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Welcome to Minnesota Online tutoring sessions, brought to you by St. Cloud State University’s Office of K-12 Chinese Language and Culture Programs! Below is a brief description of how the type of session you have signed up for works, so that you can know exactly how we’re going to support you in learning and using Mandarin! If you have further questions, please feel free to reach out to Program Director Andrew Stanoch at Andrew.stanoch@stcloudstate.edu

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*For a detailed understanding of the theoretical roots of this diagram, please see:

 

Van Lier, L. (1996). Interaction in the language curriculum: Awareness, autonomy, and authenticity. London: Longman.

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Reading comprehension practice

 

The goal of these sessions is to provide you with practice reading interesting materials for meaning. We do this, firstly, by inviting students to submit the materials that they will read with the tutor, ensuring that students read Chinese materials that are in line with their own interests.

 

Below please find detailed steps for how the session will play out. After each bullet-pointed step you’ll see a number in parentheses that goes along with the diagram below. This diagram shows how our team breaks down steps into (1) whether they’re more controlled by tutor or the student and (2) whether they’re more focused on forms or on meaning. The goal is to ensure that tutoring sessions involve not only exploration of language but also collaborative (applied) use of Chinese language to comprehend, convey and negotiate meanings in tandem with a native speaking tutor.

 

The goal is to have activities within quadrants II, III and IV within each tutoring session!*

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Tutoring steps:

 

1. Student selects a time, tutor and reading material for the session with tutor (IV.)              

2. Tutor prepares a list of challenging vocabulary from the chosen reading material, emailing this translated vocabulary list to the student (I.)

3. Student endeavors to read the written material ahead of their session with the tutor. Students should not be reading the material for the first time during the tutoring session.

4. Session starts with tutor and student introducing themselves (names, ages, hobbies) in Mandarin Chinese (III.)

5. Student reads the reading material out loud. Don’t worry about being perfect!... Instead, focus on trying to understand the meaning of what it is that you are reading. (III.)

6. Student answers questions, which have been prepared by the tutor ahead of time, and which focus on the meaning of the material that they have just read (III.)

7. Student and tutor review challenging vocabulary or grammar that the student came across during the reading (II.).

8. Student and tutor hold a free-flowing conversation, focused on cultural similarities and/or differences between the US and China, that emerge from the reading material (IV.)

 

 

Story-to-conversation

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The goal of these sessions is to provide you with practice sharing cultural stories in Mandarin, and then conversing with native speakers about topics tied to culture. We do this, firstly, by inviting students to select a story-telling prompt that they’d like to exchange stories (with their tutor on). Students and tutors then meet to exchange their own genuine stories, and then engage in a free-flowing conversation about interesting ideas that come out of this story-sharing.

 

Below please find detailed steps for how the session will play out. After each bullet-pointed step you’ll see a number in parentheses that goes along with the diagram below. This diagram shows how our team breaks down steps into (1) whether they’re more controlled by tutor or the student and (2) whether they’re more focused on forms or on meaning. The goal is to ensure that tutoring sessions involve not only exploration of language but also collaborative (applied) use of Chinese language to comprehend, convey and negotiate meanings in tandem with a native speaking tutor.

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The goal is to have activities within quadrants II, III and IV within each tutoring session!*

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Tutoring steps:

 

1. Student selects a tutor, time and story-telling prompt for their tutoring session (IV.).

2. Both student and tutor create their own genuine stories, in Mandarin and 2-4 minutes long, related to the prompt that was chosen by the student (IV.).

3. Tutor and student email one another bilingual lists of key vocabulary related to the story they will share, sending these lists to one another via email at least 24 hours ahead of time. (II.).

4. Session starts with tutor and student introducing themselves (names, ages, hobbies) in Mandarin Chinese (III.)

5. Tutor shares his/her story first. If the student is has trouble comprehending, he/she can “raise their hand” in Zoom at any time to have the tutor pause and review parts of their story (IV.).

6. The student shares one aspect of the tutors story that really resonated with him/her (IV).

7. The student next shares his/her story with the tutor (IV.).

8. The student next shares his/her story with the tutor (IV.).

9. Having heard one another’s stories, the tutor leads the student in having a free-flowing conversation where they discuss and compare aspects of Chinese and American culture that emerge from the stories that they have shared. All ideas are welcome, as is use of English at times when expression in Mandarin becomes too difficult for the students (IV.). Student and tutor can also review any words/phrases of Chinese that the occurred during the tutor’s story that the student has questions about (II.).

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