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Yueming Yu
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Rank: |
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Associate Teaching Professor
of Chinese |
| Ph.D. |
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Instructional Design and Technology,
University of Pittsburgh |
| Department Member Since: 1992 |
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Personal
Statement
I have been a foreign language professor for the greatest part of my adult
life. I like teaching. I find teaching a very exciting profession, especially
in the teaching of a foreign language. I have taught Chinese students
Englsih and also taught non-Chinese-speaking students Chinese. In addition
to helping students master all the skills necessary in the use of the
new language, I have also been leading them into a totally new world in
which they get acquainted with different societies and cultures. This
new world has been fascinating, and sometimes mysterious to them. To be
able to play a part in broadening their minds in looking at the world
around them has been the most rewarding aspect of my professional life.
I like students. They are young and full of vitality. They have different
thoughts and feelings. A good understanding of them and love for them
are essential to the success of teaching. I place high expectations on
my students, but at the same time, I want to become their friends. Although
I was very much brought up in a society whose tradition it is to emphasize
"teacher dignity", my own experience has taught me that genuine
dignity can be achieved only when students see my dedication to my work,
the effectiveness in my teaching and my sincerity to my students. A teacher
is also a role model in students' life.
Areas of Interest for Research
From my childhood, I have been very interested in Chinese traditions.
As I grew up, my interest also expanded to include traditions in other
countries and cultures as well. Since I started to teach Chinese as a
foreign language, I have developed interest in exploring how knowledge
of a culture is related to students' successful learning of its language.
I have been focusing on the following issues in the past few years and
will continue my research on these issues:
- Teaching Chinese characters through the introduction to Chinese
traditional culture.
- Teaching culture to students at different levels of Chinese.
- How to combine the teaching of language and the teaching of culture
in fourth-year class.
- Computer-assisted education in teaching Chinese culture.
Due to the diversified background of our students, I have also developed
great interest in exploring the most effective way to teach heritage students
of Chinese. I hope to develop a series of instructional materials which
will help in the teaching of heritage students in the most effective manner.
Recent Research
- A function-oriented curriculum for advanced level students of Chinese,
paper to be presented in Nanjing, China, 2002.
- Close combination between language and culture: some thoughts on
instructional materials for fourth-year students of Chinese, paper
presented at Princeton University, 2001.
- Traditional Chinese culture and the teaching of Chinese characters,
paper presented in Yichang, China, 2001.
- On improving the writing ability of advanced level students of Chinese:
the effectiveness of grading, paper presented in Chicago, 2001.
- Developing students cultural understandingat different levels of
Chinese teaching. Paper presented in Chicago, 2000.
- Developing Criteria for the Evaluation of Elementary-level Textbooks
for the Teaching of Chinese in the United States. Paper presented
in Wuhan, China, 2000.
- Developing Students’ Awareness of the Cultural Background behind
Chinese Characters. Paper presented at CFU Conference for Foreign
Language Education. 2000.
Courses Taught
- 82-433 Topics on Contemporary Culture of China
- 82-434 Studies in Chinese Traditions
- 82-331 Advanced Chinese I
- 82-332 Advanced Chinese II
- 82-333 Chinese Language and Culture
- 82-231 Intermediate Chinese I
- 82-232 Intermediate Chinese II
- 82-131 Elementary Chinese I
- 82-132 Elementary Chinese II
For
More Information
Yueming Yu
Department of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
Baker Hall 160
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Office: BH 243A
Phone: (412) 268-8943
Fax: (412) 268-1328
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