Awards

Frederic Bachman Lieber Memorial Award (1999)

About Jennifer L. Liu

For Jennifer Li-chia Liu, Chinese language is more than an exercise in memorization and recitation; it is a way to communicate that reflects a way of life.

"Professor Liu was the first--and only--Chinese instructor I have ever had who actually expected her students to use Chinese as they would use any foreign language," recalled Paola Voci, who had studied Chinese for six years (including three in China), before coming to IU for graduate study.

Classroom teaching is not the only role in which Liu excels. She came to IU as Chinese language coordinator, and she has restructured the entire curriculum, introduced a system for training associate instructors and developed computer programs and Web sites for out-of-class language practice. With colleague Margaret Yan, she has published an innovative textbook series for students of Chinese called Interactions.