Modern Methods for a Modern World
"But we have always done
it this way.” Traditional Chinese teaching methods are not always
suitable for non-Chinese speakers, nor do they take advantage of the ever-increasing
technological tools and advances in learning methodology available.
Students at C.L.I.B. will learn to type Chinese characters on the computer
as opposed to writing by hand (to see why writing Chinese characters by
hand is antiquated, read "Concerning Writing Characters by Hand" here). C.L.I.B. avoids commonly used Chinese learning
materials that are often out of date.
Example: In the United States, The Practical Chinese Reader
is still the standard textbook used in the majority of Chinese courses,
despite the fact that it is nearly 30 years old. Students who learn
the antiquated language in the book sometimes have a hard time when they
get to China. For example, the Chinese word they believe means "comrade"
commonly means "homosexual" in modern-day Chinese!
Practical Focus
We focus on teaching you what you need to know when you need to know it.
We give you the structure and context words so that you can quickly build
vocabulary that makes sense.
Example: In the English sentence, "New York is bigger than Chicago,"
the key phrase is the phrase of comparison "is bigger than".
Basic pattern: "is ____er than" (biggER/smallER/cleanER
etc.)
So if foreign students are trying to learn English, it would be better for
them to learn the key phrase of comparison "is + adjective+er + than"
rather than to try and start out by memorizing all the adjectives.
In this way, learners have a contextual queue from the structure which allows
them to look up specific meanings more easily. Chinese uses many such structures.
C.L.I.B. thus avoids the traditional method in which key structural phrases
needed by the student are not encountered until the second year or second
book, in which case, the unfortunate student cannot effectively communicate
or understand unless the situation is exactly the same as studied. C.L.I.B.
focuses early on transferable knowledge.
Statistically Based Utility
Modern data harvesting techniques have shown which words and phrases
are most frequently used. Our approach gets you speaking quickly by combining
structure/context words with the most frequently used words first.
Example: Why do Chinese textbooks often ask students to memorize
the names of famous writers, poets, old emperors etc., when these terms
are seldom if ever used in modern Chinese? We are not against studying culture
and history, of course. We just believe that such studies can be more effective
and enriching when the student is able to learn these things through conversation
after first learning to communicate with others on a competent level.
Learning Tools
We heavily employ assistive Chinese learning technologies for your benefit.
At C.L.I.B., we have spared no expense in purchasing the software packages,
equipment, and Chinese training tools that go far beyond simply learning
from a standard book.
Example: Our computer lab is integrated into the training, and students
will take advantage of several software tools that greatly enhance their
learning. Our PalmPilots incorporate learning programs for on-the-go study,
dictionaries for fast reference, and the ability to record actual situations
that your personal tutor will then transcribe for you.
Modified Immersion™
Chinese is a special language
because of the homophones (similar sounding words); therefore pure immersion
is NOT best. (See "Concerning Immersion" to see what one professor says
here). Any program that claims immersion as a technique is taking
the easy way out and overwhelming students. Our "Modified Immersion"™ technique guides you by filling in the blank spaces with our expert
coaching and specialized Chinese learning programs and is complemented by
our outside-the-classroom excursions.
Data-Gathering/Content
Production
Unlike many other schools, we do not rely on a single textbook
series. We are in the business of finding and producing proprietary content
that helps our students learn faster than with less-effective traditional
methods.
Example: Data are gathered from students about situations encountered,
and we replicate the situations for them. The PalmPilot’s recording ability
allows students to record the conversation outside the classroom and bring
it to instructors/tutors later for analysis and explanation. Materials are
thus in a continuous process of improvement and adaptation.
Outside the Classroom Learning
(Live-Life Learningä)
Some other schools include arranged
trips, but these are not integrated with the curriculum. We take it a step
further. At C.L.I.B., the teaching staff are a part of the outside excursions
and such trips are used as both recreation and a continuation of the classroom
learning.
Example: Expect trips to the local store, restaurant, and parks to
interact with natives while accompanied by teachers/tutors. Travel to some
of Beijing's most-famous tourist attractions every weekend (Temple of Heaven,
Tiananmen Square etc). C.L.I.B. students don’t just see these sights. They
converse about them in Chinese, with their tutors or other staff on site.
Appropriate Metrics
The management saying goes "What you don't measure, you don't manage". We
care about the progress of our students and will assess and reassess your
progress. We will continually monitor and improve upon our teachers and
methodologies. Unlike the majority of Chinese language schools, students
will evaluate our teachers for effectiveness.
Quality of Instructors
Many schools find any teacher, give them a book, and tell them to go teach.
We do not believe this is conducive to effective Chinese language learning.
Our teachers are better because they are:
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Accountable: they are
evaluated by staff and students for effectiveness.
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Well-paid: we demand
much from our teachers and we pay them accordingly.
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Observed in practice:
only teachers that have been personally observed by the founder of C.L.I.B.
in a classroom and meet strict criteria will be hired
