Department of Teacher Education

To meet the rising demand for Chinese language teachers and expand the global dimension of its internationally recognized teacher education program, the College of Education at Michigan State University (MSU) is seeking scholars with a demonstrated interest in second language education and teacher education. MSU College of Education faculty has a long history of scholarly activities in China and with Chinese educators. Most recently, the establishment of the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence further strengthened our connections with Chinese scholars and educators. The Confucius Institute at MSU, jointly established with Chinese Language Council International and China Central TV and Radio University, has become a major international pioneer for online Chinese language and culture education.

The Department of Teacher Education at MSU, a national leader in teacher preparation and research on teaching, teacher learning, curriculum, policy, and international education, is thus seeking one or more assistant professors in the Teaching of Chinese as a Second Language. While the positions will be located in the Department of Teacher Education, candidates can seek affiliation with other academic units within the College and will be encouraged to participate in activities at the Confucius Institute and the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. These are academic year positions with a negotiable starting date of Fall 2008.

Major responsibilities. Successful candidates are expected to conduct research, teaching, and outreach in second language/foreign language education with an emphasis on Chinese language. They are also expected to seek external funding from a variety of sources to support research activities, and to contribute to on-going activities and initiatives in the Department, College, and University.

Qualifications. Applicants should have an earned doctoral degree in relevant field; a record of scholarly activities in second language education, child language development, cross-cultural communication, bilingual education, or teacher education; and fluency in Chinese and English. In addition, research and/or teaching experiences with online language education or teacher education are highly desirable, as are research and/or teaching experiences with multiple education systems and international students. Applicants with an interest in the preparation of world language teachers more generally are also desirable.

Interested applicants should provide a cover letter summarizing their relevant experiences and accomplishments, current curriculum vitae, names and contact information of three references, and sample scholarly products (published papers, multimedia products, grant proposals, etc). All application materials must be sent in electronic form to the search secretary at lapayne@msu.edu (indicate “Second Language Education Search/Chinese” in the subject line).

Dr. Yong Zhao, Committee Chair-Second Language Education (Chinese)
College of Education
c/o Lisa Payne, 115C Erickson Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1034

Please see the College web site ( http://www.educ.msu.edu/) for information about the college and this position. We invite inquiries to any of the search committee members: Yong Zhao (zhaoyo@msu.edu), Lynn Fendler (fendler@msu.edu), Punya Mishra (punya@msu.edu), and Lynn Paine (painel@msu.edu). Review of applications will begin November 1, 2007 and will continue until the position is filled. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. MSU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.