BA (Hons), MA
Instructor, Chinese
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
School of Humanities
Chinese
604.986.1911 ext. 2423
Fir Building, room FR 452
tchow@capilanou.ca
Education
MA, Department of Political Science: International Trade Relations between Canada, China and Japan, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, 2003.
BA (Honours), English Department (Chinese Minor), Beijing Foreign Languages University, Beijing, China, 1983.
IB Full Diploma, International Baccalaureate, United World Colleges of Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, Victoria, BC, 1982.
"Student achievement is the focus of my teaching. It is important that they feel they have gained from my classes. They have my full support in wherever learning of Chinese language can lead them."
Bio
Tong Zhang Chow (MA, Simon Fraser University, 2003) is a Chinese language specialist whose main research focuses on comparative usage of Mandarin Chinese and English in the applied field of professional English-Chinese translation, cross-cultural communication between the East and the West, and bilateral trade relations between Canada and China.
After receiving degrees from Simon Fraser University, Beijing Foreign Languages University and the United World Colleges of Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, Chow taught for the Advanced Interpreter Education program at Simon Fraser University from 1987 to 1994. She has taught Mandarin Chinese for Modern Languages Institute at the University of British Columbia since 1988. She was also a sessional Chinese Instructor for Modern Languages Department at Douglas College from 1998 to 2009. Chow has been a Chinese Instructor at Capilano University for the Languages and Linguistics department from 1998 to present, and served as Coordinator from 2016 to 2018.
Chow is a professional English-Chinese translator accredited to the Secretary of State of Canada. She has interpreted for world leaders, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Her interpretation highlights include the APEC Summit in Vancouver, Asia Pacific Foundation, BC Province, the Bill Gates Foundation, Canada China Business Council, Teck Resources, UBC, Vancouver Economic Commission and Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
Chow has been an Examiner Responsible for Chinese for the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) since 1996, setting IB examination papers, standardizing assessment criteria and providing final grade boundaries. She is on the IB global school authorization team approving applications. She initiated an IB Chinese teacher training workshop in Melbourne in 1997 and has led 60 IB global Chinese workshops.
Chow was the keynote speaker for the international education forum at Jiaxing School of Beijing University with more than 140,000 online viewers for her presentation of International Mindedness in International Education in September 2018.
As a Chinese language specialist, I enjoy discussing the formation of this ancient language, its origins, its picture-phonic formation and particularly its cultural background relating to the usage of words and concepts.
As I lecture on the comparative language usage between English and Chinese, I find it fascinating how human beings have evolved their own ways of communicating through dramatically different ways of verbal expressions, yet are able to cross the language barrier and understand each other using translation.
I value how language has been the key communication part of social evolution. With new technology, I am keenly interested in what communication tools play a part as humans interact with one another on the learning path.
My research has focused mainly on the interaction between learners of Chinese in the West, particularly in Canada with people of the Chinese speaking world.
I have two primary areas of interest, one being the language side on how best to acquire Chinese using English explanation and the other being the pragmatic side of trade relations between Canada and China using Chinese and English.
Since 1996, I have designed Chinese exams and teaching materials for learners of Chinese, approached by publishers for my research papers, examination materials and textbooks for publishing. I am continuing work on my teaching materials using comparative methods of English and Chinese translation for building an online platform.
Chow, Tong. What Makes the Difference between International Baccalaureate Examination and Regional Examination, IB Teacher Training Workshop, Melbourne, Australia, 1997.
Chow, Tong. How to Integrate Communicative Approach into Traditional Learning Method in Chinese Teaching, International Education Forum, Hong Kong, 1999.
Chow, Tong. Interactive Mode versus Rote Memorization in Language Learning, IB Teacher Training Workshop, Kobe, Japan, 2003.
Chow, Tong. Past, Present and Future of Chinese Examination in International Baccalaureate Organization, Keynote speech for International Education Symposium, Suzhou Singapore School,China, 2005.
Chow, Tong. Cross Cultural Communication Is the Key to Success in International Education, Keynote Speech for Association of Chinese and Mongolian International Schools (ACAMIS) Teachers Symposium, Shanghai, China, 2006.
Chow, Tong. Integration of Classroom Teaching with Hands on Practices in Second Language Teaching,IB Teacher Training Workshop, Sydney, Australia, 2007.
Chow, Tong. Effective Teaching and Learning Appraches in Language Acquisition, Keynote Speech forAssociation of Chinese and Mongolian International Schools (ACAMIS) Teachers Symposium, Beijing, China, 2007.
Chow, Tong. Theory and Practice of International Assessment Standard for Language B Learners, Keynote Speech forInternational Education Teachers Symposium, Qingdao, China, 2008.
Chow, Tong. International Teaching in a Changing World, Keynote Speech for Global International Education Forum, Vancouver, B.C., 2010.
Chow, Tong. Comparative Methods Using English and Chinese Translation for Language Teaching, IB Teacher Training Workshop, Los Angeles, USA, 2013.
Chow, Tong. Global Teaching with Open-mindedness in Language Acquisition, IB Teacher Training Workshop, New York, USA, 2015.
Chow, Tong. The East Meets the West in the World of Language Teaching and Learning, Centre for the Advancement and Study of International Education (CASIE), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2016.
Chow, Tong. Assessment versus Teaching in International Baccalaureate Domain, IB Teacher Training Workshop, Seattle, WA, USA, 2017.
Chow, Tong. International Mindedness in International Education, Keynote Speech for theFirst International Teachers Forum, Jiaxing Experimental School, Jade Bird Education Group of Beijing University, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China, 2018.
Member, Canada China Business Council, 2018.
Maple Leaf Award, Excellence in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language in Canada for over 30 years, awarded by the Ministry of Education of China - Chinese Language Office in Canada, 2016.
Accredited Member, English-Chinese Translator to the Secretary of State of Canada in Ottawa, 1998.
Examiner of Court Interpreter (English-Chinese), Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia, 1990.