Chinese Teaching

DElaware Chinese Teachers Association (DECTA) was inaugurated on Saturday September 7, 2013 on UD campus. The Inauguration event attracted more than 50 participants from the tri-state area, including Delaware State officials, scholars, teachers, students, and community supporters.

DECTA is a collaborative effort supported by University of Delaware’s Confucius Institute and the Chinese Program in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, and the Delaware Chun Hui Chinese School, Chinese School of Delaware in Hockessin, Friend’s School in Wilmington and other local schools.

The purposes of the DECTA are as follows:

• To promote and cultivate the instruction of Chinese language and culture in the Delmarva and the greater Philadelphia region academic mainstreams.
•  To serve as the primary contact for state governments, school districts and independent schools on Chinese language and culture educational related issues.
• To provide a forum for the members to share and exchange their experiences and information in Chinese language and culture related teaching and administrative affairs.

The constitution and by-laws of the DECTA were passed unanimously by all voting members.

Dr. Xiao Liu from the State Department of Education gave a keynote speech on Delaware’s World Language Immersion project and the certification requirements and procedures as well as  job opportunities for Chinese teachers.

Professor Wei Lu, Co-Director of the Confucius Institute at San Diego State University also gave a lecture on “Access and Application of Online Chinese Language Instructional Resources”.

Dr. Shuhan C Wang, renounced Chinese language educator,  Executive Director for Chinese Language Initiatives at the Asia Society, and former Education Associate for World Languages and International Education for the Delaware Department of Education, also attended the inauguration and shared her insights in teaching Chinese in the United State, finding career path as a Chinese teacher and balancing work and life.

Representative from Delaware Council On The Teaching of Foreign Languages (DECTFL) also presented and congratulated the establishment of DECTA.

Nine people were elected to serve on the Board of Directors for DECTA on the inauguration day. They are:

• Dr. Jianguo Chen,  Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Delaware, Director of the Confucius Institute, Director of the Chinese Program.
• Dr. Hseuh-Ming Tommy Lu, Principal of Chinese School of Delaware.
• Dr. Xiao Liu, Chinese immersion instructional specialist at the Delaware Department of Education.
• Ms. Carrie Fang, Principal of the First State Chun Hui Chinese School, Program Coordinator at the Confucius Institute at the University of Delaware
• Dr. Chungmin Maria Tu, Assistant Professor of Chinese Studies in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Delaware
• Ms. Zhiyin Renee Dong, a faculty member at the Department of Foreign languages and literatures and doctoral candidate in psycholinguistics at the University of Delaware.
• Ms. Chiachyi Chiu, Chinese teacher at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware.
• Ms. Yue Wang, Chinese teacher at Wilmington Friends School.
• Ms. Yueyue Fan, doctoral candidate in learning science at University of Delaware and Chinese teacher at the Chinese School of Delaware.