All students of Chinese are welcome at Chinese Flagship events, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the program. Chinese Flagship regularly hosts special events such as the Chinese Tidings lecture series, festival celebrations, and cultural workshops. These opportunities to practice the Chinese language also function as social occasions where you can get to know our students and staff.
For questions about upcoming Chinese Flagship events,contact us.
For Chinese native speakers
Chinese Flagship is always looking for qualified Chinese native speakers for our tutoring program. If you'd like to inquire about becoming involved as a volunteer or paid tutor, please see theapplication procedureandcontact usif you have any questions.
Chinese Flagship regularly hosts special activities such as karoke and Chinese arts, intended to foster cross-cultural communication and Chinese language practice. Chinese native speakers are welcome and encouraged to participate in these events.
Are you a Chinese speaker interested in becoming a tutor?
Chinese Flagship tutors help our students improve their Chinese language skills and cultural awareness. Tutors and students meet one-on-one weekly when school is in session under guidelines provided by the Flagship Program. Tutors are hired as paid positions according to personal qualifications and program resources and needs. Tutors are required to attend two to three training sessions each semester.
No. This is NOT a language exchange program. On the contrary, tutoring sessions should be solely conducted in Chinese.
Tutoring is a crucial component of Flagship designed to help students extend their Chinese learning beyond the classroom and increase contact with authentic language and culture. Therefore, we welcome applications from native Mandarin Chinese speakers college-aged or older. Current undergraduates, graduate students, and visiting scholars are all eligible to apply. Native speakers who are US citizens or green card holders not affiliated with IU but living in Bloomington are also welcome to apply. Applicants need to be familiar with the Pinyin system, speak standard Mandarin (普通话), and be able to commit to at least one semester of tutoring.
No. If you are not affiliated with IU, you can still apply as long as you are a native Chinese speaker with a good accent, have a college or a higher degree, and can work in the United States legally if you are appointed a paid tutor position.
We accept applications year-round but usually review them annually in late spring or early summer for tutoring positions beginning in the following fall semester. Applications received at any time throughout the year will be given full consideration during the annual review or on a rolling basis according to program needs. On some occasions, accepted applicants may need to wait one or more semesters before being assigned to a position.
No. Previous teaching experience could help, but it is not a requirement. In fact, applicants with previous teaching experience sometimes may have to adjust their teaching styles to meet our program needs.
Depending on the level of your student, the class time ranges from 1 to 2.5 hours per week. You can choose to teach as few as one student or as many as your time allows. Some time on preparation is also necessary. Paid tutors need to abide by school policies and immigration regulations regarding work hours. Since this is a teaching job, only those who can commit to at least one semester would be considered.
Tutors need to work out class schedule with their students. Flagship Center does not have specific requirement.
Tutoring sessions must be held in public academic spaces. Examples include the fourth floor of Wells Library, the Global and International Studies Building (GISB), the School of Education Library, other classroom buildings, and public spaces in living-learning centers. Dorm rooms, cafés, restaurants, and other such locations are not permitted for tutoring. (Note: exceptions may be granted in certain circumstances, such as allowing online sessions for students in remote locations or during a pandemic.)
Yes. Flagship tutors are strong candidates for our summer program Flagship Chinese Institute (FCI). FCI is in session usually from early June to the end of July. In past years, FCI has been in need of extra tutors for the afternoon one-on-one session. Tutors with business background are also welcome to apply to coach our Chinese business case competition team. For more information regarding these opportunities, please contact us.