Oregon Chinese Flagship Program at the University of Oregon

Instructional Model

UO Pre-Flagship Chinese Program
Flagship and EALL instructional team is developing an articulated Chinese curriculum that provides students with novice through intermediate-mid language instruction. Intensive and accelerated learning options will allow highly-motivated students the option to enter into Flagship intermediate and advanced-level courses as they develop the speaking, reading, and writing skills.

The Modern Languages Association (MLI) ranks Chinese as a level 4 language, one of the most difficult foreign languages for Americans to learn, on the U.S. Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. Research indicates that it takes between 720 to 1320 hours of study to reach intermediate-mid level proficiency. The hours of study needed to obtain superior-level proficiency is between 3010 and 1635 (Pearson 2008).

Language Flagship
Recognizing that learning is influenced by a world of factors outside of the classroom, Flagship takes a multi-impact approach. Online learning and multimedia tools, peer mentors, language coaching, study groups, academic forums, and social and cultural activities help enhance learning on campus prior to the study abroad year in China.? In class, instructors take a student centered performance-based teaching and assessment approach to improving student proficiency.

More than a language program, the UO Language Flagship builds on the languages across curriculum model helping students develop superior-level proficiency skills through multi-disciplinary courses, rigorous explicit language instruction, and intensive overseas study. Designed for students pursing academic degrees of their choice, the program has no departmental degree requirements however students commit to the following learning outcome objectives:

Superior-level Mandarin (ILR 3) proficiency,
academic and cross-cultural skills to compete in a global work environment, and
the national The Language Flagship Chinese certification.

Why the UO Flagship?
“I wanted to find a challenging and advanced Mandarin program that would provide me with the tools and room in which I could continue to learn at a fast speed.”

Lauren, UO Flagship student,
graduating class of 2011

Flagship offers level-appropriate Language Strategies and content courses for Intermediate and Advanced level learners.
Depending on their language level, students will take between four to nine credits per term until successfully completing three advanced-mid level content courses. The content courses are taught by UO Chinese speaking faculty from across disciplines in social sciences, sciences, humanities, and business. Faculty present learning foundations of the content using authentic materials and framed within the larger international context.

Often content courses have a correlate Language Strategies course which reinforces both content and language learning through thorough examination of course readings, critical analysis and review of content course lectures, and literacy-building activities. Both content and language courses emphasize productive learning activities and academic debate, stressing international cooperation, collaboration, and action.

Weekly Schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Intermediate Language Strategies	Intermediate Language Strategies	Intermediate Language Strategies	Intermediate Language Strategies	Individual Coaching Sessions
	Advanced Language Strategies	Content A + Trailer discussion	Advanced Language Strategies
Content B		Content B		Content B