Chinese Guest Teacher and Trainee Program

The Chinese Guest Teacher and Trainee Program is designed to help U.S. schools develop Chinese language and culture study programs and to promote international exchange between the United States and China. Made possible through a collaboration between the College Board and Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban), the program serves hundreds of K-12 schools and districts nationwide and reaches tens of thousands of U.S. students each year.

The Program provides U.S. schools with two hosting options:

Launch or Expand your Chinese Program: Host a Teacher

In the last six years, the College Board has brought more than 700 Chinese language and culture teachers to classrooms across the nation, establishing the largest Chinese visiting teacher program in the U.S.

This program provides an experienced language teacher from China to fill full-time Chinese language instruction positions in a host school or district for a period of one to three years. The guest teachers have at least three years of teaching experience, and have gone through a rigorous selection and training process before arriving at the host schools. Participating institutions are responsible for providing a partial salary to the guest teacher, which is subsidized by a stipend from Hanban.

Key benefits of hosting a guest teacher for schools and students include:

• Host schools can start or expand a Chinese language and culture program at a reasonable cost.
• Students learn authentic Chinese language and interact with a native Chinese instructor.
• Schools can lay a foundation for offering AP® Chinese classes in the future.
• Chinese guest teachers can assist in curriculum development, program expansion, and partnership creation.

For more information on hosting a guest teacher, see our Guest Teacher FAQs.

Enrich your Chinese Program: Host a Trainee

The Trainee Program provides districts and schools that have existing K-12 Chinese programs the opportunity to welcome a Chinese teacher-in-training who can enrich classroom instruction and expand cultural activities.

This program places trainees at U.S. host institutions for one school year. Trainees are recent graduates from TCFL (Teaching Chinese as Foreign Language) programs in China who specialize in learning how to teach Chinese language and culture in second language settings. Host schools provide a special professional growth opportunity to trainees, and at the same time, enhance their own Chinese language and culture study programs as a result of the language and cultural expertise receiving a knowledgeable professional from China brings.

Trainees cannot serve as full or part-time teachers of record or staff; their activities include observing experienced instructors and collaborating with teachers to integrate Chinese language and cultural content into the school curriculum and local community. Participating institutions are responsible for providing trainees with a structured, multi-phase training plan and complimentary housing and transportation; Hanban provides trainees with a monthly stipend.

Key benefits of hosting a trainee for schools and students include:

• Schools enhance their Chinese language programs by providing on-site training to a Chinese teacher-in-training who participates in Chinese classrooms, engages in after-school and extracurricular Chinese offerings, and conducts cultural activities to foster interest among students and the larger community as part of their planned activities.
• Students gain a valuable opportunity to interact and practice their language skills with a native Chinese speaker.
• The trainee can offer cultural knowledge and resources in Chinese classes and other subjects.
• Host institutions can strengthen a pipeline of students to enroll in AP® Chinese classes in the future.

For more information on hosting a teacher-in-training, see our Trainee FAQs.

This is your chance to bring innovative international programs into your school and community, and build up your Chinese program offerings efficiently and affordably.

1. Teacher Program

• Apply here to host a guest teacher!
• Priority Application Deadline: January 30, 2013.
  Late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Download an outline of the 2013 Guest Teacher Application Form as a useful guide to plan your application.

2. Trainee Program:

• Apply here to host a trainee!
• Application Deadline: Submit through February 28, 2013
  Download the latest outline of the 2013 Trainee Application Form as a useful guide to plan your application.

Looking for more information?

• See Frequently Asked Questions for hosting a Teacher.
• See Frequently Asked Questions for hosting a Trainee.
• See a list of participating schools and districts.

K–12 Services

• College Readiness Systems™
• Preparation for College-Level Studies
• College-Level Studies & Assessment
• Planning for College & Career
• Awards, Grants, & Financial Aid
  • Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing
  • Gaston Caperton Inspiration Awards
  • AP Scholar Awards
  • AP Grants
  • Chinese Language & Culture Initiatives
    • Chinese Guest Teacher and Trainee Program
      • Guest Teacher FAQs
      • Guest Trainee FAQs
      • List of Participating Schools
    • Chinese Bridge Delegation to China
    • Summer Institutes in China
    • National Chinese Language Conference
    • Confucius Institutes and Classrooms
  • PSAT/NMSQT® Scholarships & Recognition