The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast

By Patricia Liu

There are so many -- SO MANY -- people learning Chinese these days, but there’s so much more to learning Chinese than just, like, memorizing characters. Taiwanese-American millennial Patricia Liu is an actual, living, breathing high school Mandarin teacher here to help you make sense of it all. This podcast is where you’ll find frank, honest discussions about Chinese learning and teaching, as well as how language shapes people’s identities and stories.

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Side Tangent: Literally Just A Voice Memo About Harvard Model Congress

The Bad Chinese Teacher PodcastFeb 25, 2020

00:00

01:09:56

RE: Katrina Perito’s English Is Like, Really Good

Katrina Perito has two degrees in French, but don’t ask her if she’s planning on becoming a French teacher anytime soon, because she’s living proof that being multilingual can open up far more career opportunities than just teaching language. Katrina currently works for the French government as a Trade Advisor for Sports, Culture, and Tourism with the trade mission of the French Embassy, where she uses French at her job every day.

I had a ton of fun recording this episode with Katrina, because we hit on just about every practical topic and question you could possibly have about living and learning and working as a multilingual person: choosing a language to study; studying, living, and working abroad; making friends (and choosing which language to communicate with them); angsting over accents; and also that one time Katrina had to interpret a speech on the spot and received some very unexpected feedback shortly afterwards.

There’s just too much to summarize here, so dive into this week’s episode for some heavily #relatable multilingual content.

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Sep 29, 202301:18:14

#20: I’m Going To Grad School!

On air March 16th, 2020. Recorded March 16th, 2020.

We’ve made it to the end of the first season! Times are weird, but hey — thanks for sticking around.

I’ve mentioned here and there that I was applying to master’s programs in education this year. The decision to apply was one largely defined by self-doubt and the legitimate fear that — given my unimpressive undergraduate record, basement-level GPA, and track record of being unceremoniously rejected from every post-grad fellowship I had applied to during my senior spring — I would be spending over $1,000 on application and testing fees just to be turned down from every school I applied to.

I applied to eight programs. I was accepted to all eight programs.

I’ll be attending an Ivy League school next fall.

This is what happened.

Show notes and links to past episodes at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Connect with us on Instagram (@badchineseteacher), Twitter (@badchinesepod), and Facebook. Follow Patricia’s personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Mar 16, 202001:19:29

#19: April Zhu Talks Coronavirus and Sinophobia in Kenya

On air March 9th, 2020. Recorded March 7th, 2020.

This week, I sat down with my good friend April Zhu to talk about her recent article for The Elephant on sinophobia and the coronavirus.

Both of these topics have been discussed to the point of exhaustion in recent months (including on this very podcast), but April’s unique position as a Chinese American, Nairobi-based journalist who fluently speaks three languages (English, Mandarin, and Swahili) brings to the table some new points to consider: namely, what does anti-Chinese sentiment actually mean when Chinese people are the ones in power? Where do localized and derogatory-but-maybe-not-actually-racist terms like chinkuu come from, and how do we reconcile with their actually-racist (and actually-Western) roots? And how is a person like April — a person with a Chinese face and name living in Kenya — supposed to feel about it all?

I had such a great time catching up. and picking the brain of one of the smartest people I know, and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. If you’ve ever wondered what anti-Asian racism looks like in a place where Asians are the oppressors, this episode is a must-listen.

April Zhu (朱萸) is a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her work focuses on gender, urban inequality, and China-Kenya as seen from the margin. Her byline has appeared in the South China Morning Post Magazine, CS Monitor, African Arguments, The New Humanitarian, VICE, BRIGHT Magazine, The Elephant, and others. She reports in Swahili and Mandarin and has designed a curriculum for foreigners learning Kenyan Swahili called Swahii, available as an online course. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Studio Art from Wellesley College. Connect with her on Twitter (@aprzhu) and at her website (aprzhu.com).

Show notes and links to all previous episodes at badchineseteacher.com.

Mar 09, 202001:16:58

#18: Ask Me Anything!

On air March 2nd, 2020. Recorded March 1st, 2020.

You had questions, and I answered them. This episode features some very unqualified responses to topics like:

- What’s the best way to study Chinese when you’re stuck in a non-Chinese speaking environment?
- What is “Taiwanese language,” and who actually speaks it?
- How do you deal with coronavirus-fixated racists?
- How do you talk to a partner who strongly disagrees with you about Taiwan independence, Hong Kong, and Uyghur concentration camps?
- Why is this podcast called The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast, and not The Bad Mandarin Teacher Podcast? T

here wasn’t enough time to cover the many, many questions that were submitted for this AMA, but keep the questions coming — I’ll be sure answer them over DM or feature them in a future episode. For now, join in on the continuing conversations on all these topics by connecting with us on social media! Follow us on Instagram @badchineseteacher or on Twitter @badchinesepod.

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Connect with us on Instagram (@badchineseteacher), Twitter (@badchinesepod), and Facebook. Follow Patricia’s personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net. New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Mar 02, 202001:04:20

Side Tangent: Literally Just A Voice Memo About Harvard Model Congress

On air February 25th, 2020. Recorded February 24th, 2020.

This week is an impromptu bonus episode because Patricia just got back from another Model Congress conference with 15 of her students, 10 of whom brought back awards, six of whom reminded her what it means to teach at a Christian school, and all of whom made her cry on the last night of the trip.

Patricia has a lot of feelings and is also very tired, but here’s a memory dump of the weekend’s events. CHS kiddos, this one’s for you.

Note: The AMA will be posted next week! Send your questions here.

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

Feb 25, 202001:09:56

#17: It’s Been A Hard Week, Vol. II

On air February 17th, 2020. Recorded February 13th, 2020.

Well, folks — it happened. This week, I hit one of the most important teaching milestones of my career: crying in my classroom for the first time.

It’s been a hard week, but hard weeks rarely exist in vacuums. Like many other professions that deal in the business of vulnerable people, teaching often carries a moral weight that builds and builds over time — and it’s a weight that many teachers often find themselves bearing alone.

What makes teaching hard is not delivering content and writing lessons; it’s being expected to take responsibility for the actions and circumstances of others as if they were your own. It’s looking at the crazy, uncontrollable circumstances swirling around you and thinking, “How am I supposed to fix all of this?”

I found myself alone in the middle of a tornado this week, and I didn’t know how to fix it. Coming face to face with the very tangible, very costly consequences of my own inadequacy wasn’t just hard; it was excruciating. But through this, I also learned something important: how to ask for help.

Show notes and additional links at badchineseteacher.com.

Follow Patricia’s personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Feb 17, 202001:07:00

#16: Yes, Coronavirus is a Concern. Please Don’t Be Racist.

On air February 3rd, 2020. Recorded February 2nd, 2020.

No news item has dominated international airwaves than the coronavirus outbreak that originated from Wuhan, China late last year. With more cases emerging outside of China each day, the world seems to be holding their breath — both literally and figuratively.

Adjacent to the media chatter about death tolls and rates of infection is an equally tense discussion regarding xenophobic reactions to the coronavirus outbreak. Having likely originated from a wet market in China, the coronavirus has spawned numerous alarmist hot takes that come at the expense of racism against Chinese people.

This is problematic, but it offers an interesting case study on how otherwise rational, non-bigoted people might begin showing (or tolerating) curious xenophobic tendencies when their personal health and safety appear to be threatened. After all, is there any real harm in moving to another subway car after seeing an Asian person wearing a face mask? One can never be too careful, after all.

This episode takes a critical look at this line of thinking, as well as the progressive reaction against so-called “widespread” xenophobia that, only one month into this pandemic, honestly isn’t really all that widespread — yet. Are we preaching to the right choirs? And how do we get people to listen?

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com

Feb 03, 202001:00:32

#15: On Chinese New Year and Finding Home

On air January 27th, 2020. Recorded January 26th, 2020.

I’m not gonna lie: if there was ever a Lunar New Year equivalent of the Grinch, I’d probably be it. It’s not something I like to admit, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that despite being ethnically Chinese, I don’t have much emotional attachment with a holiday that I didn’t really grow up celebrating — and truth be told, a big part of me just finds Chinese new year traditions to be incredibly hokey.

Becoming a Chinese teacher didn’t do much to help my Grinchiness towards the one holiday that all Chinese language classrooms seem to revolve around. Making dumplings and tangyuan? Cutting up red paper into indiscernible angular shapes? Singing this really annoying song? Not. Into. It.

Thankfully, in the past few years, I’ve figured out a way to teach Chinese New Year in a way that doesn’t grind my gears and also feels more culturally authentic and engaging than a random arts-and-crafts activity. But honestly, it doesn’t make teaching Chinese New Year feel any less awkward to me. How do you teach a culture that feels to be very much yours, and also very much not?

This episode is about Chinese New Year, but it’s really about being a part of the Chinese diaspora and how for us, home is not a country or a culture — it’s amidst people who are just as homeless as we are.

“Whenever I find someone who grew up in a different country than me but they’re speaking Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent, I’m just like — we are friends; we are family.”

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Connect with us on Instagram (@badchineseteacher), Twitter (@badchinesepod), and Facebook. Follow Patricia's personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Jan 27, 202057:42

#14: Does Social Justice Belong in the Chinese Classroom?

On air January 20th, 2020. Recorded January 19th, 2020.

This week, schools all over the United States are honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of advancing civil rights and racial equity. Social justice has long been a centerpiece on discussions regarding teaching culture through authentic materials in the world language classroom. But has that discussion fully reached the Chinese teaching world yet? It’s hard to say. What does a lesson on Black history in Chinese class even look like?

In this episode, we discuss the language acquisition-based justifications for integrating social justice and ethnic studies into the language classroom, and how politically relevant authentic materials are key in keeping students engaged in language study.

But beyond that, we also take a look into the value of teaching politics and history in the Chinese language classroom. In today’s geopolitical climate, students don’t just associate mooncakes and dumplings with China — they’re also thinking about Hong Kong and human rights. How do we answer these questions ethically? Are “ethics” defined by political impartiality or an educational mission pointed towards justice?

Make no mistake: there are real risks involved that make political discussion very complicated in the Chinese classroom. But there are even more reasons that make it not just worthwhile, but absolutely necessary.

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

Jan 20, 202001:04:32

#13: Katrina Perito’s English Is Like, Really Good

On air January 13th, 2020. Recorded December 23rd, 2019.

There’s just too much to summarize here, so dive into this week’s episode for some heavily #relatable multilingual content.

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

Jan 13, 202001:18:14

#12: One Semester of Teaching Chinese with TPRS - Part 2

On air January 6th, 2020. Recorded December 22nd, 2019.

We’re wrapping up this two-part episode on TPRS methods with an in-depth discussion on what really keeps students motivated and engaged (hint: it’s not always “culture”), how to promote language learning in cultures where second language acquisition isn’t necessarily prioritized, and why equity and access matter so much in the Chinese language classroom.

We also spend a considerable amount of time talking about the social, cultural, and linguistic challenges faced by heritage speakers, and finally address the age-old controversial question: simplified or traditional characters? (Or rather: Why is promoting one over the other inherently problematic?)

Show notes at badchineseteacher.com.

Jan 06, 202052:50

Side Tangent: That One Time Lin-Manuel Miranda Called My Cell

On air December 30th, 2019. Recorded December 24th, 2019.

We’re on break this week for the holidays, but what better time than the holidays to sit down by a metaphorical fire for storytime? In this first (and only) edition of Patricia’s Momentary Brushes With Fame, Patricia recounts the time she wrote a blog post about Hamilton creator and King of Twitter Lin-Manuel Miranda — which he later found. And asked to follow up on. Via phone.

In this bonus episode, Patricia talks about how that happened, as well as her very personal connection with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first show In the Heights, her thoughts about colorblind casting in musical theater, and the one thing Lin-Manuel Miranda said to her that changed her life.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. Connect with us on Instagram (@badchineseteacher), Twitter (@badchinesepod), and Facebook. Follow Patricia's personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net. New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Dec 30, 201931:08

#11: One Semester of Teaching Chinese with TPRS – Part 1

On air December 23rd, 2019. Recorded December 22nd, 2019.

It’s the end of the semester, which marks four months of Patricia implementing TPRS methods in her middle/high school Chinese classes. Prior to this, Patricia bulldozed her way through five years of classes using legacy methods, teaching her students Chinese the same way she learned Chinese. It didn’t work.

By moving to TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), Patricia saw a dramatic increase in engagement, proficiency, and confidence in her students. The rumors are true, y’all — TPRS, even when done by a novice first-timer, changes everything.

In this episode, Patricia talks about her initial skepticism of comprehension-based methods, how she was finally compelled to transition out of using legacy / communicative approaches to teaching, the unique challenges in implementing TPRS for Chinese, specific examples of students naturally acquiring complex grammar concepts through something as simple as attendance reporting at the beginning of class, and focusing on what exactly makes TPRS so effective: the motivating power of the words “I actually understood that!”

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Dec 23, 201901:16:36

#10: Model Congress, Ten Years Later – Part 2

On air December 15th, 2019. Recorded November 29th, 2019.

We’re coming up on ten years since we graduated high school, and we spent a couple of hours this weekend reflecting on our shared memories of participating in Model Congress during our high school years.

It was really neat to see the different spaces each of us has carved out in the world over the ten years since leaving high school, but what proved particularly poignant was how continually relevant this one high school extracurricular proved to be in all of our lives. As I’m preparing to take my own students to their first Model Congress conference of the year this week, I’m again reminded of the power in experiential learning and what it truly means to equip your students to succeed.

This is the second half of a two-part episode; hop over to Episode 8 to catch the first hour of the conversation.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Dec 16, 201955:54

#9: This Is Why We Should Teach Chinese History in Schools

On air December 9th, 2019. Recorded November 26th, 2019.

By the time you hear this episode, Patricia will likely be in a stress-induced coma due to having just returned from chaperoning a four-day Model Congress conference with 35 of her students. (Listen to Part 1 of the Model Congress special episode for further context.)

Fortunately, Patricia also had the foresight to record this week's episode two days before leaving for that conference. Unfortunately, Patricia is also bad at conjuring up content ideas under pressure. Hence, this week's episode consists of Patricia reading out loud and giving a paragraph-by-paragraph commentary on a paper she wrote as a college student five years ago. (This is not a joke.)

The paper -- which you will hopefully find more compelling than Patricia's woeful lack of creative ideas -- explores how the modern American imagination of China is shaped by coverage of Chinese history in high school history classes. Spoiler: American high school history classes don't typically cover China, but they sure do cover a lot of America.

How then, do American history textbooks cover the history of US-China relations -- and if students are taught a perspective on American history that portrays the United States as, in the words of Frances Fitzgerald, "a young Siegfried...magically strong, and innocent of the burdens of history, yet at the same time an orphan, surrounded by potential enemies in an unrecognizable world," how then, in the absence of any explicit instruction on Chinese history, does this perspective inform their perspective on China as a state?

And, in this absence of any explicit instruction on Chinese history, what responsibility do Chinese language classrooms in the United States have in educating students about China? Should this affect how language teachers approach culture studies in the world language classroom?

If you're a current or former American high school student who's ever wondered why you never learned about non-Western history in school, this episode is for you.

Show notes for this episode can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Connect with us on Instagram (@badchineseteacher), Twitter (@badchinesepod), and Facebook. Follow Patricia's personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Dec 09, 201901:21:08

#8: Model Congress, Ten Years Later – Part 1

On air December 2nd, 2019. Recorded November 29th, 2019.

There aren’t many things that can compel a group of people to wake up before 9am the day after Thanksgiving to record a podcast, which is why I’m so grateful and glad that these five good high school friends were game to guest on this week’s episode. We’re coming up on ten years since we graduated high school, and we spent a couple of hours this weekend reflecting on our shared memories of participating in Model Congress during our high school years.

This is a two-part episode; the second hour of our conversation will be posted in two weeks.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

Connect with us on Instagram (@badchineseteacher), Twitter (@badchinesepod), and Facebook. Follow Patricia's personal account on Instagram (@patricialiu), and check out her writing at blog.patricialiu.net.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Dec 02, 201901:10:30

#7: It’s Been A Hard Week, Vol. I

On air November 25th, 2019. Recorded November 24th, 2019.

This week marks the first installment of a new segment called “It’s Been A Hard Week,” which is a space to just talk about life, and the clumsy, messy parts of getting through each day.

In this episode, Patricia talks about finding out her actual Myers-Briggs type, the struggle of keeping on top of work and responsibilities, coping with failure, and the high stakes of working with fragile people. How do you deal with highly anxious students when you yourself are a highly anxious teacher? What are the costs of making a mistake, when that mistake could hurt a child? And why are so many millennials unwilling to forgive themselves for not achieving perfectionistic ideals?

Patricia explores these questions in depth this week, and explains why despite all of this, teaching is still 100% worth it — and how a certain Australian Youtuber duo exemplifies what teaching is all about.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Nov 25, 201953:32

#6: Rachael Cassella Remembers Patricia's 30 Minute Long Spanish Presentation

On air November 18th, 2019. Recorded November 9th, 2019.

Rachael and Patricia took Spanish classes together throughout middle and high school, only for their paths to reconverge ten years after graduation under their shared identity as high school language teachers.

After finishing her bachelors and masters at Quinnipiac University, she became a Spanish teacher at Valley Regional High School in Connecticut where she is now the World Language department head and has also begun teaching French.

In this episode, Rachael and Patricia talk about their high school Spanish class experiences, how intensely personal and transformative language learning can be, the immeasurable value of traveling abroad, and all the glorious ways that TPRS has transformed their language classrooms.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Nov 18, 201901:13:06

#5: Chander Tseng Learned English From Watching the Disney Channel

On air November 11th, 2019. Recorded November 8th, 2019.

Chander Tseng originally hails from Taitung, Taiwan, but his upbringing in this small, quiet coastal city bore a classic hallmark of any American childhood: watching Disney movies. Through films like The Lion King and Aladdin, Chander developed an interest and keen ear for English language at a young age, which eventually blossomed into a professional and academic obsession with English and second language acquisition.

Today, Chander currently instructs academic ESL full-time to international graduate students in preparation of their graduate studies at Adelphi University. He is passionate about translating theories and strategies of second language education into classroom practices. Chander holds degrees in Foreign Languages and Literatures and Applied Linguistics from National Taiwan University and Columbia University.

We talk a bit about our shared experiences traveling Taiwan together as college students with the Taiwan-America Student Conference (taiwan-america.org), his time as an English teacher at a public Taiwanese high school, how his passion and proficiency in English began, and so much more. If you’re an ESL teacher or if you’re someone who speaks English as a second language, this episode is for you.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Nov 11, 201901:24:12

#4: Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang Hated Chinese School

On air November 4th, 2019. Recorded November 2nd, 2019.

US Democratic Presidential Primary candidate Andrew Yang is best known for his advocacy of universal basic income and his plan to give every American $1,000 a month. But before entering politics, Andrew Yang was just another Taiwanese-American kid forced to go to Chinese School on the weekends. In a recent campaign video, Andrew recalled his experiences feeling stuck in “permanent third grade” while at Chinese School, and the lack of accountability when it came to tests and homework. In this episode of BCTP, Patricia breaks down Andrew’s thoughts line by line, and discusses what makes Chinese School unappealing to Chinese-American kids, the challenges of running a Chinese School classroom, and why Chinese School as an institution might not deserve such a bad rap.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Nov 04, 201957:56

#3: From Bad Asian to Bad Chinese Teacher

On air October 28th, 2019. Recorded October 27th, 2019.

Patricia talks about how she accidentally became a Chinese teacher, her language learning journey, and why the name of this podcast isn’t just another example of self-deprecating millennial humor. Teaching often feels like a high-stakes career, and it’s so easy to feel like you’re doing a bad job. Is there room for imperfection? What business does a non-native Chinese speaker have with teaching Chinese? And is being a “bad Asian” really all that bad?

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Oct 28, 201945:57

#2: How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall? Sing in Mandarin.

On air October 28th, 2019. Recorded October 20th, 2019.

Gio Esposito joins Patricia to recap their experiences debuting a choral work in Chinese at Carnegie Hall earlier in the month. Written by Pulitzer-prize winning composer Zhou Long, Men of Steel and the Golden Spike commemorates the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and tells the unrecorded stories of the first Chinese immigrants to the United States. Gio and Patricia sit down to talk about how it felt to perform (for the second time!) at Carnegie Hall, their thoughts on choral music in western vs. Chinese culture, the politics of singing, and how art informs people’s perceptions of the other.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Oct 28, 201901:15:30

#1: Do American Students Need Chinese Schools?

On air October 28th, 2019. Recorded October 19th, 2019.

In the debut episode of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast, we look at Chinese-American journalist Lenora Chu’s book Little Soldiers and how traditional Chinese methods of classroom instruction inform Mandarin language teaching outside of China today. Why do some native-speaker Chinese teachers struggle in Western classroms? Should Western cultures learn to be okay with allowing students to “suffer” while learning? Why does Chinese education emphasize obedience so much? How do we help struggling students “fight through the suck” of learning Chinese, and what does the discipline of practice have to do with it all?

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Oct 28, 201901:05:52

Welcome to the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast

On air October 25th, 2019. Recorded October 19th, 2019.

There are so many — SO MANY — people learning Chinese these days, but there’s so much more to learning Chinese than just, like, memorizing characters. Taiwanese-American millennial Patricia Liu is an actual, living, breathing high school Mandarin teacher here to help you make sense of it all. This podcast is where you’ll find frank, honest discussions about Chinese learning and teaching, as well as how language shapes people’s identities and stories. If you’re someone who absolutely loves learning Chinese, or if you’re someone who’s still recovering from the trauma of going to Chinese school as a kid, don’t worry — there’s something in this podcast for you.

Show notes for this episode and all other episodes of the Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast can be found at badchineseteacher.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

New episodes of The Bad Chinese Teacher Podcast are posted every Monday at 8am Eastern.

Oct 24, 201901:23