Jennifer Li-Chia Liu

Professor of the Practice of Language Pedagogy; Director, Chinese Language Program

liu02@fas.harvard.edu

Department Website

Bio

Jennifer Liu (刘力嘉) came to Harvard in 2011 as the Director of the Chinese Language Program. As Director, she is responsible for recruiting, training, and supervising 24 teachers who offer 20-22 language courses annually to approximately 700 students. She has co-taught content-based language courses, including “Masterpieces of Modern Chinese Literature,” in addition to a graduate pedagogy course and introductory Chinese language courses.

With a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Oregon, her research is centered on pedagogical and curricular issues, particularly in teacher training, program development, and instructional design. She is the author of Interactions I-II: A Cognitive Approach to Beginning Chinese (Indiana, 1998), Connections I-II: A Cognitive Approach to Intermediate Chinese (Indiana, 2004), and Encounters I-II: A Cognitive Approach to Advanced Chinese (Indiana, 2010). During the summer, she directs the renowned summer intensive program, Harvard Beijing Academy (HBA).

Prior to Harvard, she was a tenured full professor at Indiana University (1992-2011) and also a founding director of its Center for Chinese Language Pedagogy and Chinese Flagship Center, receiving about $3 million in funding during 2008-2011. She was the president of the Chinese Language Teachers Association during 2006-2007, and is currently chair of the SAT Chinese Test Development Committee. She received an All-University Distinguished Teaching Award from Indiana University in 1999.

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