Prof. Dr. Zhang Tao

• Focus
  Use of Media in Foreign Language Didactics | Cultural Mediation in Language Teaching | Global Chinese | Multilingualism
• (0551) 39-21260
• tao.zhang@uni-goettingen.de
• Room
  KWZ 0.702
• Consultation hours
  WiSe 2024/ 25: Wed, 9-10 a.m. Hybrid - consultation hour (without pre-registration), see note box consultation hour

Tao Zhang has been a Professor of Subject Didactics in the field of Chinese as a Foreign Language (ChaF) at the East Asian Seminar of Georg-August University Göttingen since October 2024. In her research and teaching, she focuses on various aspects of Chinese didactics and cultural mediation in language instruction. Previously, she worked at the universities of Chongqing, Tübingen, and Heidelberg, where she taught and conducted research in German as a Foreign Language (DaF), German and Chinese-language film, Chinese as a Foreign Language (from beginner to advanced levels), and the use of film in ChaF didactics.

She completed her PhD in 2016 at the German Seminar and the Institute of Media Studies at the University of Tübingen, also taking courses in Sinology. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in German Studies, which included components of Sinology, in 2005 from Beijing International Studies University, and her Master’s degree in Film Studies in 2008 from Beijing Film Academy.

In addition to her university teaching and research experience, she has diverse additional qualifications and extensive teaching experience in language instruction (DaF/DaZ, ChaF, and Chinese as a heritage language) at various educational institutions, including Global IELTS School Beijing, Goethe Institute Language Center Chongqing, Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie Reutlingen, Volkshochschule Tübingen, and Chinese Language School Stuttgart. She also brings extensive examination experience, including at Telc and the Goethe-Institut.
Her research focus lies on the cultural dimension of language teaching, particularly in intercultural studies related to teaching Chinese and German. She investigates the use of media in foreign language didactics for Chinese and integrates film-related and intercultural elements to promote linguistic and cultural sensitivity. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of multilingualism for global communication, especially in the context of Global Chinese and its varieties. She is actively committed to the continuous development of her teaching methods and promotes knowledge transfer through lectures, workshops, and film screenings that explore innovative approaches to utilizing literature, film, music, and other audiovisual media in the instruction of Chinese language and culture.