Carnegie Mellon University
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences  ›  Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics  ›  About Us  ›  View All  ›  Faculty  ›  Sue-mei Wu

Sue-mei Wu

Sue-mei Wu

Teaching Professor of Chinese Studies
Coordinator of Chinese Studies program

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

Education

Ph.D., Chinese Linguistics, Language and Culture Pedagogy, The Ohio State University
M.A., Chinese Linguistics, Language and Culture Pedagogy, The Ohio State University
B.A., Chinese Language and Literature, National Tsing Hua University (國立清華大學)

Bio

Sue-mei Wu is dedicated to creating effective, learner-centered and engaging language learning environments that incorporate innovative strategies and technological tools. Her work is grounded in a commitment to supporting students from diverse linguistic, cultural and academic backgrounds. Her research interests align closely with her teaching philosophy and include linguistically informed materials design and development, technology-enhanced language and culture learning, and the study of Chinese folk performance traditions and popular culture.

Dr. Wu has applied her expertise to the development of a wide range of instructional materials, including textbooks, online courses and educational films. She is the lead author of several textbooks used at all levels of instruction, including Chinese Link 中文天地 (LingroLearning), Keeping Our Heritage 中国缘, A Changing China 中国新象 and Classical Chinese Primer 古文入门. She has also developed course materials for CMU's online Chinese language courses offered through the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics' (LCAL) Online Language Learning programs.

At CMU, Dr. Wu serves as the coordinator and major advisor for the Chinese Studies program within LCAL. Beyond the university, she is the founder and president of the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Western Pennsylvania (CLTA-WPA) and has served on the editorial boards of leading journals such as Foreign Language Annals (FLA) and Chinese as a Second Language (CSL). From 2019 to 2023, she served as Executive Director of the national Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA).

To enhance her teaching and service, Dr. Wu regularly organizes community outreach and engagement events focused on Chinese culture. These initiatives not only enrich students’ understanding of the language but also make the learning experience more dynamic, inclusive and impactful.

  • Chinese Linguistics (Modern and Classical Chinese Syntax)
  • Language and Culture Pedagogy
  • Chinese Folk Performance Traditions and Pop Culture
  • Technology-enhanced Language and Culture Learning
    • Chinese Language courses at all levels
    • 82-440 Chinese Folk Performance Traditions and Pop Culture
    • 82-439 Black Myth: Wukong & Journey to the West
    • 82-539 Chinese Digital Arts: Nezha and Wukong
    • 82-139 Chinese Language, Culture and Society: My Stage, My Learning
    • 82-139 Chinese Learning Through Arts, Cultural Practices and Community Engagement
    • 82-185 Global Food Cultures
    • 82-732 Topics in Applied SLA: Chinese Foreign Language Teaching

    • Finalist, Dietrich College’s Elliott Dunlap Smith Teaching Award for Distinguished Teaching and Educational Service, Carnegie Mellon University, 2018, 2019, 2020
    • Finalist, Inaugural University Innovative Teaching Award, Carnegie Mellon University, 2016
    • Recipient, Andrew W. Mellon Seed Grant for TEL, Dietrich College, CMU, 2016-2018
      • Project: "Intermediate Chinese Online: Bridging Chinese Pedagogy, Research and Technology"
    • The Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Project: "Weathering the Storm: Hand Puppet Theater (布袋戲) and Taiwanese Opera 歌仔戲) amid Social Change in Taiwan, "2015- 2018
    • Nominated for the National Pearson Cite Excellence Award for Online Education, 2015
    • Recepient, National CLTA- Cengage Learning Award for Innovative Excellence in CFL Teaching, 2014
    • "PSLC Chinese LearnLab Research and Online Courses" PI, Awarded by NSF through PSLC, 2009-2014


  • 2023–Present: Coordinator of Chinese Studies program and Chinese Studies major advisor, Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics, CMU
  • Co-Director, Masters of Arts in Applied Second Language Acquisition, Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics, CMU
  • 2019-2023: Executive Director, Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA-USA).
  • 2014-present: Founder, President and Board of Directors member of Chinese Language Teachers Association of Western Pennsylvania (CLTA-WPA).
  • 2015-present: Member of Editorial Board for Chinese as Second Language Teaching (CSL): Journal of Chinese Language Teachers Association (JCLTA).
  • 2010-2017: Member of the Editorial Board for Foreign Language Annals (FLA).
  • 2022. "Chinese Online Teaching and Learning: The CMU OLI Chinese Online Program," Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching (JTCLT). JTCLT Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 64-77. December 2022
  • 2022. "Conversational Style and Omissions in Classical Chinese and Their Implications for Classical Chinese Grammar Pedagogy," CLTA Monograph VI: Pedagogical Grammar and Grammar Pedagogy in L2 Chinese. Edited by Yuan, F., He, B. & Hu, W. Routledge
  • 2022. "Glory Comes from the Hands: Language and Culture Instruction Through Hand Puppetry" (掌中出功名-布袋戏的语言及文化教学), in Liu, G. and Wang, H. ed. Tradition and Transition: Teaching Chinese Culture Overseas. Beijing University Press
  • Wu, S. (2018). "Book Review for Difficult Grammar Knots Unravelled, 对外汉语教学语法: 疑难解析" Chinese as a Second Language 漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報 53:2 (2018), pp. 193–197. John Benjamins Publishing Company
  • Wu, S. (2018). "A Preliminary Study of Local People’s Views on Taiwan Hand Puppet Theater in the Context of Its Modern Evolution" (在地人對臺灣布袋戲的看法及布袋戲的現代進化之初探). (lead author, co-author with Sandi Ward), Art Vision Journal (藝見學刊) 第十五期。 pp. 1-16, April 2018. Taichung, Taiwan. R.O.C.
  • Wu, S. (2016). "Chinese Online as an Open Educational Resource: Opportunities, Content and Challenges." Chinese Language Teaching and Computer Usages. pp.1-22. Taipei: Wunan Publisher. 
  • Wu, S. (2015). "Teaching Taiwanese Opera (歌仔戲) With CALL: A CFL Content-based Course" ICICE9 Thesis Collection. Taipei: Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission.

Department Member Since 2000