Teaching Mandarin in PreK-12 Settings

Please note that our Teaching Mandarin in PreK-12 Settings certificate is currently on hiatus due to the transition in leadership of the STARTALK program. For the latest updates, please reach out to us via email at CEEL@lmu.edu and we will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.


One of the few programs of its kind, this certificate offers a unique 12-unit course of study geared specifically for Mandarin speakers who teach or lead immersion, bilingual/dual language, and heritage language programs. Courses are designed to increase participants’ instructional skills and are taught in Mandarin and English by experienced instructors. Participants include credentialed and non-credentialed teachers who have intermediate or advanced skills in Mandarin. This hybrid program includes live, web-based (synchronous), online learning (asynchronous), and a practicum experience.

  • Course 1a – Content-Based Instruction and Curriculum Development – 4 units (New Scholars)
  • Course 1b – Content-based Instruction and Curriculum Development – 2 units (Returning Scholars)
  • Course 2 – Practicum in Teaching Mandarin in PreK-12 Settings – 1 unit (New Scholars)
  • Course 3ab – Assessment Principles for Language Learning – 4 units (New Scholars)
  • Course 3b – Assessment Principles for Language Learning – 1 unit (Returning Scholars)
  • Course 4 – Chinese Grammar Pedagogy – 3 units (New Scholars)

Participants can register for one or all courses. Courses may be taken out of order.

Admission Requirements/Prerequisite: Mandarin speaking teachers or teachers in bilingual/dual language programs.

To earn a certificate, New Scholars must complete of all four (4) courses (12 CEU units total) with a grade of a "B" or better in each course.*

*Prior to course enrollment, participants should check their district’s requirements for CEU acceptance and salary point equivalency.

For more information, please complete our Interest Form.

  • LMU CBTE program opened my eyes to immersion language teaching. Not only I learned useful teaching strategies, but also some best ways of curriculum designing and teaching philosophy. My experience in LMU changed me from the beginning to the end.

  • The summer of STARTALK helped me a lot in terms of thinking outside the box. As a regular school teacher, you have strict curriculums and programs to follow. However, at STARTALK, you have a lot of room to apply teaching methodologies and strategies you’ve learned under the program guidelines. For example, I was able to incorporate Pictorial Input, music and many other strategies during the teaching portion of the program. Additionally, the program provided opportunities for me to work with a team to create lessons together instead of doing most of the work on my own. By doing so, I was able to reflect my teaching methods based on other teachers’ feedback and improve in the classroom. The CBTE program also helped me build a strong theoretical and cultural foundation before my teaching career. I’ve benefited from multiple classes, including the Chinese-American cultural class to accurately understand the perspectives of my students for being Chinese-American. It helped in developing closer connections between my students and I.

  • LMU CBTE program offers me a precious opportunity to return to teaching career and to be an effective bilingual elementary teacher. My two years here was fruitful because of thought- provoking coursework, classroom observations, and student teaching. Thank you LMU!