Chinese as a Second Language. The journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, USA - Volume 53, Issue 2, 2018

Abstract

With the aim of improving a Chinese language program by incorporating defensible curricula, this study surveyed 213 stakeholders to arrive at a panoramic profile of the program’s needs. A mixed-methods research design with multiple types of data triangulation was employed to achieve a balanced quantitative and qualitative exploration of these needs. To redress a lack of comprehensive studies of Chinese learning needs in higher education, this study investigated: (a) program components that were perceived differently by students and teachers; (b) whether, how, and why lower-level learners diverged from upper-level ones with regard to communicative skills and instructional-approach preferences; and (c) any possible insights for program improvement from both micro- and macro- perspectives. In addition to discussing this study’s reliability and validity, the researchers offer recommendations for potential program restructuring and for Chinese language instruction more generally. The paper concludes with implications for future studies, and how its findings might be utilized for program sustainability and improvement.

Abstract

Reading is a challenging task for Chinese as a second language (CSL) learners. Research has shown that effective use of strategies helps to enhance reading comprehension. However, studies about the reading strategies of CSL learners are extremely limited, and even fewer studies focus on how CSL readers use reading strategies to facilitate comprehension when reading a Chinese text. This case study addressed this gap by conducting an in-depth analysis of how three CSL readers used strategies to enhance their comprehension. Through think-aloud and recall protocols, close observations, and interviews, this study identified 26 comprehension strategies used by these readers during the reading process. It also reported the strategies commonly used by these readers to enhance reading comprehension effectively, such as using context to decode words, monitoring, identifying important information, and skipping unimportant parts. This article presents the study’s findings and their implications.

Abstract

This article probes the motivation of ideal L2 self and perceptions of global competence of Chinese language learners taking high-level Chinese courses to fulfill degree requirements at a university on the East Coast of the United States. The results show that the students envision an ideal L2 self with high speaking fluency, which they believe can develop their intercultural communication skills and promote their future careers. It was also found that integrative motivation, in the past found predominant among second language learners, is also a prominent form of motivation for foreign language learners in the 21st century. The study provides evidence that the students’ perceptions of global competence still need to improve, but that learning Chinese has contributed to the development of their global competence. The study demonstrates that motivation of ideal L2 self and global competence complement each other. Informed by the results, the researcher suggests some pedagogical implications about maintaining learner motivation, developing learners’ intercultural communication competence and perceptions of global competence, and encouraging students to take higher-level language courses.

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