Promoting the Learners’Motivation in Learning Chinese as a Second Language:From Demotivation to Motivational Strategies

Motivation is a key factor that influences the outcome of second language(L2)learning.Chinese as a second language(CSL)learners,however,may experience demotivation in their Chinese learning process which will,more often than not,reduce their learning interest and eventually affect their learning effect,therefore,it is necessary to enhance the learners’motivation level.This article first reviews the research literature in motivation in general,then discusses the CSL learners’demotivation in their Chinses learning process studying in China.Finally,it introduces motivational strategies to activate CSL learners’motivation in learning Chinese.

What Motivates Us to Learn as We Grow?——A Research Review on the Relationship between Age and Motivation in Second Language Learning

Motivation is always a dominatant factor in second language learning and teaching. Dornyei once suggested his model of learners' motivation, which is, language learning attitudes and the Ideal L2 self. Certainly, this could bring some research interests to other researchers. In this paper, the author reviews a research carried among the Hungarians, where the research focus is clearly given on the relationship between age and motivation to test Dornyei' s theory and offer a new way to promote learner's motivation in second language learning.

FIRST LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AS A MODEL FOR SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: THE TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE APPROACH IN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING

L1 and L2 acquisition, in some respects, are similar. Language development in children goes hand in hand with physical and cognitive development. Children learn their first language by imitation, but not always and not only by imitation. There seems to be some "innate capacities" that make children start to speak at the same time they do and in the way they do it. Adults learning a second language usually are controlled more by their motivation. But language input is important for both L1 and L2 acquisition. Though there are differences between CL1 and between CL2 and AL2, the way in which these learners acquire some of the grammatical morphemes is similar. This, together with some other evidence, shows that it is not only children who can acquire language. Adults can also acquire a language. But when adults acquire a language, they should also learn it. Some of the ways in which children acquire their language can be used as a model for L2 acquisition, even for Chinese students whose language is unrelated to English and whose culture is different. Learning the culture of the English-speaking countries will benefit the learning of the language. Like children, listening should also be well in advance of speaking in L2 acquisition. To train listening comprehension skills, Asher’s TPR approach proves more effective. TPR approach is at the moment limited to the beginning stage only. In order for students to gain all the five skills in a second language learning, namely, listening, speaking, reading, writing, and interpreting/translating, other methods should be used at the same time, or at later stages.

The Implementation and Evaluation of Training Course for Chinese as Second Language E-Teacher

In this study, we made references to past literatures and developed an e-learning training program for CSL （Chinese as a Second Language） teachers. The class was held from July to August, 2010, in Chinese Culture University （Taiwan）, and we designed a performance-evaluation questionnaire with the Delphi method. Three months after the training program was completed, the questionnaire was given to the 30 students of the class, and they were asked to answer questions regarding their use of e-learning in the actual practice. We also asked 5 teachers to conduct experimental e-learning for us to video-record and observe. This effort allows us to discuss the use of e-learning among CSL teachers in Taiwan, come up with a conclusion and suggestions, and use the findings as references for course-planning and policies or research regarding the digital learning of Chinese.

Implicit Learning and Explicit Learning in the Context of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language By Analyzing the Textbook Kuaile Hanyu

With the rising status of China in the world in the economic, political and cultural aspects, Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language （TCFL） is becoming more and more prevalent across the world. Britain is the country where the Chinese is taught and learnt earlier than other Western countries. Take the students in Confucius Institute of Newcastle University in UK for example, due to the students＇ different backgrounds and also different ages and language foundations, whether the Chinese teaching materials can meet their motivations and needs is a problem worth further investigation by Chinese language teachers. Therefore, concerning the leamers＇ different ages and cognitive ability, this paper aims to analyze the textbook named Kuaile Hanyu （Happy Chinese） in terms of its advantages and disadvantages, in hope to evaluate whether it is appropriate to different learners and propose a few suggestions for the Chinese materials in the future. Simultaneously, fi＇om perspective of implicit learning and explicit learning, a tentative study is carried out on the influence of implicit and explicit leaming in TCFL context.

A Study of Effective Feedback from Teachers in the Classroom of Chinese as a Second Language

Feedback is the teacher's response and evaluation to the students'performance in class,and it is also an important part of classroom interaction.This article focuses on two aspects:the use of positive feedback and corrective feedback from teachers,aiming to explore the impact of teachers feedback behavior on teaching effect.

Applying Nearpod to the Teaching Chinese as a Second Language Class to Enhance Interactions and Collaborations in the Secondary Schools

The quick spread of the epidemic since 2019 together with fast advancing of technology has exposed teachers to online education,including Teaching Chinese as a Second Language(TCSL)classrooms.Some Chinese as a Second Language(CSL)teachers were reluctant to utilize technology tools in their teaching due to the lack of technological knowledge.Thus,this study designed a CSL curriculum with the lens of the TPACK framework(Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge).Nearpod was specifically adopted as a web-based technology tool to support the teaching Chinese language due to its powerful functions provided.Nearpod allows teachers to design interactive activities in multiple ways to facilitate interactions and collaboration in the CSL learning process.This paper aimed to help Chinese teachers improve their understanding of how to effectively integrate technology into CSL teaching.Chinese teachers will develop a deeper comprehension of distance teaching from the perspectives of technology,pedagogy,and content knowledge,enhance students’deeper learning,and promote interaction and collaboration in L2 class.The effective use of the technology can develop language skills in a meaningful context knowledge with the guidance of pedagogical content knowledge.

On the Cognition of Second Language Mental Lexicon and Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language

Teaching Chinese as a foreign language is actually the teaching of Chinese as a second language by international Chinese teachers.People must learn vocabulary as a language element in the process of language acquisition.Without vocabulary,there is no language.When we master the vocabulary of a language,we rely on mental lexicon,which is vocabulary that has been stored in the brain for a long time.Through the study of second language mental lexicon,it can be used effectively,and corresponding teaching methods can be used in the vocabulary teaching of Chinese as a foreign language to help students learn Chinese quickly and effectively.

A Study on the Compilation of Dictionaries for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language Based on the Second Language Acquisition Theory

This article intends to demonstrate the principles for dictionary compilation.To summarize,general rules are to be followed.At the same time,this article probes into the differences of Chinese to Chinese dictionary,Chinese to foreign language dictionary,dictionaries for the preparation of certain exams,learner’s dictionaries for reviewing errors,dictionaries with multimedia and dictionaries built via the Internet..In all,one of the key factors for dictionary compilation is the professionalism of editors and writers.The training of the people involved is vital,which would contribute to setting up a better order of the market.Acknowledgements should also be given to achievements in dictionary compilation.Revisions and polishing are required to improve the dictionaries on the market that have already won the acclaim so as to put their influence to the best display.

A Case Study of Adult Learners' Second Language Acquisition Strategy and Cultural Connotation in Vocabulary Learning

Continuing education is one of the most important components of modern education. In continuing education, due to the aging and the constraints in foreign language proficiency, the second language acquisition(SLA) strategies adopted by adult learners are distinguished from what of the college students. This case study explores adult learners' SLA strategies in order to find the most frequently used ones and manages to discover better teaching approaches for teachers and efficient learning skills for learners. The conclusions are drawn as follows:(i) the six strategies are adopted only at a medium level, which means that none of them reveals a conspicuous higher or lower preference. Even though, metacognitive, compensation, affective and social strategies are of higher averages. Metacognitive and compensation strategies, with lower standard deviations, are more commonly and widely employed by learners.(ii) to better orientate adult learners' learning habits, the cultural connotation pedagogy in vocabulary teaching, welcomed by students, has greatly intrigued the study interests and promoted teaching efficiency.

The Second Language Acquisition of English in China: The Case Study of Chinese ESL Learners in Australia

English has been learned as the second language in China for decades.However,the study about English teaching and learning is mainly linked with development in instruction methods,while few views of English learners have been involved.This case study interviewed five Chinese overseas students in Australia,asking about their prior English learning experience in China to investigate English study in an anglophone context.The analysis of the interview reveals deficiencies of input,interaction and out-put in English classrooms in China,which contributes to the potential methods of improvements in the future.

Using Technology-Supported Enrichment Activities to Extend Student Learning in a Chinese as a Foreign Language

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether exposing middle school students to content above their ability level produced significant differences in students’confidence in their Chinese as a foreign language competence in each of the following four areas:reading,listening,speaking,and learning vocabulary.Participants(N=30)were sixth and seventh graders.Results of paired t-test analyses indicated that there was no significant difference in student confidence in Chinese reading competence,t(30)=0.78,p=0.22;in Chinese speaking competence,t(30)=-0.50,p=0.31;or to learn Chinese vocabulary,t(30)=-0.80,p=0.21.However,there was a significant difference in student confidence in ability to learn Chinese listening,t(30)=-1.78,p<0.05.It is suggested that exposing students to content well above their ability level can increase their confidence in ability to learn Chinese listening.

Life’s Language Lessons Ghanaian students look toward learning Chinese as a way to find opportunities

While some struggle to find their path in life. for others, nature aligns things for them. This is what happened to Edward .loseph Yawson, a 26-year-old teaching assistant at the Chinese Section of the Department of Modern Languages, Uni versity of Ghana, Legon, who trusted his intuition when a Chinese language course was offered to him.

On the Role of Noticing in Second Language Acquisition and Learning

Apparent discrepancy exists between Schmidt's Noticing Hypothesis and Krashen's Input Hypothesis. Whilst Krashen highlights the importance of comprehensible input and asserts that language is acquired unconciously, the notion of conscious learning has gained wide support from Schmidt and other researchers. They argue that noticing enhances second language development as one crucial level of consciousness. By reviewing the theoretical constructs that underlie the role of noticing, this paper aims to justify the role of noticing as one crucial level of consciousness in enhancing second language learning.

Language Awareness and Second Language Learning:A Critical Review

Beginning with the history,definition and levels of Language Awareness,this paper reviewed and analyzed two views:1) Language awareness is one necessary condition in language learning,or 2) Language learning can be achieved without Language Awareness.It pointed out the problems existing in these studies:1) Limitations in sample choice,concerning the adult beginning learners instead of the learners in different learning stages;2) Limitations in methodology,preferring cross-sectional researches to longitudinal case studies;and 3) Limitations in material choice,focusing on "word" level rather than other levels or aspects of language learning.This paper argued that language awareness is dynamic in the whole process of language learning.

Review on Learner Belief about Second Language Learning

Learner belief is attracting growing attention since it is regarded as one element of individual difference which account for learners' different achievements in second language learning. This article gives a review o studies of learner belief about second language learning concerning its properties, classifications, and majo approaches to investigation. Based on the review, the importance of the research in the field is emphasized.

Motivation in Second Language Learning and English Teaching

It is believed that individual learner variables influence learning outcomes.Thevariables have been categorized into cognitive variables,affective variables and personality var-iables.Of affective variables,motivation has been thought to play a most important role in L2learning.Therefore,a further study of motivation can really help a lotin English teaching.Thearticle states the information of motivation and its influence on English language teaching.

A Survey on Chinese Sign Language Recognition:From Traditional Methods to Artificial Intelligence

Research on Chinese Sign Language(CSL)provides convenience and support for individuals with hearing impairments to communicate and integrate into society.This article reviews the relevant literature on Chinese Sign Language Recognition(CSLR)in the past 20 years.Hidden Markov Models(HMM),Support Vector Machines(SVM),and Dynamic Time Warping(DTW)were found to be the most commonly employed technologies among traditional identificationmethods.Benefiting from the rapid development of computer vision and artificial intelligence technology,Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN),3D-CNN,YOLO,Capsule Network(CapsNet)and various deep neural networks have sprung up.Deep Neural Networks(DNNs)and their derived models are integral tomodern artificial intelligence recognitionmethods.In addition,technologies thatwerewidely used in the early days have also been integrated and applied to specific hybrid models and customized identification methods.Sign language data collection includes acquiring data from data gloves,data sensors(such as Kinect,LeapMotion,etc.),and high-definition photography.Meanwhile,facial expression recognition,complex background processing,and 3D sign language recognition have also attracted research interests among scholars.Due to the uniqueness and complexity of Chinese sign language,accuracy,robustness,real-time performance,and user independence are significant challenges for future sign language recognition research.Additionally,suitable datasets and evaluation criteria are also worth pursuing.

Exploration on Learning Strategy in Second Language Acquisition

Learning strategies can be seen as particular techniques used by learners to have a good mastery of a second language.This articles aims to summarize the different opinions about learning strategies from different scholars in the hope of inspiring peo⁃ple to seek for more efficient strategies to be successful learners.

Critical Pedagogy and Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Chinese College Context

In the field of second language acquisition(SLA),weight has been increasingly attached to the role that a problem-pos ing model of education plays in English as second/foreign language(ES/FL)teaching and learning.By exploring various concepts of the problem-posing approach,also known as critical pedagogy,and its implications for English language teaching(ELT)in the Chinese postsecondary EFL context,the paper makes a tentative attempt to acknowledge the future directions of implementing critical pedagogy in the EFL context.Therefore,the paper is inspired by the ever-increasing popularity of the critical pedagogical approach in the ESL context.The application of critical orientation in language education derives from critical theories of the Frankfurt School,which centers on Marxist societal beliefs of struggling against social inequalities.With the concept of critical pedagogy drawing increasing attention from language educators and teachers alike in English-speaking countries;non-native English teachers who teach in the EFL context has also begun to focus their attention on the educational philosophy as a means to help transform traditional oppressed status of the Chinese EFL learners.From this perspective,this paper,by investigating the multi-dimensional implied meanings of implementing critical pedagogy in the EFL context,unraveling how it works as a way of"doing"in second language(L2)teaching and learning,identifying the probable contexts of critical pedagogy and the contesta tions surrounding critical pedagogy,aims to address the significance of implementing critical pedagogy as an effective way of re forming the ailing English education condition in China.