LEXINGTON, Va. May 4, 2026 — Virginia Military Institute hosted the spring 2026 Workshop of the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Virginia (CLTA-VA) April 11.

CLTA-VA is one of 22 regional affiliates of the national CLTA, dedicated to advancing the teaching of Chinese language and culture. Its mission is to promote quality teaching and learning at all levels, to support the professional growth and career development of Chinese language teachers, and to encourage collaboration and exchange among educators. Each year, the organization holds two workshops that bring together teachers who instruct kindergarten through a four-year bachelor’s degree (K-16). 

Dr. Laura Xie, associate professor of Chinese in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (DoMC) and organizer of the workshop hosted at VMI, said, “We welcomed 18 K-16 Chinese language teachers from across Virginia and Washington, D.C. We had instructors from the University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University, the International Center for Language Studies, and several college preparatory and high schools. Three speakers led sessions on topics such as artificial intelligence in language teaching, digital tools for interactive learning, communicative language pedagogy, and innovative curriculum design. In addition to the sessions and workshops, our cadets played a big role in making the day run smoothly. They helped with logistics, greeted guests, and represented VMI well. We also had the chance to take our visitors on a tour of the post. Many of them found the tour especially memorable.”

Col. Abbey Carrico, professor and head of DoMC, stated the department was happy to host the conference for the first time at VMI.

“This group of Chinese educators shared teaching strategies and built connections across schools. Dr. Xie did a fabulous job coordinating this event and showcasing VMI’s dedication to language and cultural development in cadets.”

VMI offers both a major and minor in Chinese through DoMC. Currently there are 10 cadets majoring and eight minoring in the language.  

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE