Qiuyu Julie Li

Alumna profile: Qiuyu Julie Li

Qiuyu Julie Li finished her M.A. in Linguistics (Language and Culture) in Spring 2008. She is on the board of Chinese Language Teachers Association of Southern California. She recently presented on the Barnard Immersion Program at CLTA’s Spring 2014 Pedagogy Workshop. She also shares videos of her classroom. What is your current job? How did you find it? I work in Barnard Mandarin Chinese Magnet School in San Diego Unified School District as an immersion teacher. It is a public k-6 elementary school featuring a Chinese/English immersion program. After graduating from CSULB, I worked as a Chinese instructor at a community college.  I started at Barnard as a substitute teacher. The potential development of the program made me decide to switch to elementary education. I pursued a multiple-subject teaching credential and single-subject teaching credential, and started working full-time at Barnard in 2011.  The program has been very successful and has drawn district, state, and even international attention to our school. Has your Linguistics degree helped you to pursue your career? Definitely. My option in my M.A. degree is language and culture. The courses I took deepened my understanding and perception of different languages and people of different cultures, which I believe is an important attribute of highly effective teachers. Any advice for current students? Don’t be shy. Try to reach out and take advantage of different learning resources. Talk to your professors if you have any questions. Communication is very important. Also, be open and compassionate to various views and opinions. (updated 4/2014)