港大中文學院

Chinese Language Centre - School of Chinese Scholar Seminar

Application of the Standardized Tests in Chinese Language Teaching

標準考試在漢語教學中的應用

Speaker: Professor Wayne Wenchao He

Professor Emeritus of Chinese, University of Rhode Island

Date: June 29, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 16:00 – 17:30
Venue: CRT-7.30, 7/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Language: Mandarin

Registration:

https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41Rbn4HJ21X1tMa

Abstract:

Standardized tests are widely used in modern education and play a crucial role in Chinese language teaching. Based on the author’s teaching practice and research on standardized testing, this presentation will introduce strategies for integrating standardized tests into Chinese language instruction. The author will begin by presenting the standardized tests commonly used in Chinese teaching in the United States, categorized by test type, followed by a comparative analysis. The presentation will then focus on discussing the similarities and differences between the newly released Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education and the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. Additionally, the author will share how the Chinese Language Flagship Program at the University of Rhode Island utilizes standardized tests to build a successful Chinese program. Finally, the author will introduce the Chinese e-Writing: A Proficiency-Based Course 《E-寫通：漢語水平進階教程》textbook series, that his team has signed a publishing contract with Routledge and is currently developing. The textbook series integrates proficiency-based standardized assessments with digital writing and AI-assisted language skills.

About the Speaker:

Professor Wayne Wenchao He is Professor Emeritus of Chinese at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Before his retirement, he served as Director of the U.S. Chinese Language Flagship Program and Head of the Chinese Section in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures at URI. He was appointed as an External Examiner for School of Chinese, the University of Hong Kong from 2022 to 2026. Prior to joining URI, he taught Chinese at New York University (NYU) and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Professor He was elected to the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, USA (CLTA) from 2014 to 2018. He is the founding president of both the New England Chinese Language Teachers Association (NECLTA, 2012) and the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Greater New York (CLTA-GNY, 2002). In recognition of his contributions to the profession, he received the NECLTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

Together with colleagues in the field of Chinese language education in the United States, Professor He has pioneered a new pedagogical approach that prioritizes digital writing while treating handwriting as a secondary skill in Chinese language instruction. His team has signed a publishing contract with Routledge and is currently developing the Chinese e-Writing: A Proficiency-Based Course 《E-寫通：漢語水平進階教程》textbook series.

Professor He's research interests include technology-enhanced Chinese language instruction, Chinese language pedagogy, Chinese grammar for language teaching, discourse analysis, and pragmatics.

ALL are welcome*

*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is required.