美国中小学中文教学调查研究:内容、效果与对策

A survey of Chinese teaching in primary and secondary schools in the United States:Content,effectiveness,and countermeasures

对198位美国中小学中文教师调查表明:73.13%的教师没有固定教材,学生的中文水平大都(60%—90%)长期停留在入门级水平,很少(10%—30%)能达到中高级水平。无固定教材但有教学大纲的中文课进入中高级水平的学生数量,远高于既无固定教材也无大纲的中文课。学生中文水平大都停留在入门级,其教学方面的因素包括:缺乏规范的教材和教学大纲、教学内容无序化、教师的二语教师身份转型不到位、教学理念缺失或不当。中文水平长期低水平徘徊,将导致学习者厌倦乃至放弃中文学习。本文认为:尽快制订适合本国、本学区乃至本校的中文教学大纲和教学评估标准,是促进当下中小学中文教学规范化的首选措施;加强海外中小学中文教学顶层设计和教学理论研究,是确保其可持续发展的根本措施;加强“中文纳入国民教育体系后”的问题研究,是国际中文教育界的新任务。

A survey of 198 Chinese language teachers in primary and secondary schools in the United States showes that 73.13%of the teachers do not have fixed textbooks,and the Chinese language proficiency of most students(60%-90%)stays at entry-level for a long time,rarely(10%-30%students)reaching the intermediate to advanced level.The number of students reaching the intermediate to advanced level in Chinese language classes without fixed textbooks but a syllabus is much bigger than in those with neither fixed textbooks nor syllabi.The main teaching factors to account for the fact that most students'Chinese proficiency remains at the entry-level,including a lack of standardized textbooks and syllabi,disordered teaching content,inadequate transformation of teachers'second-language teaching identity,and inappropriate teaching principles.Prolonged low proficiency levels among learners may result in frustration and eventual abandonment of Chinese learning.This article proposes that the key measure to promote the standardization of Chinese language teaching in primary and secondary schools is to develop a Chinese language teaching syllabus and assessment criteria that are suitable for the country,school district,and even individual schools.Strengthening the top-level design and theoretical research of Chinese language teaching in overseas primary and secondary schools is the fundamental measure to ensure its sustainable development;strengthening the research on the issue of"incorporating Chinese into the national education system"is a new task for the international Chinese language education community.