Carnegie Mellon University
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences  ›  Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics  ›  About Us  ›  View All  ›  Special Faculty  ›  Tianxue Yao

Tianxue Yao

Tianxue Yao

Senior Lecturer in Chinese

Address
Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics
4980 Margaret Morrison St
Posner Hall 341
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Education

M.A., Carnegie Mellon University
M.A., Jinlin University

Bio

Tianxue Yao believes that good educators can make a lasting difference—and that enthusiasm, when paired with experience, makes a great educator even better. With enthusiasm, a teacher prioritizes students’ needs, designing curriculum, classroom activities and instructional approaches that support their success. With experience, a teacher can more readily identify students’ individual strengths and challenges and respond with effective, tailored solutions.

For her, teaching is a two-way street. Through years of experience in student-centered language classrooms, Yao has come to value the dynamic exchange that occurs between teacher and learner. She firmly believes that curiosity and a desire for deeper understanding are the driving forces behind effective learning. To foster this environment, she actively encourages student engagement through various strategies—including incorporating intercultural comparisons into her lectures, assigning projects tied to current events, and creating space for open discussion and exploration.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Yao has applied her expertise in language to interdisciplinary research. In collaboration with the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh, she contributed to the development of a speech assistant device designed for individuals with speaking disabilities. The concept behind the device is highly relevant to language teaching, particularly in second or foreign language acquisition contexts. This innovative project, which integrates linguistic and technological insights, was awarded a patent and is featured in the documentary film Only God Could Hear Me, produced in partnership with developers, engineers and linguistics specialists involved in the research.

  • 82-231 & 232 Intermediate Chinese I & II
  • 82-235 Fables, Legends and Stories from Ancient Chinese Civilization
  • 82-334 Structure of Chinese Language
  • 82-339 & 340 Business Language & Culture in Chinese I & II
  • 82-137 Chinese Calligraphy: Culture and Skills

PATENTS

  • Pictorial keyboard with polysemous keys for Chinese character output. Inventors: Bruce R. Baker, Tianxue Yao, Paul Andres, Jutta Hermann, Sarah Miriam Yong, Zen Koh, Eric Nyberg, Katharine J. Hill, Mark A. Zucco. Patent number: 8862988. Date of Patent: 10/14/2014. Assignee: Semantic Compaction System, Inc. Patent Status: Granted.
  • Apparatus, method and computer readable medium for Chinese character selection and output. Inventors: Bruce R. Baker, Tianxue Yao, Paul Andres, Jutta Hermann, Sarah Yong, Zen Koh, Eric Nyberg, Katharine J. Hill, Mark A. Zucco Publication number: 20080183460. Patent filed: 12/17/2007. Patent Type: Application. Publication date: July 31, 2008
  • Member, Fulbright Scholarship Review Committee, CMU
  • Trustee and Language Instructor/Coordinator, Pittsburgh Tzu Chi Chinese Academy
  • Chinese Nationality Room Committee Member and Executive Secretary, University of Pittsburgh
  • Yao T, Tatenhove G, Herrmann J (2010) “Mandarin Chinese communication board: Pixon®” i-CREATe '10 Proceedings of the 4th International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology
  • Yao T, Hermann J (2009) “A Short History of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)” the 4th Beijing international rehabilitation forum
  • Yao T, Hermann J (2009) “Preliminary Vocabulary Frequency Findings for Mandarin Chinese AAC Treatments” i-CREATe '09 Proceedings of the 3rd International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology
  • Yao T (2009) “Vocabulary use during didactic conversations by Mandarin Chinese Speaking Adults” “Broadening AAC” Biennial Pittsburgh Employment Conference for Augmented Communicators PEC@
  • Yao T (2009) “Development of a Mandarin Chinese AAC System”, 2nd International Conference on Speech Therapy

Department Member Since 1996