W E N Q I N G Z H A N G J O I N E D T H E T I LT O N T E A M I N 2 0 1 5 A S A T E A C H E R IN THE CENTER FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (CAA).
Wenqing grew up in the Henan Province in Eastern China, just off the coast. She attended college in Beijing, China where she studied Chinese language and literature. She then enrolled in a Master’s program at the University of Pennsylvania for teaching English to speakers of other languages. After completing the Master’s program, Wenqing Zhang was not sure what she wanted to do for a career. However, she always wanted to be a teacher and loves working with students. For Wenqing, Tilton held a certain appeal. “Boarding school is a very diverse environment with many different pieces to learn from,” she explained. This, combined with the fact that her graduate work was in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), made Tilton a good fit. Along with working in the Center for Academic Achievement (CAA), Wenqing is also a dorm parent in West Knowles, the freshman and sophomore girls’ dorm. She co-advises an advisory group, is yearbook co-advisor, and she started a Chinese program during her first year at Tilton. Teaching mostly ESL learners in the CAA, Wenqing’s favorite part of her job is that she can really get to know her students. “It’s either one-on-one or two-on-one, so I get to know my students’ skill level and know them on a personal level, which makes me passionate about my job,” she said. “It is the same experience working in the dorm. You get to know your students personally. That’s what’s missing in a public school or a day school.” Working with international students inspired Wenqing’s research on first-language influence on students’ achievement, which she began in September 2015. “Each student is different,” Wenqing said. The variable that creates the biggest difference in a student’s achievement
is how committed the student is to learning a second language, she explained. “There can be psychological damage from banning a student to speak their native language,” said Wenqing. “The point is not to prevent their first language use, but to encourage their English (or second language) use.” In 2016, Wenqing presented her research at two conferences. The first one, Penn TESOL East, was organized similarly to a science fair. Six stations were set up in a room and attendees walked around and asked the presenters questions about their topic of research. Wenqing presented data gathered from a survey, which she had created and gave to current Tilton international students in her dorm and in the classroom. Wenqing described the second conference, American Association of Applied Linguistics, as being much more “prestigious.” She received a lot of good advice for methodology and how to move forward with her research. At a roundtable presentation she attended, about 20 people, including three presenters, were each given 10 minutes to present on their similar topics. Wenqing’s presentation was her research on the connection between an international student’s ability to speak their second language and how dedicated they are to not speaking their first language. Wenqing also traveled to Minneapolis to attend STARTALK Program Design Institute. This program is meant specifically for those designing a foreign language program. It focuses on teacher recruitment, curriculum design, assessment, and program development. The program encourages teachers to design each lesson around three themes: language, culture, and content. Wenqing has applied these valuable techniques to the Chinese program she started at Tilton in fall 2015.
In November 2015, Tilton’s entire language department attended the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages conference in Boston, where Wenqing again presented her research. Wenqing stays in contact with her past professors. She credits Diane Lasu Freedman for having had the biggest influence on her own research and work. Wenqing met Diane during her Master’s program at the University of Pennsylvania. Wenqing puts Diane’s influence in the field into perspective: “She teaches a class every other semester. The registration for her class opens at 12:00 a.m., and by 12:01 a.m., her class is full,” said Wenqing. Over the years, Wenqing has kept in touch with Diane and even ran into her once in Montreal. Wenqing learned from her that “language is ongoing; the learning is never complete.” Using all of the information and knowledge gained at the several conferences and programs she has attended, Wenqing hopes to continue her research and refine her data in the future. However, she needs to narrow down her research and focus on one specific area, she explained. At the same time, she hopes to expand the Chinese program at Tilton so it has varied levels, and even one day add an AP class. Accomplishing all of these goals will take time, she said. Finding a way to maintain balance will be the key. about the author
Jane Salach ’16 attended Tilton School all four years. During her time at Tilton she was involved in several athletic and after-school groups including soccer, lacrosse, and theater. She was very active in community service projects and traveled with the school to the Dominican Republic in March 2016. During her senior year she interned with Ally Goddard, former director of engagement & events. Salach is now a freshman at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.
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