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.

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.

Research on the Application of Chinese-Style Songs in the Field of Chinese Second Language Teaching

In recent years,traditional Chinese culture has been continuously revived,integrated into the times and entered people’s daily lives.Chinese-style songs,as a combination of traditional cultural connotations and emerging song forms,have gradually emerged on the music stage in China and even around the world.In the field of teaching Chinese as a second language,the research on teaching Chinese songs has received increasing attention.This article combines the theory of the association between music and language to summarize the research results of Chinese-style songs and their application in the field of teaching Chinese as a second language in the past 30 years.The current research problems are discussed,and suggestions are proposed in order to provide some reference value for teaching Chinese as a second language.

Multi-Faceted Morphological Awareness and Vocabulary Knowledge in English as a Second Language Learners: A Multivariate Analysis

This study investigates the role of morphological awareness in ESL vocabulary acquisition. Participants were 198 Chinese college students enrolled in a joint program which required them to study in China for the first two years and then study in the U.K. to complete their degrees. They completed a total of four paper-and-pencil tests： morpheme discrimination, morpheme recognition, vocabulary size test （VST） and word associates test （WAT）. We drew upon path analysis to explore the interconnected relationships among multiple explanatory variables （facets of morphological awareness） and outcome variables （facets of vocabulary knowledge）. The results demonstrated that English derivational awareness was strongly predictive of both ESL vocabulary breadth and ESL vocabulary depth, and that preexisting ESL vocabulary breadth could enhance the relation between derivational awareness and ESL vocabulary depth. To summarize, these results indicate that an improved English derivational awareness not only helps to expand ESL vocabulary size but can also consolidate learners＇ deep understanding of word properties, which will in turn assist them to establish connections with other associative words and phrases.

Introduction to Special Column “Chinese as a Second Language Learning and Teaching”

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.

Gender Disparity in Second Language Learning： Reality or Illusion？

The paper draws a comparison between female and male students＇ language learning capabilities in the backdrop of age-old idea that males are better than females in language learning on the one hand, and some recent study findings indicating females＇ superiority over males on the other. To this end, 43 female and 80 male higher secondary students＇ 468 answer scripts of their regular English exams were collected. For the traditional question pattern, the collected data could measure only ＂remembering＂ and ＂understanding＂ of the examinees. Therefore, the students were compared only on the basis of these two lowest levels of Bloom＇s taxonomy. The participants were of same age, studying at the same level （Grade 11）, and were taught by the same teacher. The study finds that if other variables remain the same, there is no essential difference between male and female regarding learning English as a second language.

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.

Curriculum Innovation in Language Teacher Education:Reflections on the PGDELT Program’s Contributions to EFL Teachers’Continuing Professional Development

Initial teacher preparation and teachers’ continuing professional development are two significant pillars of the teacher education enterprise. The former encompasses a wide range of teachereducation initiatives at the levels of diploma, bachelor’s degree, postgraduate diploma, and even master’s degree for teacher licensure purposes. These are widely documented in the literature.What is important is how teacher professional development contributes to bolstering the teachereducator force, which is relatively insufficiently documented due to the very fact that different educational systems have somewhat different expectations of such programs in relation to the ideologies and theories underpinning the teacher professional development program design and curriculum offering. Taking stock of a postgraduate diploma program in English language teaching(PGDELT) for teachers’ continuing professional development with a 31-year history housed at a premier teacher education institution in Singapore, which has successfully graduated over 1, 000 English language teachers for colleges and universities in China, I intend to highlight some of its key features, as a former student and then a lecturer on the program, in order to draw implications for sustainable growth of language teacher education programs, especially those whose main purposes are to prepare teachers of English as a second or foreign language(ESL/EFL) and provide continuing professional development opportunities for such inservice teachers.

The Problems of CLT for ESL in Universities in China

Communicative Language Teaching(CLT) has become one of the most important teaching approaches in the fields ofTeaching English to the Speakers of Other Language(TESOL). Not only in the western developed countries, but also in developingcountries, for example, China is also influenced by the approach of CLT in its English as a Second Language(ESL) classes. Particu-larly ESL classes of universities in China have used CLT as an important approach in teaching English speaking, listening, readingand writing. From the previous study and research there are evidences showed that CLT for ESL in universities in China have theiradvantages and values,but the classes still have some problems and need to develop which proved the hypothesis before research.

Teaching Chinese to Ethnic Minority Students in Hong Kong:A Systematic Review

This paper presents a systematic review of research on Chinese as a Second Language(CSL)education for ethnic minority students in Hong Kong SAR.Using three databases and screening with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria,the study selected 38 empirical studies published in English-language peer-reviewed journals.We find that there has been a surge of publications in Hong Kong in the past decade(2010–2020),and they are mostly authored by scholars from three universities in Hong Kong.Most of the research took a phenomenological approach,using interviews as the main data collection method and focusing on underprivileged South Asian students in secondary schools.The thematic analysis showed that Hong Kong’s CSL adopted a poststructuralist paradigm for understanding and revealing social inequalities surrounding Chinese language education for ethnic minority students.The study concludes that Hong Kong must decolonise its education system to genuinely support ethnic minority students to achieve educational equality and social justice.

Visual Design and Instructional Effectiveness

The paradigms of old media are replaced by new forms of creativity and delivery of content by those who strive to enhance innovative ways of communication and learning based on universally accepted guidelines. These ubiquitous rules of design are what scholars in the field of call as the principles of design. Particularly when instructional effectiveness of a new message is under close lens, instructional designers unanimously accept and implement these design principles in the process of planning and designing products for consumers and/or learners With today＇s digital revolution and technological break-throughs, instructional designers need to keep seeking new forms of design, communication, and learning with various forms of instructional media and innovative, technology-rich design techniques. Given this educational milieu in an ever-growing digital world of learning and instruction, this paper will focus on eliciting some of these most innovative and outstanding instructional design （ID） products and evaluate their effectiveness in learning and teaching environments based on an army of ID principles generally accepted by the scholars of the field.

Overview of Standardized Testing System for ESL Students in U.S. Kindergarten Thru Grade 12 Public Schools

A comprehensive overview of standardized testing system for ESL （English as a Second Language） students in U.S kindergarten thru grade 12 public school system is reviewed within the context of basis on federal and state laws, as well as instructional basis. Identification process of LEP （Limited English Proficient） students via nomination, testing and testing criteria to be identified as LEP, hence ESL if placed in the program is defined in detail Standardized testing process of these students based on the federal AYP （Adequate Yearly Progress） measures through regular state standardized tests depending on three types of instructional program that LEP student is placed in the school that are Bilingual Education Program, ESL Program, and Two-Way Immersion Dual Language Programs are described. Standardized testing process of these students based on the federal AYP measures through other means if exempted from regular state standardized tests such as LAT （Linguistically Accommodated Testing） and the conditions to be exempted are discussed in detail. Holistically rated English Language Proficiency Assessments that are implemented to fulfill federal AMAOs （Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives） measures are defined briefly. Physical features of LAT test as well as direct and indirect accommodations for LAT reading, mathematics and science tests are defined via the accommodation needed and the type of assistance provided. Lastly, testing criteria to exit LEP status and other issues concerning exiting LEP status are reviewed

The Effect of TV Captions on the Comprehension of Non-Native Saudi Learners of English

This paper investigates the effectiveness of closed captioning in aiding Saudi students who are learning ESL （English as a second language）. Research was carried out in a qualitative manner, and participants were 12 Saudi students pursuing their studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA （IUP）. Participants in the study were asked to compose a narrative after viewing a 5-minute film segment, both with and without captioning. Their responses were then analyzed, and results indicated that while captions may aid one in comprehension, they also tend to limit one＇s interpretations, reaffirming the nature of written language as an authoritative source of information.

Factors in International Student Identity Formation： Processes and Challenges

International students choosing to study abroad face a change in self-identity, which in many cases takes them by surprise and which is affected by a multiplicity of factors. Within the framework of Tajfel＇s Social Identity Theory, we examine the nature of identity and the many contexts in which it is shaped, mainly in reference to the ESL （English as a Second Language） classroom, but with broader implications for the students＇ experiences in Western classroom as a whole. We discuss the challenges facing not only students, but also faculty who wish to assist students in the formation of their new identities

Review on Gesture and Speech in the Vocabulary Explanations of One ESL Teacher： A Microanalytic Inquiry＂ by Anne Lazaraton

This paper takes a microanalytic perspective on the speech and gestures used by one teacher of ESL （English as a Second Language） in an intensive English program classroom. Videotaped excerpts from her intermediate-level grammar course were transcribed to represent the speech, gesture and other non-verbal behavior that accompanied unplanned explanations of vocabulary that arose during three focus-on-form lessons. The gesture classification system of McNeill （1992）, which delineates different types of hand movements （iconics metaphorics, deictics, beats）, was used to understand the role the gestures played in these explanations. Results suggest that gestures and other non-verbal behavior are forms of input to classroom second language learners that must be considered a salient factor in classroom-based SLA （Second Language Acquisition） research

Exploring Task-Based Approach to Teaching Oral Communication Skills in English to Sri Lankan Undergraduate Students

It is vital that Sri Lankan undergraduate students learn to speak competently because they need to become capable communicators in order to accomplish a wide range of goals and to become useful members of their communities. However, teaching oral communication skills to English language learners has always been a challenge for the language teacher. As a result, teachers have often attempted to look for new methods that would enable students’ learning process by creating a difference in the English as a second language （ESL） learning-teaching classroom. This paper describes the applications of the task-based language teaching （TBLT） methodology in which communicative tasks engage a group of undergraduates in authentic conversation in order to teach oral communication skills in an academic setting. The Sri Lankan ESL learning-teaching context was chosen as the research context for this study and comprised a sample of randomly selected 60 2nd-year undergraduates whose proficiency in English was at elementary level. This utilized both qualitative and quantitative measurements and followed the model, presented by Willis （1996）, which includes three stages： pre-task stage, task-cycle and language focus for TBLT in the ESL learning-teaching classroom. Students were required to work in groups and the task-cycles involved a questionnaire survey game in which they were required to construct “Wh” questions in order to elicit information from others. The findings report that this approach has inspired students better in learning oral communication skills unlike many conventional teaching methods which promote a form-focused theory. They tried to experiment with what they knew without fear of being corrected by the teacher when an error was made, got feedback from their peers and formulated ＆ reformulated their ideas with a sense of accuracy and fluency. The researcher recommends that ESL teaching practitioners use TBLT methodology in their classroom, since this enhances learners’ accuracy and fluency. Furthermore, language teachers can spend more time in reflection which will allow them to think critically on their classroom behaviour. They can identify and work on their weaknesses in the classroom as well as building on their strengths.

A Study of Vocabulary Teaching in Junior Comprehensive TCSL Courses

Vocabulary teaching is an integral part of teaching Chinese as a second language(TCSL).Based on a collection and analysis of words that foreign students at the junior level usually get wrong,①this paper suggests that TCSL teachers should make sure that new words in textbooks are explained accurately and foresee the words that students may misunderstand during vocabulary teaching.In addition to conceptual meanings,they should analyze and explain affiliated meanings,grammatical functions,and common collocations with other words through typical sentence examples.They should also pay attention to the potential role played by the semantic transparency of words in understanding,acquiring,and selecting the meanings of such words.The teaching of separable words should focus on their pragmatic forms.Simple conversations can be made to strengthen students’memorization,while quantifiers can be taught via their etymology to help students develop a reasonable understanding of the collocation rules between quantifiers and corresponding nouns.

The Efficacy of Multimodal Input on ESL Learners’Listening and Speaking Abilities

Language input in foreign language classrooms is no longer restricted to one particular mode of transmission,but it can be achieved by use of different modes.Multimodality or the combination of various modes has been applied to stimulate foreign language learning.The present paper aims to verify the effectiveness of multimodal input in language learning.It demonstrates the experiment conducted in two freshman classes in a university.The two classes used the same textbook supported by audio CD containing the recorded material.The experiment class,however,additionally has some visuals in listening classes to strengthen the linguistic input.The research lasted for one semester and findings from the study show that multimodal input has significantly improved the listening and speaking abilities of the students and also has positive impacts on the learners’attitudes towards language study.

An Analysis on the Causes and Solutions to ESL Teaching in Rural Areas of China

It’ s obvious that ESL teaching programs are very important during the course of China’ s development. English has become a required course in schools. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the factors that impact ESL education in remote and rural areas of China and the reasons for the students’ poor English learning by examining the aspects of cultural background,learning environment,teachers’ qualification,and the teaching facility. Ultimately,the aim of this study is to promote,advance,and garner support and understanding about the need for ESL teaching and learning in remote and rural areas in China.

Producing Podcasts in a Chinese Classroom: A Digital Humanities Project

This action research which situates itself in the context of Digital Humanities focuses on engaging students of Introductory Chinese course with an assignment to create podcasts in the form of an interview.Requiring students to integrate the aural,oral,and textural information via technology so as to carry a conversation with an interlocutor challenges them to convey their thoughts from the language they think in into meaningful ideas using the target language.In this way,students are“pushed”to convert their listening,speaking,and writing from being isolated components into a more dynamic and cohesive mode of communicating.As they explore expressing their ideas in the language they are learning,they develop the skills and sensibility needed to critically analyze their own work.Although limited in scale,the podcast format urges students to transform what they need to learn into a familiar product.