Session Speakers

Joanne Shang

Joanne Shang is professionally focused in student-centered task-based pedagogy, curriculum & instructional development, and Educational Technology for 21st Century Learning. She authored the Online Workbook for Encounters Chinese series published by Yale University, and co-authored Barron’s AP Chinese Language and Culture. Joanne serves as an AP Chinese Exam Reader for College Board/ETS, and a master teacher in the University of Hawaii STARTALK Program. She has previously taught in North Carolina and Hong Kong, and currently teaches in New York with added responsibilities in leading the AI in Teaching & Learning Professional Learning Cohort.

Allen Zhong

Jianhua “Allen” Zhong has more than 19 years of Chinese language and culture teaching experience in both the U.S. and China, including 11 years in the IB and immersion setting. He is currently a lead teacher, and mentor teacher at the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in Washington DC. Mr. Zhong is a frequent conference presenter and workshop facilitator in NCLC, ACTFL, CTLA, IB International conferences as well as various state and local conferences. Mr. Zhong’s main practice interests include early childhood education, Chinese immersion, inquiry-based learning, play-based learning, project approach, and classroom management.

Qihui Tang

Qihui Tang (B.A., Central China Normal University; M.A.TFL, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey) has been teaching Chinese at Sidwell Friends School since 2008. She collaborated with colleagues to redesign the high school Chinese curriculum, spanning from Chinese I to Chinese Seminar (Post-AP). Qihui has presented at regional andnational conferences on curriculum development and language assessment, including CLTA-VA, CLTA, and ACTFL.Before joining Sidwell Friends School, Qihui worked as a certified OPI tester and Chinese instructor at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and served as the ChineseResident at Pomona College.

Dr. Luyi Lien

连鹭役博士：中文沉浸式教育先驱，英华中文沉浸式教学开校元老。曾担任星谈计划主持人、受邀为沉浸式教学培训专员，并曾在北京、台湾、加拿大、新加坡教育工作坊担任讲师。在过去17年的沉浸式学校经验中，曾任沉浸式班级老师，课程专员，教务长，目前担任学校执行长及校长角色。连博士认为沉浸式教学，能真正培育出具有世界观的双语人才，她致力于创造沉浸式学习环境，提倡以学生为中心、寓教于乐的教学策略，冀望学生能够热爱中文，沉浸在丰富、优美的中华文化中！Dr. Lien has over 30 years of experience in teaching, writing, and planning curriculum for both heritage students and non-native Mandarin learners in grades K through 12.

CEO/ Executive Director of Yinghua Academy
Immersion program and curriculum consultant
Startalk program Director
Immersion education expert and practitioner

Jing Dai

Jing Dai stands as a distinguished leader and award-winning Chinese educator at Meade High School in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. A passionate advocate for multilingualism, she firmly believes that learning another language expands our ability to articulate our experiences, providing diverse opportunities and perspectives on the world. Jing is characterized by her collaborative approach, student-centered focus, and creative problem-solving skills, employing engaging and authentic methods to develop language skills. Jing has served as the former president of the Chinese Language Teachers Association-National Capital Region and is a frequent presenter at both national and regional conferences. She has been honored as the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, a Maryland Teacher of the Year Finalist, and a Washington Post Teacher of the Year Finalist. Further accolades include the Distinguished Teacher Award from the Chinese School Association in the United States and the Outstanding Performance and Achievements in Teaching Confucius Classroom.

Lijin Yang

LJ Yang is the Chinese Language Coordinator for Grades 2-5 at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School. She joined Yu Ying since 2010, starting as a Chinese assistant teacher and then working as an immersion classroom lead teacher, intervention teacher, administrator, and teacher educator. LJ is also an International Baccalaureate (IB) Workshop Leader and School Visit Team Member. She is passionate about inquiry and differentiation in Chinese immersion programs.

Dr. Carol Chen-Lin

Dr. Carol Chen-Lin serves on the Board of Directors for the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS) and teaches Chinese at Choate Rosemary Hall. She brings a rich educational background to her work, with a Ph.D. in Curriculum Design from the University of Connecticut and an MA and BA degree in Chinese Language and Literature from the University of Hong Kong. She directed the Choate STARTALK program from 2007 to 2013 and was a member of the College Board Foreign Language Review Committee (2006-2007) and the Chinese AP Curriculum Design and Assessment Committee (2008-2010). She has presented at local, regional, and national workshops and conferences.

Yinghan Xue

Yinghan Xue is the Chinese Language Coordinator and Language Instructional Coach at District of Columbia International School (DCI), a “IB for All” 6-12 public charter school. At DCI, Yinghan taught MYP courses at Middle School and High School, supported curriculum development and IB language program alignment works as the Subject Coordinator for the Language Department, and now dedicates in supporting students and teachers in the Chinese track. Prior joined DCI in 2019, Yinghan taught in the state of Wisconsin for four years, served as the former president of the Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers and board member at the Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers. As a frequent presenter, panlist and teacher trainer at national, regional, and state conferences, Yinghan holds strong believe in student-centered and inquiry-based learning, cultural competency in language classroom, as well as comprehension and proficiency based language acquisition. Working in the IB context, she has developed deep interest in the alignment and cohenrency of IB language acquisition curriculum and programs.

Luling Yan

晏陆玲 Luling Yan● 3rd Grade Mandarin Immersion Homeroom teacher at Kensington Elementary School, Union County, Charlotte, North Carolina● Taught in Uganda, China and USA ● MA with distinction degree level in the University of York in the UK● First Place of 2022-2023 CLTA-NC Classroom Decoration Contest● First Place of 2023-2024 Mandarin Picture Book Lesson Plan Design Contest in America● Published Language Play study in Applied Linguistics of Oxford University Press in 2023● "Pioneering Leadership in Language Learning" award in 2024 CLTAC Reading Contest

Dongmei Li

李老师从事外语教学17年，专注于5-12年级的外语教学。曾在美国内布拉斯加州林肯大学作为督导老师指导外语教学实习老师。在英华学院担任中学中文教师以来，致力于推动并发展中学生的中文课外阅读教学课程。李老师相信阅读不仅能够搭建起学生的中文能力和现实生活的桥梁，而且通过精心挑选的读物，根据学生兴趣和认知能力设计的阅读活动，阅读能够引导学生学习并理解跨文化交流的重要性，培养学生成为具有全球视野的世界公民。

Middle school Chinese teacher at Yinghua Academy
Middle school Chinese Language Arts Department Team Lead
World language student teacher supervisor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Wenjuan Wang

Wenjuan Wang is a Chinese immersion elementary school teacher. Obtaining her MA in Teaching and K-6 teaching license from University of North Texas, Wenjuan has been teaching fourth grade students at Yinghua Academy for eleven years. She is the fourth grade team lead and instructional coach in the school.王文娟毕业于北德克萨斯大学的小学中文沉浸教师，拥有教育硕士学位和K-6教学执照。她在英华学院教四年级已有十一年，并担任四年级主任教师和教学教练等职位。

Xuyang Zhang

Xuyang Zhang, an experienced kindergarten teacher with 11 years at Yinghua Academy, holds a master's degree and K-6 license in dual language and immersion education from the University of Minnesota. She currently serves as the Kindergarten team lead and mentor teacher, supporting her colleagues in fostering a dynamic learning environment for young learners.张旭阳老师拥有11年的教学经验，她具备明尼苏达大学双语和沉浸式教育K-6执照的硕士学位。目前担任幼儿园团队的领导和导师教师，支持同事们培养一个充满活力的学习环境，以满足年幼学习者的需求。

Mary Weerts

苗蔚老师拥有 23 年公立学校中文教学经验，其中 10 年在芝加哥公立学校任教。自 2011 年起，一直在百灵顿学区沉浸式中文项目任教，曾担任 1 年级、3 年级和 5 年级的沉浸中文老师。目前，苗老师是一位初中世界历史和美国历史老师。苗老师喜欢通过历史故事结合语言学习培养学生各项技能，因为她相信每个学生在原本的中文基础上都可以最大程度地提高自己。
Ms. Miao has 23 years of experience in teaching Chinese in public schools, including 10 years of teaching in Chicago Public Schools. She has been teaching in the Barrington School District’s Chinese Immersion Program since 2011 and has served as an immersion Chinese teacher for grades 1, 3, and 5. Currently, Ms. Miao is a junior high world history and American history teacher. Ms. Miao likes to develop students' various skills through historical stories combined with language learning because she believes that every student can improve themselves to the greatest extent based on their original Chinese skills.

Yu Hsin Lien

With 17 years of dedicated experience in the field of education, Yu Hsin has built a robust foundation through her extensive teaching journey, spanning from preschool to middle school Mandarin immersion. She currently serves as the Director of Curriculum at the Denver Language School. In her capacity as the Director of Curriculum, Yu Hsin provides leadership and modeling exemplary instructional practices. Her responsibilities encompass the strategic development of curriculum, assessment, and intervention strategies. Additionally, she plays a vital role in crafting teacher professional development programs and facilitating effective coaching cycles.

Cindy Chiang

Hailing from Taiwan, Cindy Chiang is a veteran immersion educator with seventeen years of experience, including four years as the Chinese Academic Dean at Silicon Valley International School (formerly known as International School of the Peninsula) and three years in her current role as the Chinese Program Director at the Chinese American International School (CAIS). At CAIS, she works closely with the faculty from Preschool to 8th grade to ensure cross-language collaboration and the effectiveness of instructional strategies. She also evaluates the curriculum and assessment to enhance students’ language proficiency. From the standpoint of the growth of the Chinese program, Cindy plays a vital role on the Educational Leadership Team to bring values and innovative ideas for the school. Last, but not least, Cindy has been a regular presenter at the National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) and serves as the primary committee member of the Early Childhood Chinese Immersion Forum (ECCIF) that was founded by CAIS in 2017.

Yi Zeng

曾一老师目前执教于新泽西州西温莎学区, 教授沉浸式中文班二到五年级中国文化及语言课程。曾老师来自大熊猫和火锅的故乡--四川, 2008年在美国佐治亚大学求学, 并于2010年获得语言教学硕士学位。毕业之后一直在美国中小学任教, 有9年教学经验, 执教过小学到高中的中文课程。她热爱中国传统文化, 她的课堂总是将中国文化和语言的学习融为一体, 为学生带来丰富多彩的体验。曾老师于2023年暑期荣获美国教育部富布莱特奖学金在台湾学习交流。
Zeng Laoshi is currently teaching Chinese Culture and Literacy for DLIstudents from the 2nd to 5th grades in the West Windsor-Plainsboro SchoolDistrict in New Jersey. Zeng Laoshi was from Sichuan China, thehometown of giant pandas and popular hotpot. She received her M.Ed inTeaching Additional Language from the University of Georgia in 2010. Shehas 9 years teaching experience in the United States. Zeng Laoshi alsoreceived the Fulbright Hays Scholarship and studied traditional cultures inTaiwan in July 2023. Her greatest strength is implementing an active andexciting learning environment in her class. As a highly compassionate andcommitted educator, she always supports her students gaining a broadknowledge of Chinese culture and literacy.

Hui Liang

梁辉老师是马里兰州公立学校Centennial 高中的中文教师，担任中文初级到AP所有水平班的中文教学，具有二十多年的中文教学经验。除了教学外，梁老师还热衷于社区服务，继承语教学研究，课堂管理及师资培训，学生领导力的培养等项目。梁辉老师目前担任马里兰州外语教师学会理事，大华府中文教师学会理事，哈维中文学校理事等。

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