The Confucius Institute at the Univeristy of MinnesotaServing Minnesota Communities Statewide

Resources for Teachers

The Confucius Institute's Commitment to Teachers

The Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota is committed to supporting teachers of Chinese language by developing programming and working on initiatives. The Confucius Institute:

  • Works with University and community experts to create professional development opportunities for teachers.
  • Provides a Chinese Language Resource Library with nearly than 4,000 titles of language, culture and reference books, DVDs, CDs, and other materials
  • Collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Hanban to bring Chinese language teachers to Minnesota.
  • Works with school districts and school administrators to create Chinese language programs and school exchanges with K-12 schools in China.
  • Will bring Chinese language and cultural programming to greater Minnesota through the University's coordinate campus system.
  • Will provide Chinese language and cultural programming for the greater Minnesota community.

Professional Development

Professional Development Workshops

The Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota provides professional development opportunities for K–12 Chinese language teachers each semester. Learn more about 2009 professional development workshops.

Annual Minnesota Chinese Language Teachers Meeting

The 2009 Minnesota Chinese Language Teachers Meeting will be held Thursday, October 15. Learn more about and register for the meeting.

Chinese Bridge Delegation

The Chinese Bridge Delegation is an opportunity for eligible U.S. educators to travel to China in the summer for a one-week educational tour. Learn more about the 2009 Chinese Bridge Delegation.

Summer Opportunities

STARTALK MEISTEP: Program for Mandarin Immersion Teachers

The Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota was to provide a development opportunity for teachers in Mandarin Chinese elementary immersion programs. The program took place over four weeks during the summer of 2009. For more information see the MEISTEP page.

Chinese Bridge Summer Camp

Organized by the Hanban, the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp is an elite 17-day intensive language and culture training program for 500 American high school students studying Mandarin Chinese, and their teachers. Read more about the 2009 Chinese Bridge Summer Camp including a report from a teacher who took seven of his students on the trip.

Confucius Classrooms

The Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota, in cooperation with the Hanban, invites K-12 schools in Minnesota to consider offering expanded or new Chinese language and cultural programming through a Confucius Classroom project in your school. Funding is available to support selected projects. Note: the deadline for applications has passed, but you can read more on the Confucius Classroom page.

Slides from Grand Opening Lecture by Dr. Shuhan Wang

Dr. Shuhan Wang, executive director of Chinese Language Initiatives at the Asia Society, presented the keynote lecture at the grand opening of the Confucius Institute in September 2008. The title of her lecture was "A National Perspective on the Minnesota Chinese Language Initiative" and it covered Minnesota's initiative on Chinese langage from an outsider's perspective, information about national and other state and local initiatives, and some strategies to consider for future development. This lecture is available for download [PDF].

Resource Center

The resource center opened on January 31, 2009 and materials are now available for check-out! The collection includes many Chinese language textbooks and supplementary materials including workbooks, CDs, software and flashcards. There is also a selection of Chinese films, television programs and serials. Additionally, there aremany bilingual books about Chinese culture, including topics such as Chinese cities, cooking, literature, travel and philosophy.

Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
The Confucius Institute Resource Library is not open on University of Minnesota holidays.

Check-out Policy

Borrowers can set up an account using their driver’s license or State ID. 
Borrowers may check out five items at a time.
Materials can be returned during library hours or during University of Minnesota Confucius Institute business hours (M-F 8:00 – 4:30)

Late Fees and Reminders

The borrowing period is four weeks.  Late fees accrue at $.50 per day. 
Provide an e-mail address when setting up your account to receive notices about upcoming due dates and late fees.