Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Master of Arts (Teaching Chinese as an International Language)

Singapore, Singapore

DEGREE TYPE

DURATION

12 months

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

TUITION FEES

SGD 48,832 *

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

* inclusive of 9% GST

Key Summary

About: The Master of Arts (Teaching Chinese as an International Language) at Nanyang Technological University’s Asian Languages and Cultures Department (NIE) trains bilingual English–Chinese educators to teach Chinese to English-speaking learners. It mixes theory and practice, stresses contrastive analysis and classroom pedagogy, and includes five unique courses.

Career Outcomes: Graduates can work as Chinese language instructors, curriculum specialists, materials developers, or teacher trainers. They'll find roles in bilingual education, TESOL, applied linguistics, and language policy sectors. Opportunities include international K–12 schools, adult education and language centers, curriculum development, teacher training, educational publishing, and roles in America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand.

With the rapid rise of China as a global economic powerhouse, there is a growing worldwide trend of an increasing number of learners seeking to master Chinese as an international language. Along with the rapid growth of such learners is a corresponding sharp increase in demand within the international market for more educators who are properly trained to teach Chinese in English-speaking regions.

Offered by Asian Languages and Cultures Department in NIE, the Master of Arts in Teaching Chinese as an International Language (MA TCIL) programme aims to train and prepare educators who are bilingual in English and Chinese to teach Chinese in countries where Chinese is not the dominant language. It is primarily targeted at educators who desire to specialise in the theory and practice of teaching Chinese as a foreign/second/international language to learners with English as their first language (CIL learners).

Unique Features

Key programme features include:

An introduction to the understanding and correct use of English as an aid to help the learners master Chinese.
A combination of theory and practice, emphasising classroom training to ensure that graduates are competent in teaching Chinese in an English language teaching environment.
Leverage on the prevalent Chinese textbooks used in English-speaking countries as teaching materials to highlight the pertinence of teaching.
In comparison with international programmes of similar nature, there are 5 courses uniquely designed for this programme:
- Language Code: Theory and Practice
- Chinese-English Contrastive Analysis & Its Application
- Global Chinese and Contemporary China
- Critical Inquiry in TCIL
- Professional English for TCIL Instructors
Through the two courses, namely, Chinese-English Contrastive Analysis & Its Application, and Professional English for TCIL Instructors, the students' bilingualism and ability in contrastive analysis between Chinese and English language are strengthened, providing students with the competency to meet the future demands at work and daily life.
Create more opportunities for students to engage in teaching jobs in regions such as America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand upon graduation.

Programme Structure & Duration

The Master of Arts (Teaching Chinese as an International Language) is offered on both part-time and full-time basis. The candidature periods are as follows:

Full-time	Minimum 1 years	Maximum 2 years
Part-time	Minimum 2 years	Maximum 4 years

There are two options within this programme. The coursework for this specialisation comprises 6 specialisation elective courses plus either:

a dissertation OR
two additional courses (one specialisation elective course and MTCL910 Critical Inquiry in TCIL)

MTCL910 Critical Inquiry in TCIL is open only for applicants pursuing the degree by coursework.

You do not have to make the decision when you apply.

Curriculum

Specialisation Elective Courses

MTCL901 Language Code: Theory and Practice
MTCL902 Vocabulary and Grammar: Theory and Practice
MTCL903 Chinese-English Contrastive Analysis & Its Application
MTCL904 Teaching of Listening & Speaking Skills in TCIL
MTCL905 Teaching of Reading & Writing Skills in TCIL
MTCL906 Application of Information Technology in TCIL
MTCL907 Language Testing & Assessment in TCIL
MTCL908 Analysis & Development of Instructional Materials for TCIL
MTCL909 Global Chinese and Contemporary China
MTCL911 Professional English for TCIL Instructors
MTCL912 Early Childhood Education in TCIL: Theory and Practice
MTCL913 Chinese Language Education for International Schools

Important note for matriculated students:
Please refer to the ISAAC system for the programme structure relevant to your intake during Course Registration or consult A/P Li Jia and Mr Zhu Haibin, your programme leaders, if you need clarifications.

Course Descriptors
MTCL901 Language Code: Theory and Practice (4 AUs) As Chinese characters are ideographic in nature, the phonetic functions are weak. Furthermore, the structure of Chinese characters are complex and difficult to recognize, to read as well as to write. Therefore, phonetic system, Hanyu Pinyin was developed to aid in learning Chinese. Chinese characters and Chinese phonics operates with two different set of rules. Chinese characters represent single syllables while Hanyu Pinyin operates with a set of standard basic rules in relation to different forms of Chinese words. As instructors of TCIL, it is important to understand the characteristics of these two codes in order to effectively teach Chinese as an international language.
MTCL902 Vocabulary and Grammar: Theory and Practice (4 AUs) The fundamental purpose of learning any language is for communication purpose. Be it in spoken or written communication, vocabulary and grammar are two of the most important components in any language learning, as they play a vital role in building up language proficiency. In teaching Chinese as an international language, instructors must understand the grammatical rules and its effect on vocabulary on the target language to bring about effective teaching. Hence, this course will lay a good foundation in Chinese vocabulary and grammar basics, so as to effectively teach Chinese as an international language.
MTCL903 Chinese-English Contrastive Analysis & Its Application (4 AUs) The use of translation in learning a foreign language is widely used as a teaching and learning strategy to help students remember, comprehend and acquire the use of the target language. The influence of the learners first language, however, will have substantial impact in the language acquisition process. Hence understanding the major difference between Chinese-English through contrastive analysis in theories and practice of translation and its application in TCIL is necessary to equip TCIL instructor with the fundamental understanding to implement the bilingual model in TCIL.
MTCL904 Teaching of Listening & Speaking Skills in TCIL (4 AUs) Listening and speaking are two important skills required in any language learning. They are complex skills that need to be developed consciously. In any interaction, comprehending the language used is necessary for effective communication. Hence, as instructors for TCIL, it is important to acquire the various communicative language teaching pedagogical approaches in order to teach effective communication skills. Besides acquiring pedagogical approaches in teaching non-native learners, keeping abreast with recent developments and research on the teaching of Chinese language listening and speaking content and skills are also essential to build the competencies to effectively TCIL to the 21st century learners.
MTCL905 Teaching of Reading And Writing Skills In TCIL (4 AUs) Reading and writing are two important literacy skills one requires to function effectively in everyday life. These two skills are interconnected and can be developed together. With global economies and emerging new technologies, new literacies are already becoming part of the educational landscape. Hence, as instructors for TCIL, it is important to understand the various teaching pedagogical approaches to engage learners of this new age. Besides acquiring pedagogical approaches in teaching non-native learners, keeping abreast with recent developments and research on the teaching of Chinese language reading and writing content and skills are also essential to build the competencies to effectively TCIL to the 21st century learners.
MTCL906 Application of Information Technology in TCIL (4 AUs) In todays 21st century education, the use of ICT for teaching and learning had infiltrated schools at a rapid pace. To ensure that todays digital learners are future-ready for the workforce of tomorrow, educators must understand and embrace the need to employ the use of ICT to create a 21st century learning environment. A 21st century educator must be competent to use technology with ease in teaching and learning, be it in the classroom or out of classroom where learning takes place anytime, anywhere. Hence, as TCIL instructors, it is important to understand the application of technological tools with content and pedagogical approaches, and appreciate how ICT can create an effective learning environment for TCIL.
MTCL907 Language Testing & Assessment in TCIL (4 AUs) Testing and assessment is an integral part of the learning process, and must be closely aligned with curricular objectives, content and pedagogy. It serves as the central function of getting the best possible evidence on what the students have learned. Teachers and students can then use this information to decide what to do next in the teaching and learning process. It is important that TCIL instructors be equipped with the necessary assessment competencies, so that quality teaching and learning can be achieved in all TCIL classrooms, bearing in mind the varied language backgrounds and proficiency levels of TCIL learners.
MTCL908 Analysis & Development of Instructional Materials for TCIL (4 AUs) Over the last three decades, there are many TCIL curriculums and instructional materials developed for non-native learners globally. However, TCIL instructors find it challenging to identify proper instructional materials for learners of differing abilities. This course aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of TCIL instructors in analysing the instructional materials developed by different editors and publishers. In addition, through better understanding of principles of the curriculum design and instructional materials development for TCIL, instructors will be well equipped in developing instructional materials for different learners.
MTCL909 Global Chinese and Contemporary China (4 AUs) The rapid rise of China as a global economy has driven an increase to the educational and pragmatic value of learning Chinese language globally. Understanding the history and development of Chinas rise and economic globalization is essential to TCIL instructors as they thread beyond the grounds of China in TCIL to non-native learners.
MTCL910 Critical Inquiry in TCIL (4 AUs) Educational researchisan important element to educators as it provides fresh perspectives and new ideas to enhance and enliven teaching and learning outcomes. Not only can educational research findings contribute to knowledge development, practical improvement, and policy information, educators can also use theseresearchfindings to improve their competences in the teaching and learning process. This course equips participants with the ability to incorporate what they have learned from the programme coursework in their respective specialisation into a proposal report that addresses a specific education issue.
MTCL911 Professional English for TCIL Instructors (4 AUs) All teachers need to possess skills that enable them to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders in the educational settings. Being able to apply these skills in a second language is all the more critical for Chinese language teachers who will need to fulfill school related tasks and communicate with other members of staff, students and their parents in the English medium. This course helps to prepare participants who will be working in international settings as they move through their careers.
MTCL912 Early Childhood Education in TCIL: Theory and Practice (4 AUs) Early childhood education is crucial as it has direct impact on the development of learning skills, social and emotional abilities of a child. It is during the early childhood years that we should accentuate the development of language, speech and literacy, as it will significantly enhance the childs learning in the later years. Educators should leverage on the varied learning styles and characteristics of early childhood learners, from infancy to the age of eight, apply corresponding learning theories into practice, to bring about effective teaching and learning of Chinese as an international language.
MTCL913 Chinese Language Education for International Schools (4 AUs) According to the study by International School Consultancy Research (2017), there is a rapid surge in the growth of international schools globally. With a growth in expatriate families and an increase in enrolment within the schools host country, the increasing trend is expected to continue in the next ten years. This growing demand corresponds to the need to develop professionally-trained Chinese language educators for International schools. Language offerings in international schools are unique and vary over different school programme. However, each aims to provide students with an edge in this competitive and ever-changing world. Hence, this course will broaden participants knowledge of teaching Chinese language in international school settings and provides constructive career development opportunities to participants.

Key Summary

Introduction

Unique Features

Admissions

Curriculum

Programme Structure & Duration

Curriculum

Course Descriptors

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