- x3586
- wangj@berea.edu
- Mondays/Wednesdays: 9:00 -10:30 am; 1:00 - 2:30 pm
- Tuesdays/Thursdays: by appointment
- AST 186: Chinese Myths and Legends
- AST 325C: Topics in Asian Studies
- CHI 101: Introduction to Chinese I
- CHI 102: Introduction to Chinese II
- CHI 103: Introduction to Chinese III
- CHI 210: Intermediate Chinese I
- EDS 204: Foreign Language Learning and Teaching
- Asian Studies
Jianfen was born and raised in a serene rural village in Central China’s Hunan province. She joined Berea College in 2016 upon receiving her Ph.D. in Chinese pedagogy from The Ohio State University. Her dissertation explores an ecological framework for language curriculum and instruction.
While conducting her doctoral research about Chinese pedagogy, she developed a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese thoughts and fell in love with ancient texts. She expects to explore those texts and stories more with her students.
Jianfen loves learning and teaching languages. Besides English, she took French and Japanese classes at college. She is currently trying to learn German and Spanish. Before coming to pursue graduate studies in the United States in 2009, she worked as an English language teacher in Beijing.
She is dedicated to drawing implications from a broad range of disciplines that concern human development and human communication to enhance the teaching and learning of intercultural communication. She is convinced by her research and her reflection on experiences of learning and teaching that knowing and doing are inseparable, so she adopts an experiential-learning-focused approach in her teaching. Her motto is: Just DO it if you want to learn it!
Her publication focuses on culture-focused, learner-centered curriculum and instruction. She co-authored Perform Suzhou: A Course in Intermediate to Advanced Spoken Mandarin and co-edited Performed Culture in Action to Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, a volume on innovative Chinese language pedagogy.
- Ph.D. Chinese Pedagogy, The Ohio State University, 2016
- M.A. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, The Ohio State University, 2011
- B.A. English Language and Literature, Beijing Language and Culture University, 2003
Publications and works
Wang, J. (2024). Integrating ChatGPT into a culture-focused flipped curriculum for Chinese as a foreign language: Experiments and implications. In F. Pan (Ed.), AI in Language Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. IGI Global, 2024. 173-194. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0872-1.ch009.
Sower, N. & Wang, J. (2023). The Belt and Road Initiative: An integrative subject for interdisciplinary studies about China. Education About Asia 28(1): 47-55.
Wang, J. & Jia, J. (Eds.) (2022). Performed culture in action to teach Chinese as a foreign language: Integrating PCA in curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. New York: Routledge.
Wang, J. (2022). Sustaining a newly-established PCA-based Chinese language program: The role of formative assessments and grading. In J. Wang & J. Jia (Eds.), Performed culture in action to teach Chinese as a foreign language: Integrating PCA in curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, 63-74. New York: Routledge.
Qin, X. & Wang, J. (2022). Designing and implementing the PCA oral prochievement interview. In J. Wang & J. Jia (Eds.), Performed culture in action to teach Chinese as a foreign language: Integrating PCA in curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, 76-86. New York: Routledge.
Wang, J. (2019). Enacting knowledge in foreign language teaching and learning 探讨外语教学中的知行合一. In Ruiping Zhu and Mingquan Wang (Eds.), Selected papers of the 15th International Conference on Chinese Language Pedagogy: Interdisciplinary development & research in international Chinese language education, 42-49. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
Wang, J. & Gray, G. (2019). The Journey to the West: A platform for learning about China past and present. Education About Asia 24(1): 5-11.
Jian, X, Wang, J. & Jia, J. (2018). Perform Suzhou: A course in intermediate to advanced Mandarin. New York: Routledge.
Wang, J. (2015). Using rhymes to create a supportive environment for performing Chinese culture. Journal of K-12 Chinese Language Teaching, 1. Online.
Wang, J. (2015). Language as an aspect of human culture 认识语言作为习性的本质. In Baya’er (Ed.), International Chinese language pedagogy and Chinese culture 国际汉语教学与中华文化, 193-200. Hohhot: Inner Mongolia, China.