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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below are answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the 2009 NFLRC Online Summer Institute for Non-native Teachers of Chinese & Japanese:

1.Who is eligible for these workshops?
Non-native speaking teachers of Chinese or Japanese at the K-16 level (both current and future teachers) are eligible for this language maintenance professional development opportunity. These online workshops are not for just non-native speaking Chinese and Japanese educators in the U.S. but are available to non-native speaking Chinese and Japanese educators around the world who have the willingness to participate and a computer with an internet connection. Though not our target audience, Chinese and Japanese non-native speaking professionals not specifically in the field of education will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information, contact Stephen Tschudi.

2. I participated in a similar online workshop offered by the NFLRC previously. Can I join again to further develop and maintain my Chinese/Japanese ability and skills?
Of course! We welcome repeat participants for this workshop.

3. When is the deadline for applications?
For this particular workshop, we have rolling admissions, which means whenever we receive an application submission, our selection committee decides (within two weeks of submission) whether to accept or reject it, and this is done until each workshop is filled up. The maximum number of participants for each workshop is 20. Because of this, we encourage potential applicants to submit their online applications as soon as possible.

4. Do I get to come to Hawaii (as with other NFLRC Summer Institutes)?
In general, no. Because the entire workshop takes place in cyberspace via the internet, there is no need for participants to leave the comfort of their homes for this summer institute (even though we're sure many would love the tropical change in scenery). The benefit, however, is that participants save a lot of money this way (see #5).

For CHINESE TEACHERS, however, there is a special optional opportunity to travel to Hawaii afterwards for intensive hands-on teacher training in the STARTalk Sports and Language Immersion Camp (planned for July 6-31, 2009) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu. Pending the approval of funding for the 2009 STARTalk Hawaii Sports and Language Immersion Camp,Chinese teachers successfully completing the online summer institute will be eligible for up to $800 travel defrayment for the STARTalk Hawaii camp. Please see the STARTalk website for the latest information.

5. How much does it cost to participate in the online summer institute?
It's FREE! We do not charge participants for being in the summer institute nor do we charge them for any materials used in it.

6. How much time do I need to devote to the workshop each day? What should I expect?
We recommend that during the 2-week workshop each participant be prepared to devote 4 hours a day for online/offline work. Remember that this chunk of time is devoted to your professional development and language maintenance and the prime beneficiary of all your efforts is you (and your students). The Web-based workshops feature a robust interactive component, so that participants will form an online learning community in which they will perform role-play tasks, hold discussions, and share compositions. For more details, visit the Highlights section of the website.

7. What about the time difference? I'm in a time zone quite a few hours ahead/behind Hawaii Pacific time. Will this affect my participation?
The actual time of day you choose for your 4 hours is up to you. The workshops are asynchronous and participants read and post queries, provide input, and do their work for the online classroom at their convenience. The basic experience of the workshop is like a real classroom staggered over time.

8. What kind of hardware/software will I need to participate in the workshops?
You will simply need to have access to a computer (Windows preferred) with an internet connection. In addition you will need Chinese or Japanese input and display capabilities on your computer.

Please contact Stephen Tschudi if you have any further questions.

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