CJK Language Development

iWillSpeak

In the current four-year Department of Education Title VI grant, EASC is providing support for the development and expansion of iWillSpeak. iWillSpeak is an innovative course management program that allows language instructors to develop up-to-date multi-media course content and activities using authentic audio/video materials. Using iWillSpeak, instructors integrate modern language use with traditional textbooks through new media.

Program developer John Chang, Master Lecturer in East Asian Languages and Cultures, has been instrumental in placing USC on the national map for Chinese language instruction by developing new technologies to improve Chinese language curriculum through iWillSpeak. Currently, the program is being used in several Chinese I, II, and III courses at USC. It is also available as an iPhone app, which can be downloaded for free through the Apple app store.

In the program's latest developments, Chang has created an exam module that instructors can use to expand the scope of tested materials. Instead of writing out exams by hand, students type their answers in the program's exam module on laptops. "I am amazed by how much more productive the students are with iWillSpeak. Before, students could only answer a few one-sentence questions," said Chang. "Now, we can test their composition ability to write several paragraphs."

USC Annual Korean Teachers Training Workshop

EASC is also providing support for the Annual Korean Teachers Training Workshop (KTTW), which has been held by the USC Korean Language and Culture Project since 2001 as part of an effort to increase interest in the teaching and learning of Korean in the United States. The workshop is designed with the specific goals of providing effective teaching skills and encouraging teachers to develop a variety of teaching materials for their Korean courses.

13th Korean Teachers Training Workshop
March 2, 2013

12th Korean Teachers Training Workshop
March 24, 2012