1997

John Dearn

2003

Felicia Zhang

My passion, interest and enthusiasm in teaching and learning stem from my formative experiences in China and England. I was born in Beijing in 1961 and brought up in one of the most traumatic and turbulent periods of modern Chinese history, the Cultural Revolution. Both my primary and secondary school education were interrupted repeatedly by political events that were taking place in China at the time.

After my father passed away, when I was fifteen, my mother, my elder sister and I left China for Hong Kong in 1976. In Hong Kong, I was finally able to experience the joy and benefits of education in a peaceful country. My formal education in language learning started when I got to Hong Kong. Starting with only the ability to recite the English alphabet (learned by walking around a sports stadium with my mother who was educated in England - we did this so as not to arouse suspicion), four years later I obtained a grade C in O-Level English. This enabled me to continue my education in a boarding school in the south of England. I was then eighteen, the oldest girl in the school. Although a gift for learning languages got me a place in the English school system, it was not easy to fit into the social environment of the school. For three years, I felt very much an outsider, very much isolated and alone even though I could speak English very well.

By the time I came to Australia, I had obtained the requisite A-Levels to enter Queensland University. While at university, as I was already fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English, I worked for the Department of Immigration for three years on a part-time basis as an interpreter for the Translation and Interpreting service. In this position, I was able to help a large number of people with their language difficulties in the areas of health, social security and legal matters.

My formative experiences in learning English and surviving in an English speaking country and using English to help non-English speaking migrants in Australia, have taught me that in order to increase tolerance in the world, learning each other’s languages is an important step because it -

• opens up a channel for two-way communication between cultures - which is very important in a multicultural country and ever more important in this time of increasing globalization;
• is empowering for both the societies and the individuals involved;
• fosters genuine tolerance between cultures; being able to communicate in each other’s languages is not a guarantee for overcoming prejudices one might have about other cultures but changing our own ways of thinking through learning about other cultures and ways of thinking is an essential part of nurturing tolerance towards other cultures. Taking a beginning course in a foreign language is a starting point on a life-long journey to really understand other cultures and change the way we perceive the world. By exploring the philosophical and the ideological aspects of different cultures we might break cultural stereotypes.
  

For students to reap the benefits of language learning fully, the role of a language teacher is extremely important. He/she is the initiator of an enabling process of acceptance and tolerance towards other cultures. He/she is the one who is capable of navigating the complexities of different cultures so that favorable conditions can be made for students to reach the target of understanding different cultures. I feel extremely privileged and fortunate that I am able to play this role and use my experience of living in different cultures to provide students with a wider context for language learning than just what is provided in a textbook. I feel that I am able to give students as good a start as possible in this life transforming enterprise and guide them along the way.

Another dimension in my teaching methodology is the use of information technology. I started incorporating computer technology into my teaching at James Cook University (JCU) in 1995. My experience with computer technology at JCU paved the way for a much fuller design and implementation of such an environment later at the University of Canberra (UC). The impetus for utilizing computer technology is to create an abundance of Mandarin Chinese resources in Australia so as to enable students to employ their own powers of observation in the process of learning Chinese language and Chinese cultural practices.

Since my appointment as a lecturer at UC in January, 2000, I have taught at all levels within the Chinese program at UC. I have initiated teaching innovations as well as assisted with other initiatives. My challenge as a teacher is to meet the needs of the wide diversity of students who commence study in my subjects at UC. Much of the evidence from my students is supplied from this sector and relates to about 50 students who have completed the four year major in Chinese. I am responsible for lecturing, tutoring and administering: Chinese 1A: Language and Culture, Chinese 1B: Language and Culture; Chinese 3 and Advanced Chinese.

2008

Patricia Easteal

Dr Easteal has developed and uses an innovative learner-centred and research-led approach to legal education to engage law students in a critical and contextual analysis of the Australian legal system. Her approach is based on an action-learning cycle in which feedback and reflection lead to continuous improvements. The approach helps students understand the interplay between the law and the broader society in which it is practiced and builds their confidence and skills to exercise independent critical and creative thought. She has identified three essential elements in implementing this successful teaching approach: a supportive and inclusive social environment; a format that integrates small group discussions with formal presentations around specific topics; and an assessment scheme based on carefully designed learning chronicles.