Jinhuei Enya Dai
Office
McCone Building M107
Tel
(831) 647-6570
Email
jdai@middlebury.edu

Jinhuei Enya Dai is a practitioner and researcher who believes that pedagogy is theory in practice, and has dedicated herself to innovative pedagogy, an ecological perspective, content-based instruction, and teacher education. She has initiated a number of innovative projects, teacher development programs and symposia during her time at the Institute, including the Monterey Bay Foreign Language Education Symposium, Nonproliferation Beijing Immersive Module, Taipei-Shanghai Cross-Strait Immersive Module, Chinese Innovation Forum, and others. 
 
Professor Dai (Dai laoshi) is the author of three books and several journal papers. She believes that teaching and learning promote and enhance each other and strives to be a life-long learner and innovator. Dai approaches language education using a cognitive, intercultural and individualized approach. She is passionate about implementing innovative methods to deepen learners’ understanding and further appreciating different frames of reference and value systems. Dai believes that language education is about reaching beyond the physical boundary, reaching beyond the cross-discipline, reaching beyond the intercultural labyrinth – and she has come to realization that the art of teaching and learning is about cultivating a greater awareness of and understanding toward ourselves. Then, a true facilitator is born, an educator who creates and maximizes opportunities for learning to happen.

Courses Taught

Course Description

This course aims to enhance your overall language skills on a variety of daily topics in authentic context, with a focus on raising intercultural awareness. It seeks to strengthen your language performance with emphasis on listening, speaking, reading and writing. Relevant cultural topics and perspectives in Chinese-speaking societies will be covered and practiced in various tasks. Different genres may be used to foster learner’s autonomy. The course is also designed not only to help students grasp conversational and listening skills through, but also enhance understanding of content knowledge of Chinese contemporary society and Chinese culture.

The format of the 6-hour class comprises listening and speaking section, reading and writing section and practicum section. For the listening and speaking section, CHLA 8232A is based on interactive learning from video and audio featuring native speakers, and from the instructor and other classmates. For the reading and writing section, after the spoken course, highest-frequency characters will be systematically introduced in cultural context. In the practicum section, we will practice target grammars through communicative methods. Reading exercises will help students develop connecting the dots-known characters and words, to enhance their reading comprehension. Assignments include different forms of listening exercises, dialouges, pragmatic function practice, discussion about cultral topics, oral presentations, grammar exercises, etc.

Terms Taught

Fall 2022 - MIIS

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Course Description

This course is a 15-week Content-Based Instruction (CBI) course that embodies the Monterey Way. The format of the class has 4-hour component, with additional informal 2-hour Movie Club participation: vocabulary and communicative grammar interpersonal practices, performance, and content discussion or reading extension. The learning tasks incorporate reading texts of Chinese contemporary historical events to enhance students’ understanding, watching movies that mark historical events, acting and discussing in class. It is designed to build colloquial conversational and listening skills through acting bits from the movie, to engage students to access authentic texts, to enhance understanding of content knowledge of Chinese modern history and Chinese culture. Assignments include different forms of performing and acting, weekly essays, grammar exercise sheets, listening exercises, etc. This course also has a Moodle site where students are able to get course materials week by week. Also, outside of the classroom, students are encouraged to participate in the Movie Club. Prerequisite: Intermediate-high or above language proficiency level as determined by placement and oral exams; students with ability to read less complex authentic materials.

Terms Taught

Fall 2023 - MIIS

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Course Description

Recommend those students who take lower 300 level to take this introduction course in the same semester to gain more insights in idiomatic expression of Chinese strategies and more hours in practice and enhance language skills and cultural competence.

Terms Taught

Spring 2022 - MIIS

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Course Description

This course contains materials that cover Three kingdom, relationship of history education and international education, and its applications to history, leadership, psychology, and philosophy. It aims to open door for learners of Chinese to classical Chinese with insights from proverbs, idiomatic expressions from Three Kingdom. There is an individualization research component to this class. In addition to the class hours, students are also encouraged to keep their vocabulary logs with grammar notes . Students are reviewing materials covered during the first few weeks and start to develop their research interests, to further and conduct research reading in Chinese. Final deliverables for the course are a wrap-up research analysis paper of 6 to 8 pages (or its equivalence of the content in the format of digital media integration), and a 15-20 min final presentation will be delivered in class. Also, on November 14th 12-2:00 p.m. students participate in The 22nd Mini-Monterey Model Event in Irvine Auditorium, open to MIIS community.

A key research topic is concluded and developed after the first 8 weeks, and further develop an individualization research project related to your major using insights from Three Kingdom. The Individualization Research Project curriculum will be devised in a way that would allow students to develop their own interest and areas of expertise to conduct 5-minute outline reports in November, 20 min final presentation. You can exchange the views and acquired knowledge pertinent to selected topics and gain feedbacks from fellow classmates.

Terms Taught

Spring 2023 - MIIS

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Course Description

This course contains materials that cover 36 stratagems and Art of Sunzi and its applications to US domestic issues, military, business, leadership and life philosophy. It aims to open door for learners of Chinese to classical Chinese with insights from proverbs, idiomatic expressions from Art of Sunzi. There is an individualization research component to this class. In addition to the class hours, students are also keeping their reading logs with the instructor and TS from mid-October to November, during this period of time, students are reviewing materials covered during the first 8 weeks and start to develop their research interests, to further and conduct research reading in Chinese. Final deliverables for the course are a wrap-up research analysis paper of 12 to 15 pages (or its equivalence of the content in the format of digital media integration), and a 15-20 min final presentation will be delivered in class, and the class will choose few speakers for a 5-8 min mini-version final presentation will be delivered in Irvine Auditorium, open to MIIS community.

A key research topic is concluded and developed after the first 8 weeks, and further develop an individualization research project related to your major using insights from Art of Sunzi. The Individualization Research Project curriculum will be devised in a way that would allow students to develop their own interest and areas of expertise to conduct 5-minute mini-oral reports 2 times in November. You can exchange the views and acquired knowledge pertinent to selected topics and gain feedbacks from fellow classmates.

The Art of Sunzi curriculum will consist of the following topics:

1. Overview: Key concepts and background information of Art of Sunzi

2. History: Historical relevance of Military tactics in Chinese History

3. Current events: US and international issues, etc.

4. Business strategies: Business, management and its relation to Art of Sunzi

5. Leadership and Philosophy: Insights of Art of Sunzi on leadership and philosophy

6. Individualization Research Analysis Projects using insights from Art of Sunzi

Terms Taught

Fall 2022 - MIIS

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Course Description

This course has three dimensions to explore: the depth of the relation of human beings and the nature, current events and Dao De Jing, and Dao and nature. Class portion will be divided into three parts: 1/3 of lecture of selected Dao De Jing texts, 1/3 of students’ presentation, the intercultural elements of language, culture and thought. Final deliverables for the course are a wrap-up research analysis paper of 12 to 15 page (or its equivalence of the content in the format of digital media integration), and a final presentation will be delivered in Irvine Auditorium.

A key research topic is concluded and developed after the first 8 weeks, and further develop an individualization research project related to your major using insights from Dao De Jing. The Individualization Research Project curriculum will be devised in a way that would allow students to develop their own interest and areas of expertise to conduct 5-minute mini-oral reports 2 times during early to mid-November. You can exchange the views and acquired knowledge pertinent to selected topics and gain feedbacks from fellow classmates.

The Dao De Jing curriculum will consist of the following topics:

1. Overview: Key concepts and background information of Dao De Jing

2. Nature and Humanity: Environment protection and cuisine conflicts

3. Dao De Jing & Politics and Governing: international politics, governing and its
relation to Dao De Jing

4. Leadership and Philosophy: Insights of Dao De Jing on leadership, education and
Philosophy

5. Action: Learn and Just do it!

6. Individualization Research Analysis Projects using insights from Dao De Jing

Terms Taught

Spring 2022 - MIIS

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Course Description

Terms Taught

Fall 2023 - MIIS

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Course Description

Chinese Grammar Pedagogy is an introduction to Chinese grammar pedagogy that focuses on structured grammar input, pedagogical methods in instructing Chinese grammar, discourse-based approach, types of grammar elicitation designs, and interaction among grammar, context, and pragmatics. It is designed to integrate theories into hands-on practice. The primary goals of this course include gaining insights from readings of books, Chinese pedagogical grammar articles, discussing grammar teachability issues from elementary to advanced levels, writing reaction journals and reflection, training grammar elicitation techniques, and compiling Chinese grammar from authentic content-based materials. The course will also integrate technology, be it Moodle, AdobeConnect, blogging, etc., into the classroom and invite K-16 Chinese linguists and pedagogues in this field through virtual Elluminate web-conferencing tool and recorded presentation, e.g. Professor Jianhua Bai ???, Professor Paul Jia, etc. The course will embrace the Monterey Way, be conducted using content-based instruction, be taught in Chinese and use reading materials in English and Chinese. All the assignments except grammar explanation should be written in Chinese. Students have to choose textbooks or authentic materials for their semester project, and are expected to write reaction journals (one article of your choice from the week’s reading), reflection entries (based on what you have learned with your teacher, peers, and online lecturers, etc.), and conduct a 15-20 min rehearsal and real-class teaching demos. The class is a 3+1 combo, which means three-hour classroom time plus one-hour online portion. Meetings during every Thursday evenings 6-8:50 p.m. and make-up classes on some Friday evenings 5:00-7:50 p.m. before Week 8, and you start to choose or develop your own approach to design your lesson plan during week 8 to week 10. We will meet online again in week 11, and resume our classes during week 13. Our teaching demos in week 13, final presentation is in week 15, and your semester project is due on December 10th, 2:00 p.m. (Submit both Paper and e-copy).

Terms Taught

Fall 2022 - MIIS, Fall 2023 - MIIS

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Course Description

This course contains materials that cover Three kingdom, relationship of history education and international education, and its applications to history, leadership, psychology, and philosophy. It aims to open door for learners of Chinese to classical Chinese with insights from proverbs, idiomatic expressions from Three Kingdom. There is an individualization research component to this class. In addition to the class hours, students are also keeping their reading logs with the instructor and TA from mid-September to October, during this period of time, students are reviewing materials covered during the first few weeks and start to develop their research interests, to further and conduct research reading in Chinese. Final deliverables for the course are a wrap-up research analysis paper of 12 to 15 pages (or its equivalence of the content in the format of digital media integration), and a 15-20 min final presentation will be delivered in class, and a 5-8 min mini-version final presentation will be delivered in Irvine Auditorium, open to MIIS community.

A key research topic is developed and concluded after the first 8 weeks, and further develop an individualization research project related to your major, using insights from Three Kingdom. The Individualization Research Project curriculum will be devised in a way that would allow students to develop their own interest and areas of expertise to conduct 5-minute outline reports in November, 15 min final presentation, and 5 min Mini-Monterey Model presentation. The goal is to exchange views and acquired knowledge pertinent to selected topics and gain feedbacks from fellow classmates.

Terms Taught

Spring 2023 - MIIS

View in Course Catalog

Course Description

Teaching Chinese in the Context of Globalization is based on designing an interactive model with graduate students, exploring topics shifting base in communities and anchored in comparison, in the hope to explore and re-envision pedagogical tactfulness and enhance pedagogical understanding through the relevant context and materials in a globalized world. This course aims to cultivate students to discover one's own learning and teaching styles as to better understand oneself in the context of teaching through constant practices, reflections in outreach visits and exploration in Chinatown, drawing connections from the classroom to the communities, texts to the globalized world, classical Chinese to the modern current events, linguistic events to international affairs.

Terms Taught

Spring 2022 - MIIS

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Course Description

Curriculum and Materials Development for Chinese as a Second Language

This course is an introduction to curriculum and materials development for teaching Chinese as a second language. While the emphasis of the course is practical, the theoretical background of curriculum design materials development will also be explored. By the end of the course, students are expected to be well informed about the various pedagogical principles that guide the curriculum and materials design for CSL classrooms, as well as ability to critique commercially available textbooks and to develop in-house teaching materials that are informed by research findings, both empirical and classroom-based.

Required Text:
Developing Materials for Language Teaching by Brian Tomlison,
International Curriculum for Chinese Language Education,
NFLC Guide for Basic Chinese Language Programs,

Terms Taught

Summer 2019 Language Schools, LS 6 Week Session

Requirements

Pedagogy

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Course Description

This course is designed for students in their last summer session of the Master’s program. In this course, students will have the opportunity to reflect upon the theories of Chinese teaching that they have already learned, improving their ability to design and effectively implement classroom teaching practices. Students’ assignments will include: readings on TCFL, reflections on the questions and problems brought up in readings, classroom observation, directed course design, class preparation, microteaching activities, and others.

Terms Taught

Summer 2019 Language Schools, LS 6 Week Session

Requirements

Pedagogy

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Course Description

Terms Taught

Fall 2022 - MIIS

View in Course Catalog

Course Description

Terms Taught

Fall 2022 - MIIS

View in Course Catalog

Areas of Interest

Innovative Pedagogy and Ecological Perspective / Cognitive Linguistics / Curriculum Development / Applied Chinese Linguistics / Content-based Instruction / Teacher Development / Intercultural Competence and Language Education / Technology and Multimedia Applications / Interactive Blogging / Chinese Grammar Pedagogy / Methods in Teaching Chinese and Material Development / Linguistic Anthropology / Action-based and Future-based pedagogy / Structural Scaffolding Instruction / Heritage Language Education / Immersion and International Education / Self-esteem and Professional Development.

Academic Degrees

  • Ph.D. in Cognitive Linguistics, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, 2005
  • MA in Linguistics, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, 2001
  • BA in English Language and Literatures, Fu-Jen Catholic University, 1995

Professor Dai has been teaching at the Institute since 2006.

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