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Alternative Certification for Teachers
Languages Other Than English- Chinese (Grades EC-12)
Obtaining an alternative certification for languages other than English with a focus on Chinese for early childhood education through twelfth grade students will require general education courses and foundational skills in Chinese language including reading and writing. Chinese is often thought to be one of the more difficult languages to teach and even learn, however there is typically a great deal of interest in learning it.
What is Needed for Earning an Alternative Teaching Certification in Chinese Languages
To be eligible for an alternative certification as a Chinese educator for early childhood education through high school level students, the teaching candidate should demonstrate the successful completion of coursework in general education topics such as English literature, science, history, social studies, mathematics and electives including educational psychology, speech communication and linguistics.
The majority of certification programs will require an internship or student teaching opportunity in order to provide hands on experience as well as valuable exposure to the classroom setting for future educators. The ability to work side by side with an experienced teacher will help to develop skills that simply cannot be obtained from traditional coursework. While it is not necessary, it is considered valuable if a candidate has had the opportunity to truly experience the language and culture in the native settings of China which can only enhance the ability to teach the subject.
Teaching as a Chinese Language Specialist
Coursework will be necessary in education strategies and teaching methods as well as technical skills for language dialects and character writing. As a teacher of Chinese across a broad group of ages, it is important to ensure the right level of cognitive development for students. Teaching younger grades will involve more vocabulary and foundational teaching while upper grades will want to be more focused on conversational skills and cultural discussions.