Conversation Coaches Needed for Online Chinese Course

LEARN NC, in collaboration with the NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS), is developing a series of online Chinese language courses supported by a grant received by the NC Department of Public Instruction. The first course was successfully offered on a pilot basis in fall 2007 through NCVPS.

Coaches have been found for these courses. Thanks to all who applied!

Chinese language speakers are needed to serve as conversation coaches for high school students enrolled in the Online Mandarin Chinese Level I course for the second pilot, which begins in mid-January and concludes in late May or early June.

Coaches are expected:

• To spend approximately 1.5 hours per week, during (8 a.m.-3 p.m. Eastern) or outside of school hours, conducting online conversations with 4-5 students for a period of one semester or 18 weeks. Skype technology will be used for the conversation sessions.
• To listen and provide feedback to students so that they are actively using Chinese and become comfortable with spoken communication in order to work and converse with other Chinese speakers (fellow students, instructors, native speakers, etc.).
• To answer questions related to assignments and help students review.
• To provide information weekly to the instructor about the students’ progress.
• To implement the weekly meetings based on the instructor’s plan and directions. (Coaches are not responsible for the design of weekly meetings.)

Coaches should be fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Some background in teaching or tutoring is desirable.

The course will begin January 22, 2008 and will end June 4, 2008. During the pilot phase of course development, conversation coaches will be paid and will be expected to attend an online training session before classes begin.

If you are interested in serving as a conversation coach, please contact

Dr. Bobby Hobgood
LEARN NC
Work: 919-962-8944
bhobgood@learnnc.org