Educational/Professional Background
Larry Herzberg began his study of the Chinese language at Vanderbilt University, where he studied Chinese intensively for five years. His Master’s and Ph.D. work in Chinese language and literature were done at Indiana University, where he also served as a teaching assistant for such notable scholars as Li Oufan, (later chair of the Chinese language department at Harvard University), and Philip West, (later Director of the Mansfield Center for Asian Studies at the University of Montana).
It was at Indiana University that he also began to study Japanese.
In 1980, he began the Chinese language program at Albion College and taught Chinese there until 1984. In 1984 he established the Asian Languages Program at Calvin College, teaching both Chinese and Japanese. He currently serves as Director of Asian Studies at Calvin College and teaches the First and Second Year Chinese language courses.
Academic Interests/Areas of Specialization
At Calvin College Professor Herzberg has taught first through fourth year Chinese and Japanese language courses, as well as numerous courses on Chinese and Japanese culture and society. In 1979 he spent the summer teaching English in Taiwan. Since 1982 he has visited China 17 times and has traveled across much of the country, either with his Chinese wife or leading student trips. Over the past three decades he has led college students on five three-week study tours of China, as well as five student trips around Japan.
Publications
Professor Herzberg is married to Qin Xue Herzberg, who grew up in Beijing and who graduated from Beijing Normal University. Together with his wife he has published three books, including “The China Survival Guide: How to Avoid Travel Troubles and Mortifying Mishaps (Stone Bridge Press, 3rd edition, 2013),” “Chinese Proverbs and Popular Sayings: With Observations on Culture and Language,” (Stone Bridge Press, 2012), and “Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar: A Student’s Guide to Correct Structures and Common Errors,” (Stone Bridge Press, 2010). He and his wife have also completed a book for Yale University Press entitled “A Writing Guide for Learners of Chinese,” to be published in 2018. They are currently working on a book called “Misconceptions and Little Known Facts about China, Past and Present.”
Larry has also recently written two books by himself entitled "Speak and Read Chinese: Fun Mnemonic Devices for Remembering Chinese Words and Their Tones." (Stone Bridge Press, 2016) and “Speak and Read Japanese: Fun Mnemonic Devices for Remembering Japanese Words and Their Meanings” (Stone Bridge Press, 2017).
He and his wife have also produced three films on China, including “China Today: Issues that Trouble Americans at the Start of the 21st Century,” (2008), “The China Threat: Perception versus Reality,” (2012), and “Chinese Dialects and Their Influence on the Pronunciation of Mandarin” (2015), all produced by the Calvin Media Foundation.
Awards
In 2010 he received Calvin College’s FEN (From Every Nation) Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes innovative and effective efforts of Calvin College faculty to promote a multicultural, anti-racist curriculum. In 2011 he received the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching, the highest honor bestowed on faculty members by Calvin College.
Other Professional Activities
Larry was a full time violinist with the Grand Rapids Symphony from 1980 until his retirement at the end of the 2016 season, performing around 130 concerts a year. Before coming to Michigan, Larry was the Assistant Concertmaster of the Nashville (Tennessee) Symphony. During his time in Nashville, he also played violin in the Nashville studios for many popular recordings, accompanying singers such as Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Rogers, the Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, and yes, even Elvis!