Training Teachers of Chinese in Australia: Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications

Chinese language, the first language spoken and used by the largest population in the world, has witnessed a significant global increase. Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) has thus received unprecedented attention, and teaching and learning of CSL have transcended the national boundary. This book reports a case study of training teachers of CSL in Australia with a significant implication to the western English-speaking countries such as Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. The book is unique in several ways. On a theoretical level, the book analyses knowledge-based and competence-based teacher education, provides an in-depth examination of post-method pedagogy and deconstructs traditional aspects of second language teacher education, making a case for the new concept of "three dimensions". On a practical level, the Australian-based case study employs qualitative methods to gather the feedback from teacher educators, teacher trainees and students who are undergoing CSL training, and further reports on studies on CSL teaching practicum in local schools and abroad. Training Teachers of Chinese in Australia is a book for established scholars, researchers, educators, and research higher degree students who are interested in teacher education, second and foreign language education and Chinese as a second language (CSL).