, and experienced in implementing world language pedagogy. Students’ learning of the target language and culture will be further reinforced through the use of technology and STEM project learning.