9.16-9.17 TPRS Workshop

Comprehensible Optimized Input through Narrative: Building Fluency and Literacy in Mandarin 

Come spend two days eliminating all the myths you’ve ever heard about teaching Mandarin Chinese! The Comprehensible Optimized Input through Narrative (COIN) approach joins classic TPRS, a student-centered, highly effective method for acquiring oral language, with Cold Character Reading and Text-Referenced Writing for a comprehensive package that will change your ideas about what is possible in a Chinese classroom for non-heritage speakers forever.

This two-day workshop is designed for both experienced and pre-service teachers of Mandarin Chinese. It focuses on the foundational skills of TPRS, which are the basis for many popular offshoot techniques. Teachers will first learn a language they have never heard before and read a story in its character-based script, just as their American students are doing in the Mandarin classroom. Then you’ll learn how to achieve high levels of repetition of new language without being boring or predictable; how to guarantee high levels of student engagement, and above all, how to teach in a way that works with the brain, rather than against it. We’ll introduce the Cold Character Reading method of literacy training for Chinese, materials selection, the Tonally Orthographic Pinyin Romanization system and the power of directional gestures for training tones, all Chinese-specific techniques developed by Dr. Waltz to extend TPRS for Mandarin or other Chinese dialects, or languages with non-phonetic scripts.

After this training, teachers will:

1. Understand the reasons why Comprehensible Input is necessary for language acquisition.
2. Know how to ask 12-14 questions based on a single sentence — and why we do not “just” do that in the classroom.
3. Understand how to drive a very basic TPRS story using personalization or customization.
4. Understand how acquired oral language drives character recognition and literacy.
5. Know how to use Cold Character Reading books to train student literacy.
6. Know how to gently introduce Chinese writing through text-referenced writing.

Presenter: Dr. Terry Waltz

Terry Waltz holds a Ph. D in Foreign Language Education (Mandarin Chinese) and is a NYS-certified teacher of Mandarin Chinese. She has specialized in TPRS instruction, COIN methodologies and teacher training across the country and abroad. 

What teachers are saying about Terry Waltz and COIN for Mandarin Chinese

 “I am so excited about what my 1st year Chinese class is able to understand, say and read through cold-character reading (I read your little red book this summer, too.) Thanks for getting all your work out there for us to use.” — Kathie C., Chinese teacher.

 “I began COIN Chinese classes after numerous, but unsuccessful, attempts to learn Mandarin from textbooks and teachers with a ‘traditional’ approach to second language learning. After only just a few months, my level has improved immensely. In fact more than it had done in the previous eighteen months using the other methods. I have also put in fewer hours than I had been previously and it has been a great deal less frustrating.” —Joseph G, adult student

 “I love Terry Waltz's directional gestures and have been using them as much as possible.” —Cynthia C, Chinese teacher.

Pay at door. $100.00 (two lunches and refreshments included, 4 or more participants from one school will get 20% discount)

You will earn 12 PDPs.