PROJECT

Performing Language: Integrating Chinese Language Learning, Theatrical Practice, and Community Engagement 

DESCRIPTION

This project pioneers a performance-based curriculum for third-year Chinese at UVA, uniting language instruction with theatrical storytelling. In collaboration with the Department of Drama, LingXi Chinese Theatre, and the Chinese Corner cultural initiative, students engage in bilingual scriptwriting, group rehearsals, and public performances that enhance oral fluency, intercultural competence, and expressive confidence. The project promotes collaborative learning through creative dialogue and culminates in the creation of open educational resources for broader dissemination and impact. 

BIO

Jun Wang is a Lecturer of Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Virginia. She integrates interdisciplinary and student-centered approaches into language teaching to foster engagement and cross-cultural understanding. Her teaching and research interests include performance-based pedagogy, the design of collaborative and communicative learning experiences, rhetorical questions in Chinese discourse, and experimental syntax and pragmatics. She also serves as a Faculty Guide at UVA, supporting colleagues in applying emerging technologies to enhance teaching and learning.