"Cultural Reflections: Oral Histories of Changing China"

1596 

Practice-Oriented Paper 

Chinese 

Chinese 

Hua Dong  
Northeastern University

Hua Dong  
Northeastern University

Making history come alive in language classes involves transforming historical narratives into captivating human stories. This proposal outlines an innovative project in an Advanced Chinese class at a private university. Integrating service-learning, oral history interviews, and podcast production, students deepen language skills, cross-cultural empathy, and community connection.
Design:
1. Service-Learning: Students join the "Foster Grandparent" program, dedicating an hour weekly to serve lower-income seniors, fostering community connections.
2. Oral History: Students conduct oral history interviews with Mandarin speakers throughout the semester, exploring cultural narratives and societal changes.
3. Podcasting: Utilizing audio tools, students craft compelling podcasts, emphasizing storytelling and linguistic fluency.
4. Reflection: Students engage in reflection and peer feedback, enhancing cultural insights and collaborative learning.

After attending, participants will:
1. Understand project design integrating service-learning, oral history, and podcasting.



2. Appreciate the role of service-learning in fostering empathy, engagement, and linguistic skills.


3. Explore transformative impacts on cultural understanding and community connections.

The presentation will showcase the innovative design of the "Cultural Reflections" project for an advanced Chinese class, highlighting its integration of service-learning, oral history interviews, and podcast production.

Post-Secondary

Curriculum and Instruction