Chinese as a second language （CSL） policy makers and scholars began to introduce task-based language teaching （TBLT） to CSL teaching more than a decade ago. However, policy innovations or theoretical precepts are ...Chinese as a second language （CSL） policy makers and scholars began to introduce task-based language teaching （TBLT） to CSL teaching more than a decade ago. However, policy innovations or theoretical precepts are not necessarily the blueprints of teachers＇ classroom practice. It is assumed that teachers are more likely to accept or apply the new approach if the new philosophy is concordant with their existing beliefs. This study attempts to examine the prospect of TBLT application in CSL teaching by exploring the extent to which TBLT philosophy has found its way into CSL teachers＇ beliefs. The research also probes into teachers＇ practices to explore whether their beliefs in TBLT could be actualized. A questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews have been employed. The results indicate that the Chinese teachers have strong faith in the effectiveness of TBLT, but they doubt its feasibility. Their difficulties and confusion in realizing their beliefs in practice, in turn, lead to their faith in TBLT philosophy having a peripheral status in their belief system. This may imply the bi-directional causal relationships between teachers＇ beliefs and practices. The factors revealed make clear the responsibilities or measures to be taken at social-cultural, institutional and internal levels. The findings generate empirical insights into implementations of pedagogical innovations.展开更多
This study investigates word recognition processes and strategies of intermediate learners of Chinese as a Second Language （CSL） in contextual reading settings. Two intermediate CSL learners were chosen as research ...This study investigates word recognition processes and strategies of intermediate learners of Chinese as a Second Language （CSL） in contextual reading settings. Two intermediate CSL learners were chosen as research participants, and think-aloud methods and retrospective interviews were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by using Moustakas＇ data analysis procedure, CresweU＇s three steps and Bogdon and Biklen＇s data analysis methods. Results indicated that intermediate CSL learners go through different processes of word recognition as it might be automatic, based on context, pronunciation, previous knowledge and the meaning of characters, or, in case of word recognition failure, skipping the words or skipping them but reading them again later; and their word recognition strategies in contextual reading settings mainly include cognitive strategies and self-regulatory strategies. Among these strategies, cognitive strategies consist of direct transformation, translation, interpretation, guessing, inferring and finding key words; and self-regulatory strategies include metacognitive strategies, behavior regulating strategies, emotion regulating strategies and motivation regulating strategies. A model of intermediate CSL learners＇ word recognition strategies can be constructed based on the results. The present study provides both theoretical and pedagogical implications in the field of CSL vocabulary acquisition and teaching.展开更多
This paper reports a case study that explores elementary learners＇ reading anxiety over Chinese as a second language （CSL）. Two elementary CSL learners were chosen as research participants. Lived experience descrip...This paper reports a case study that explores elementary learners＇ reading anxiety over Chinese as a second language （CSL）. Two elementary CSL learners were chosen as research participants. Lived experience descriptions, think-aloud, retrospective interviews, field observations, and research journal writings were used to investigate the sources of elementary CSL learners＇ reading anxiety and the ways employed to reduce their reading anxiety. The data were analyzed by Moustakas＇ （1994） data analysis procedures, Creswell＇s （2007） three steps, and Bogdon ＆ Biklen＇s （1992） data analysis methods. Results show that elementary CSL learners do have reading anxiety in their reading process and the sources of the anxiety include cross-linguistic differences between English and Chinese expressions, lack of previous knowledge, difficult and complex vocabulary, wrong guesses, and comprehension difficulties. Both participants tried to use strategies such as guessing, looking up words, understanding two character words based on the meaning of each character, skipping and keepitag reading, and using previous knowledge to predict the rest of the text to reduce their reading anxiety. The present study provides both theoretical and pedagogical implications in the field of CSL reading learning and teaching.展开更多
With its increasing role in the world, China＇s position in the global competitiveness ranking has attracted widespread attention; Chinese as a second language （CSL） teaching and learning has also grown into a resea...With its increasing role in the world, China＇s position in the global competitiveness ranking has attracted widespread attention; Chinese as a second language （CSL） teaching and learning has also grown into a research interest of many in the past decade.展开更多
文摘Chinese as a second language （CSL） policy makers and scholars began to introduce task-based language teaching （TBLT） to CSL teaching more than a decade ago. However, policy innovations or theoretical precepts are not necessarily the blueprints of teachers＇ classroom practice. It is assumed that teachers are more likely to accept or apply the new approach if the new philosophy is concordant with their existing beliefs. This study attempts to examine the prospect of TBLT application in CSL teaching by exploring the extent to which TBLT philosophy has found its way into CSL teachers＇ beliefs. The research also probes into teachers＇ practices to explore whether their beliefs in TBLT could be actualized. A questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews have been employed. The results indicate that the Chinese teachers have strong faith in the effectiveness of TBLT, but they doubt its feasibility. Their difficulties and confusion in realizing their beliefs in practice, in turn, lead to their faith in TBLT philosophy having a peripheral status in their belief system. This may imply the bi-directional causal relationships between teachers＇ beliefs and practices. The factors revealed make clear the responsibilities or measures to be taken at social-cultural, institutional and internal levels. The findings generate empirical insights into implementations of pedagogical innovations.
文摘This study investigates word recognition processes and strategies of intermediate learners of Chinese as a Second Language （CSL） in contextual reading settings. Two intermediate CSL learners were chosen as research participants, and think-aloud methods and retrospective interviews were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by using Moustakas＇ data analysis procedure, CresweU＇s three steps and Bogdon and Biklen＇s data analysis methods. Results indicated that intermediate CSL learners go through different processes of word recognition as it might be automatic, based on context, pronunciation, previous knowledge and the meaning of characters, or, in case of word recognition failure, skipping the words or skipping them but reading them again later; and their word recognition strategies in contextual reading settings mainly include cognitive strategies and self-regulatory strategies. Among these strategies, cognitive strategies consist of direct transformation, translation, interpretation, guessing, inferring and finding key words; and self-regulatory strategies include metacognitive strategies, behavior regulating strategies, emotion regulating strategies and motivation regulating strategies. A model of intermediate CSL learners＇ word recognition strategies can be constructed based on the results. The present study provides both theoretical and pedagogical implications in the field of CSL vocabulary acquisition and teaching.
文摘This paper reports a case study that explores elementary learners＇ reading anxiety over Chinese as a second language （CSL）. Two elementary CSL learners were chosen as research participants. Lived experience descriptions, think-aloud, retrospective interviews, field observations, and research journal writings were used to investigate the sources of elementary CSL learners＇ reading anxiety and the ways employed to reduce their reading anxiety. The data were analyzed by Moustakas＇ （1994） data analysis procedures, Creswell＇s （2007） three steps, and Bogdon ＆ Biklen＇s （1992） data analysis methods. Results show that elementary CSL learners do have reading anxiety in their reading process and the sources of the anxiety include cross-linguistic differences between English and Chinese expressions, lack of previous knowledge, difficult and complex vocabulary, wrong guesses, and comprehension difficulties. Both participants tried to use strategies such as guessing, looking up words, understanding two character words based on the meaning of each character, skipping and keepitag reading, and using previous knowledge to predict the rest of the text to reduce their reading anxiety. The present study provides both theoretical and pedagogical implications in the field of CSL reading learning and teaching.
文摘With its increasing role in the world, China＇s position in the global competitiveness ranking has attracted widespread attention; Chinese as a second language （CSL） teaching and learning has also grown into a research interest of many in the past decade.
