New Haven: Chinese prof ’s e-mail sparks inter nal debate: emphasize traditional characters?

[Harold Schiffman]

Chinese prof's e-mail sparks internal debate
If enacted, shift in curriculum would emphasize traditional characters
at introductory level

Administrators, professors and lectors in the East Asian Languages and
Literatures department are sorting out whether an e-mail sent to
lectors several weeks ago represents a misstatement or a curricular
change that would mandate increased attention toward traditional
Chinese characters.  On Nov. 15, Chinese language coordinator Wei Su
sent an e-mail in Chinese to instructors and professors stating that
at a faculty meeting the previous day, the department decided to
"strengthen" its focus on traditional characters.  Two Chinese
instructors, who translated the e-mail for the News, said the e-mail
stated that all Chinese language courses should begin teaching the
traditional characters, with a particular focus on third-year Chinese
courses. But EALL department chair John Treat said Thursday that the
department has not made any changes to the current curriculum.

Currently, students taking Chinese are taught simplified characters,
popular in mainland China, in the first two years of study and are
introduced to traditional characters — which are more elaborate and
are used primarily in Hong Kong, Taiwan and classical Chinese
literature — in the advanced courses, according to the 2007-2008 Yale
College Programs of Study.

Su was traveling in China with the Yale Chinese-language debate team
Thursday and could not be reached for comment.

Chinese language instructors interviewed said a departmental change
requiring all classes to teach traditional characters would not be
useful for Yalies studying at the introductory level and would be
difficult for both students and lectors in introductory courses.

But despite many EALL lectors' interpretation of the e-mail, Treat
said faculty members did not decide on any significant changes to the
Chinese curriculum during the November meeting. The recommendations
for traditional character instruction apply to advanced rather than
introductory courses, he said.

"We reminded the Chinese language faculty that in courses numbered 150
or higher, students must be taught to recognize traditional
characters," Treat said. "I didn't receive Su Wei's e-mail and even if
I had, I don't read Chinese."

Chinese literature professor Kang-I Sun Chang said the potential
emphasis on traditional characters represents a "reinforcement" rather
than a change.

"It is true that some teachers did not reinforce it, which causes a
problem," Chang said. "We do see that some teachers are not doing
that. It is a policy. It is not a democratic decision for the teachers
to vote on."

Chang said over the years, some of the students began her advanced
classes unprepared to read classical Chinese texts because they could
not recognize traditional characters. The decision to focus on
traditional characters earlier, she said, represents a wish by
department faculty to remain competitive with its counterparts at peer
institutions.

"People at Harvard, Princeton and Columbia [universities] have no
problem," Chang said. "I want to make sure as a professor of classical
literature that Yale is still leading. We are supposed to be the best
— we cannot fall behind in this matter."

First-year students at Harvard are exposed to both traditional and
simplified characters, and Princeton requires students to recognize
traditional characters.

Some elementary Chinese instructors said the change would benefit the
majority of Chinese language students.

Earlier in the week, elementary modern Chinese instructor Li Li told
the News she thinks introducing traditional characters in the first
few years of language instruction would mainly serve the few students
who decide to major in Chinese history.

One Chinese lector who asked to remain anonymous said although he
thinks traditional characters are important to learn, it is the
responsibility of advanced-level courses, not introductory ones, to
introduce them.

Two more Chinese lectors who declined to comment until Su returns from
China and the department holds a meeting about the issue. Su is
scheduled to return to the United States today.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/22611
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