Prof Hong Gang Jin, dean of the University of Macau’s (UM) Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH), received two prestigious awards from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)’s affiliated organisation, Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA) in the United States, namely the CLTA Walton Lifetime Achievement Award and the CLTA Peking University Press Publication Award, in recognition of her lifetime dedication to language education and cross-cultural understanding.
This is the second time Prof Jin has received the Walton Lifetime Achievement Award. The first Walton Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded by the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL), of which she was the president for six years. The CLTA award is given to individuals in recognition of their contributions to the field of Chinese language pedagogy. During her 25-year career as a professor, Prof Jin has participated in many innovative projects in the field of second language acquisition and Chinese as a foreign language (CFL).These include conducting empirical research in cognition and second language acquisition , designing innovative language programmes and curricula, administering large-scale federal and private grants, leading professional organisations of CLTA and NCOLCTL, and chairing national committees for advanced placement examinations. Prof Jin has designed more than eight language programmes and curricula and has conducted more than 50 research and teacher development workshops at national and regional levels.
Prof Jin has also received the CLTA Peking University Press Publication Award for her recent work ‘Empirical Studies on Selective Attention and Noticing Hypothesis in CFL Classroom.’ Her work focuses on the psychological factor of attention in learning a second language and teacher effectiveness, which she believes to be the most important issues in language learning. Her research suggests that effectively directing learners’ attention is about promoting active participation and discovery learning that can benefit students for life.
‘Being a first-generation immigrant to the US, I brought with me a set of family values to work in that country,’ says Prof Jin. ‘These values were passed down to me from my great grandfather who was a successful businessman. He taught my grandfather and my father to be willing to do three things in one’s life. That is: to give; to learn; and to share. Throughout my professional life, I have used these family values to inspire my teaching, professional activities, and field service. I believe these qualities are also important to a successful leader in the foreign language education field.’
Prof Jin’s research interests include second language acquisition, cognitive processing of languages, transfer of learning, input analysis, interaction analysis, curriculum design, and teacher development. During her 25-year tenure at Hamilton College, she published numerous books and research articles. Prof Jin has over ten years of experience in collaborative research with numerous universities in the United States, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China, and she has secured several major federal and private grants from the US, mainland China, and Taiwan. She has also served as the president or a member of the board of directors at numerous teachers’ associations in the US. She is currently the chair of the AP Chinese Development Committee. She was named the 1998 CASE National Outstanding Baccalaureate College Professor of the Year. She also received Hamilton’s 1963 Award of Teaching Excellence in 1996. In 2013 she received the NCOLCTL Walton Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in teaching and research.
Founded in 1962, the CLTA is a professional organisation devoted exclusively to the study of the Chinese language, culture and pedagogy in the Unites States.
