2009

I have a strong interest in teaching Chinese culture (including Chinese language, Chinese art, Chinese music, etc). My first job in the United States was teaching Chinese, from September 1999 to 2001, in the Mei-hua Chinese Language School in Silver Spring, Maryland. I have taught students from all ages and levels. Most of them came from multilingual (English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and other dialog) and multicultural (American, Chinese, and other countries) backgrounds. I had to find the way that is totally different from traditional theory to teach them.

I left Taiwan for boarding school in Boston at the age of fifteen, and later graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Comparative Literature and a minor in Korean Studies. My experience at boarding school has led me to pursue a career in teaching and educating the young minds. I constantly strive to become a role model for students of diverse backgrounds. In addition, being effectively trilingual in English, Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, and educated in Taiwan, Korea and the U.S., I have a solid understanding of both eastern and western cultures.

I enjoy teaching Chinese as a foreign language since I started teaching in the mainstream classroom in the U.S. The needs of learning Chinese in the U.S. motivated me to pursue a Master’s Degree in education and to obtain a teaching credential to be a qualified teacher. In 2007, I received my M.A. in Education and a California Teaching Credential in Mandarin. Then I began to teach in a bilingual school.

My name is Chen Qiang (陈强）I have been teaching English and Chinese as foreign languages for over 20 years both in China and in America. Through my teaching experience, I have learned that as an educator, I can learn each day from my teaching, my students and the professional development. Live and learn is always my motto.

After 15+ years of working in the Information Technology industry, I took a 4 year break to volunteer in my child’s school and the Asian American communities. I was elected to serve as the President of the PTA, subsequently the Principal, and Chairperson of the Board, at the local heritage school. After my tenure, I started teaching the adult class at the heritage school since 2004, and a year later at the nationally top-ranked Raleigh Charter High School. My background, briefly, includes a B.S.