1887
Volume 51, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2451-828x
  • E-ISSN: 2451-8298
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Two problems often emerge in the process of learning Chinese. First, learning to write at the beginning stage often focuses on forms, without an authentic purpose. As a result, learners do not have enough motivation to write. Second, while extensive reading benefits language learners, not many extensive reading materials are available to beginning and lower-intermediate level CFL learners. This empirical study examined the feasibility of incorporating a writing project into the curriculum, as well as the potential impact of such a project on learners’ reading and writing progress. A total of 89 learners participated in this study. The findings show that the participants who wrote books and those who read the books both enjoyed and benefited from the project.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/csl.51.2.03zha
2016-10-14
2024-10-06
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
    (1999) Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. Lawrence, KS: Allen P.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson, R.C. , Wilson, P.T. , & Fielding, L.G
    (1988) Growth in Reading and How Children Spend Their Time Outside of School. Reading Research Quarterly, 23(3), 285–303. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.23.3.2
    https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.23.3.2 [Google Scholar]
  3. Bamford, J. , & Day, R.R
    (1997) Extensive Reading: What is it? Why Bother?Language Teacher, 21, 6–8.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Bartram, M. , & Parry, A
    (1989) Penguin Elementary Reading Skills. London: Penguin.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Bell, T
    (2001) Extensive Reading: Speed and Comprehension. The Reading Matrix, 1(1). RetrievedJune 1, 2015, fromwww.readingmatrix.com/articles/bell/index.html.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen, J.C. , & Brown, K.L
    (2012) The Effects of Authentic Audience on English as a Second Language (ESL) Writers: A Task-Based, Computer Mediated Approach. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 25(5), 435–454. doi: 10.1080/09588221.2011.606224
    https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2011.606224 [Google Scholar]
  7. Day, R.R. , & Bamford, J
    (2002) Top Ten Principles for Teaching Extensive Reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 14(2), 136–141.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Dvorak, T.R
    (1986) Writing in a Foreign Language. In B.H. Wing (Ed.), Listening, Reading and Writing: Analysis and Application (pp.145–163). Middlebury, VT: Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Elley, W.B. , & Manghubai, F
    (1983) The Effect of Reading on Second Language Learning. Reading Research Quarterly, 19(1), 53–67. doi: 10.2307/747337
    https://doi.org/10.2307/747337 [Google Scholar]
  10. Everson, M.E
    (1994) Toward a Process View of Teaching Reading in the Second Language Chinese Curriculum. Theory Into Practice, 33(1), 4–9. doi: 10.1080/00405849409543608
    https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849409543608 [Google Scholar]
  11. (1998) Word Recognition Among Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language: Investigating the Relationship Between Naming and Knowing. The Modern Language Journal, 82(2), 194–204. doi: 10.1111/j.1540‑4781.1998.tb01192.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb01192.x [Google Scholar]
  12. (2009) Literacy Development in Chinese as a Foreign Language. In M.E. Everson & Y. Xiao (Eds.), Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language: Theories and Applications (pp.97–112). Boston, MA: Cheng & Tsui Company.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Feuer, A
    (2011) Developing Foreign Language Skills, Competence and Identity Through a Collaborative Creative Writing Project. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 24(2), 125–139. doi: 10.1080/07908318.2011.582873
    https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2011.582873 [Google Scholar]
  14. Grellet, F
    (1981) Developing Reading Skills: A Practical Guide to Reading Comprehension Exercises (1st ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Harklau, L
    (2002) The Role of Writing In Classroom Second Language Acquisition. Journal of Second Language Writing, 11, 329–350. doi: 10.1016/S1060‑3743(02)00091‑7
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-3743(02)00091-7 [Google Scholar]
  16. Hudson, T
    (1982) The Effects of Induced Schemata on the Short Circuit in L2 Reading: Non-decoding Factors in l2 Reading Performance. Language Learning, 32, 1–31. doi: 10.1111/j.1467‑1770.1982.tb00516.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1982.tb00516.x [Google Scholar]
  17. Hyland, K
    (1990) Purpose and Strategy: Teaching Extensive Reading Skills. English Teaching Forum, 28(2), 14–17.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Kramsch, C
    (1993) Context and Culture in Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Krashen, S
    (1993) The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. (1989) We Acquire Vocabulary and Spelling By Reading: Additional Evidence for the Input Hypothesis. The Modern Language Journal, 73(4), 440–464. doi: 10.1111/j.1540‑4781.1989.tb05325.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1989.tb05325.x [Google Scholar]
  21. Laberge, D. , & Samuels, S.J
    (1974) Towards a Theory of Automatic Information Processing in Reading. Cognitive Psychology, 6, 293–323. doi: 10.1016/0010‑0285(74)90015‑2
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(74)90015-2 [Google Scholar]
  22. Lee. J.F. , & VanPatten, B
    (2003) Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen. San Francisco: McGraw-Hill.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Leki, I
    (2000) Writing, Literacy, and Applied Linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 99–115. doi: 10.1017/S0267190500200068
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500200068 [Google Scholar]
  24. Liu, Y. , & Chu, C
    (2014) Chinese Breeze. Beijing: Peking University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Mackey, A. , & Gass, S
    (2005) Second Language Research: Methodology and Design. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Magnan, S.S
    (1985) Teaching and Testing Proficiency in Writing: Skills to Transcend the Second-Language Classroom. In A. Omaggio (Ed.), Proficiency, Curriculum, Articulation: The Ties that Bind, Northeast Conference Reports (pp.109–136). Middlebury, VT: Northeast Conference on the teaching of foreign Languages.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Maley, A. , & Duff, A
    (1989) The Inward Ear: Poetry in the Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Mikulecky, B
    (1990) A Short Course in Teaching Reading Skills. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Musumeci, D
    (1998) Writing in the Foreign Language Curriculum: Soup and (Fire) Crackers. In G.S. Burkart (Ed.), Modules for the Professional Preparation of Teaching Assistants in Foreign Languages. Washington, DC: Center for International Education (ED). RetrievedApril 2, 2015, fromfiles.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED433716.pdf.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Nation, P
    (1997) The Language Learning Benefits of Extensive Reading. The Language Teacher, 21(5), 13–16.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (NSFLEP)
    (2006) Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (SFLL). Lawrence, KS: Allen Press. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2016, fromwww.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/public/StandardsforFLLexecsumm_rev.pdf.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Omaggio-Hadley, A.C
    (1993) Teaching Language in Context: Proficiency-oriented Language Instruction. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Omaggio-Hadley, A
    (2001) Teaching Language in Context (3rd ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Paulson, D.L
    (1993) The Effects of Task Focus and L2 Grammatical Knowledge on Writing in Spanish as a Second Language. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Samuels, S.J
    (1994) Toward a Theory of Automatic Information Processing in Reading, Revisited. In R.B. Ruddell , M.R. Ruddell , & H. Singer (Eds.), Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading (4th ed., pp.816–837). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Scott, V.M
    (1995) Writing. In V. Galloway & C. Herron (Eds.), Research within Reach II (pp. 115–27). Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Sergent, W.K. , & Everson, M.E
    (1992) The Effects of Frequency and Density on Character Recognition Speed and Accuracy by Elementary and Advanced L2 Readers of Chinese. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, 27(1-2), 29–44.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Shen, H
    (2016) Chinese Reading World. RetrievedJune 1, 2016, fromcollections.uiowa.edu/chinese/.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Stokes, J.D
    (2007) Meaningful Writing for Beginners. Hispania, 90(3), 543–550. doi: 10.2307/20063563
    https://doi.org/10.2307/20063563 [Google Scholar]
  40. Susser, B. , & Robb, T.N
    (1990) EFL Extensive Reading Instruction: Research and Procedure. JALT Journal, 12(2), 161–185.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Viorst, J. , & Cruz, R
    (1987) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/csl.51.2.03zha
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error