Curricular goals and curriculum design: The case of a college-level Chinese language program

Abstract

This paper reports on a curriculum redesign and reevaluation project conducted by a Chinese language program at a private research university in the U.S. and focuses on the component of setting up proficiency-based curricular goals guided by the ACTFL Proficiency Guide-lines and the Standards of Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. The field of foreign language education has reached a consensus that the setting of curricular goals is of great significance for curriculum development and language instruction, but it is also recognized as a very challenging task. This paper adopts the proficiency-based framework and presents a proposal of curricular goals that provides a brief description of program goals, mission, and vision, and outlines a four-year, two-track plan of proficiency objectives. This paper also notes that implementation of curricular goals involves close interaction with other elements such as teaching, testing, and teacher training. The report concludes with implications for Chinese language curriculum development and a wealth of useful resources collected in the duration of the project.