Ohio Association of Teachers of Chinese (OATC)

Ping Wu, Columbus School for Girls, OATC Representative

Founded in 2008, the Ohio Association of Teachers of Chinese (OATC) has been a major force for promoting the study of Chinese language and culture and supporting Chinese teachers in Ohio.  With the growing popularity of Chinese study and the concomitant expansion of Chinese programs in the schools, OATC has witnessed a rapid growth in our membership.  This has allowed us to undertake diverse tasks to assist our members and to provide opportunities for them and their students.

Recent OATC Events

Each year, OATC regional coordinators in the Columbus, Cincinnati/Dayton, and Cleveland/ Toledo areas organize regional meetings for Chinese teachers to network and share teaching tips.

On December 7, 2013, the Columbus regional meeting took place at Columbus Academy.  Ten teachers gave presentations about which teaching strategies worked in their classrooms (and which ones didn’t).  Topics included PACE (a story-based approach to grammar), TPRS story-telling, drama, chants, songs, differentiated instruction and new on-line teaching resources.

Also on December 7th, the Dayton/Cincinnati regional meeting and lunch was held at Wright State University.  Presentations covered such topics as the use of target language in teaching, the flipped-classroom method, e-portfolios, story-led vocabulary and grammar, IPA-designed speaking and listening activities, chanting, online teaching resources and Chinese culture (as seen through clothing styles).

Upcoming OATC Events

The Cleveland/Toledo regional meeting (including a free lunch) will take place from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM on January 18, 2014, at Shaker Heights High School, 15911 Aldersyde Drive, Shaker Heights, OH, 44120.  For more information, contact Luling Li at ran_j@shaker.org.

In Columbus, there will be a spring workshop on teaching Chinese with TPRS on March 8, 2014, at Columbus School for Girls. Additional details will soon be available via the OATC Google Group listserv.

Online Teaching Resources

Below are some on-line resources for Chinese and other foreign-language teaching:

1.  Chinese Story Books

a.  http://story.beva.com/
b.  http://book.pcbaby.com.cn/
c.  www.yes-chinese.com/reading/list.do?type=1&level=GR-K&topic=
d.  http://datalib.kid.qq.com/kid_book/
e.  http://www.llchinese.com/culture/traFestiv/index.do (about Chinese history and holidays)

2.  Chinese Songs

a.  http://www.ihou.com/ (Karaoke — must use IE browser)
b.  http://singchinesesongs.com/

3.  On-line Chinese-English and English-Chinese Dictionaries

a.  http://www.linguee.com/
b.  http://www.jukuu.com/
c.  PLECO (on-line dictionary application for Android and iOS)

4.  Characters to Pinyin Time-saver:  http://pth.linqi.org/pyzd_biaozhu.html (converts characters to pinyin, and generates audio files for the characters)

5.  Creating Interactive Video Lessons:  http://www.educreations.com/

6.  Creating an E-book Library for the Class:  http://www.edu.flipsnack.com/

OATC welcomes teachers and graduate students with an interest in Chinese teaching and learning.  A $25 annual membership fee ($20 for students) entitles you to attend any or all of our regional meetings, workshops, and swap shops throughout the state where expert speakers will demonstrate the latest methods of teaching and studying Chinese.

For additional information about OATC or to become a member, please visit our website at http://www.ohioatc.org.