Chinese Guest Teacher Program

The Confucius Institute of the State of Washington partners with the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission and Hanban to sponsor visiting teachers to teach in K-12 schools in Washington. Whenever possible, these teachers come from partner schools to CIWA-sponsored Confucius Classrooms in Washington.

Washington schools request visiting teachers in the fall, then the teachers are selected in Chongqing and sent to Beijing for further training and interviews. In the spring, the schools have an opportunity for a Skype or WeChat interview, then the host schools and teacher candidates begin the application process for the J-1 visa. For more information about the state’s Nonimmigrant Exchange Teacher Certificate, visit OSPI > International Exchange and Visiting Teacher Programs.

Visiting teachers from China can enrich a school’s community in so many ways. But it is also a challenge to bridge cultural gaps and help a young teacher from faraway feel at home and successful in a new school environment and culture. To learn more, view CIWA’s 2016 webinar Helping Hanban Teachers Succeed in School and the Community, based on a presentation by Wenqiu Wang, Chunman Gissing, Mou Gong (CIWA guest teacher at Chief Sealth International School), and Yiheng Yuan (College Board guest teacher at Pathfinder K-8) at the 2016 National Chinese Language Conference.

Guest Teachers through the College Board

The Confucius Institute of the State of Washington also partners with the Chinese Guest Teacher Program coordinated by the College Board, in partnership with Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters and the National Council of State Supervisors for Language (NCSSFL). Schools or districts can request highly qualified teachers from China to help launch or expand their Chinese language programs. Washington State has been host to guest teachers through this program each year. The visiting teachers have been placed in schools in various districts in the region.

Generous community members provide host families for our visiting teachers. This is another wonderful way to be involved with Chinese language and cultural activities in Washington State and build cross cultural connection and enrichment. Here is some information from the College Board website: College Board > Host a Guest Teacher. The application priority deadline is Friday, January 12, 2018.

The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is designed to help U.S. schools develop Chinese language and culture study programs and to promote international exchange between the United States and China.

Key benefits to U.S. schools and students include:

  • Host schools can start or expand a Chinese language and culture program at reasonable cost.
  • Schools can lay a foundation for offering AP® Chinese classes in the future.
  • Students learn authentic Chinese language and interact with a native Chinese speaker.
  • Chinese guest teachers serve as cultural resources in other subject areas.

The Program provides an experienced language teacher from China for the host school or district for a period of one to three years. This is your chance to build a Chinese program efficiently and affordably.

The College Board also offers programs to place trainees at U.S. host institutions for one school year. Trainees are recent graduates from TCFL (Teaching Chinese as Foreign Language) programs in China who specialize in learning how to teach Chinese language and culture in second language settings. Host schools provide a special professional growth opportunity to trainees, and at the same time, enhance their own Chinese language and culture study programs as a result of the language and cultural expertise receiving a knowledgeable professional from China brings.

Trainees cannot serve as full or part-time teachers of record or staff; their activities include observing experienced instructors and collaborating with teachers to integrate Chinese language and cultural content into the school curriculum and local community. Participating institutions are responsible for providing trainees with a structured, multi-phase training plan and complimentary housing and transportation; Hanban provides trainees with a monthly stipend.