Faculty Travel Report

Name: Russell Young and Wei-lin Lei

Faculty/Rank Professor and Adjunct Professor

Department Policy Studies in Language and Cross Cultural Education
College Education
Office phone 594-6890
Email ruyoung@mail.sdsu.edu

Proposal title BCLAD Student Study in China and Faculty Exchange

Country visited China

Institutions visited Guangzhou Sakura Japanese Training Center
Hainan ISIP Experimental School
Yunnan Institute of Technology and Information
Yunnan Normal University

Dates of travel March 18 – March 27, 2005

Number of student participants: Projected 5-10

Previous IP proposals submitted and grants awarded: China, 2004

Proposal Abstract
In March 2004, the Department of Policy Studies established links with K-12 schools, private language training schools and institutes of higher education in China to provide bilingual teachers opportunities to teach in China using specially designed academic instruction in English strategies (SDAIE). In march of 2005, Drs. Russell Young, representing the Policy Studies Department and Wei-lin Lei, representing the LINK, visited the leaders of four schools to develop international exchange programs between SDSU and China. LINK is the Tung Hai Educational Language and Intercultural Network of Knowledge, Inc. Three of the schools were receptive to students coming as early as the fall, 2005.

Overview of activities in China

The purpose of the visit to China was to establish links for students from the SDSU Department of Policy Studies in Language and Cross-cultural Education to teach and pursue graduate studies in China. Three major urban centers were visited: Guangzhou, Haikou, and Kunming.

In Guangzhou we met with several private business leaders in the field of language and cultural training. Dr. Ma Yan is the Principal of the Guangzhou Sakura Japanese Training Center. Mr. Yan Xiao Tao is the Director of Professional Development of the same school. Their school trains Chinese in the Japanese language for work in Japan. They have expressed an interest to expand their school into English training. Two avenues are being pursued. One is to send recently credentialed bilingual students in the Department of Policy Studies to teach at their center. Another possibility is to set up a short term training program for faculty of the department to go to China. We also discussed long term possibilities with Mr. Zhou Hui, Vice President of Yue Xiu Development Group. Mr. Zhou is a former educator and not private businessman and was there as an interested party. The arrangements were made by Mr. Xu Jian. Mr. Xu is a very influential contact person from LINK, headed by Dr. Wei-lin Lei. It has several educational contacts in China and its own school in Xian. They are working in collaboration with the Department of Policy Studies in our efforts for international educational exchange in China. Mr. Xu made all of the arrangements in Guangzhou and Kunming.

Our second stop was Haikou, Hainan. This is the second visit to the Hainan ISIP Experimental School. We met with the head of the school, Mr. Brian Tsai, and several of the faculty. A letter of intent was signed. Also, details were worked on for us to send up to 5 students to the school starting in the fall, 2005. Students would teach English in the school for a period of 6-12 months. Room, board, airfare, and a salary would be provided. Students would be able to receive course credit toward the Master’s of Arts degree from the Department of Policy Studies. While there Dr. Russell Young and Dr. Lei gave a talk on the multicultural education to approximately 200 students at the school. We are also exploring the possibility of a short term training program for Department of Policy Studies faculty to teach in Haikou.

Our third stop was Kunming, Yunnan. In Kunming we first met with President Zhu Weihua of the Yunnan Institute of Technology & Information, as well as several of the other leaders of the university. They were also very interested in establishing an exchange agreement with SDSU. They said that they could provide similar compensation as the Hainan ISIP Experimental School for two English teachers. Teachers could come as early as fall, 2005.

We also visited Yunnan Normal University in Kunming. We met with Dr. Wu Yinghui, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Institute of Chinese and International Studies. We also met with several of the leaders of the foreign affairs division. Their school regularly houses 700-800 foreigners to study language and culture in Kunming. They will soon be opening a new international dorm for the foreigners. They can accommodate study, travel, and all other arrangements for our students who wish to go to Kunming. While at the Yunnan Normal University, Dr. Russell Young and Dr. Lei gave a talk on the cultural aspects of language learning to approximately 300 university students.

Benefits to bilingual credentialed SDSU students from our program include the opportunity to teach English language development in China for 6-12 months. They will also be able to receive graduate credit toward the MA degree from the department. In the meantime, they will be able to undertake professional development activities focusing on learning the Chinese language and culture.