Chinese as a Second Language. The journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, USA - Volume 59, Issue 1, 2024

Abstract

The importance of teaching cultural perspectives or cultural mind is now widely recognized in the field of foreign language education. Meanwhile, language teachers and scholars are also aware of the difficulty of implementing this aspect of cultural instruction in the classroom because the cultural mind tends to be abstract, intangible, and invisible. As Chinese-American cross-cultural films often foreground cultural differences and conflicts caused by underlying systems of values, beliefs, and behaviors in Chinese and American societies, they serve as tangible discussion points for guiding students in exploring the Chinese cultural mind. Therefore, this paper utilizes Chinese-American cross-cultural films as a springboard to analyze four key themes reflective of the Chinese cultural mind as depicted in the films (i.e., collectivism vs individualism, saving face, filial piety, and the role of women) and discusses pedagogical implications for cultural instruction, especially the teaching of cultural perspectives or cultural mind in the Chinese language classroom.

提要

本文探讨如何使用“体演文化教学法”（Performed Culture Approach）来开发中高级汉语视听说课程。文章基于体演文化的背景，讨论其指导中高级视听说课程开发的六个方面的理论，并在此框架下，以一名非华裔高水平汉语使用者的在华职业体验系列视频为例，具体说明将其设计为中高级汉语视听说课程的选材依据、课程结构、课程评分，以及中、美两国高校师生的试用反馈。最后，文章综合课程设计与试用反馈，总结了基于体演文化开发视听说课程的适用原则。

Abstract

This study evaluates the efficacy of Chinese Automated Writing Correction Feedback (AWCF) platforms in enhancing writing performance among Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) learners against the backdrop of emerging generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Employing data from an intermediate CSL course at an Ivy League university, the paper scrutinizes selected Chinese AWCF platforms, such as Meta XiezuoCat, for their accuracy, effectiveness, and instructional potential. The analysis juxtaposes AWCF feedback withChatGPT responses and instructor assessments, revealing both the strengths and limitations of these platforms. The findings indicate that existing Chinese AWCF platforms exhibit noticeable limitations in CFL writing support but hold considerable potential for future development. Despite limitations in current corpus and accuracy compared with Generative AI such as ChatGPT, AWCF’s one-stop service model in error correction significantly reduces the cost of prompt engineering, while its feature of allowing “noticing” can help enhance students’ metalinguistic awareness. This finding also highlights the critical need for AWCF platforms to improve their utility by incorporating expansive and authentic CSL learner data.

This article reviews Chinese Sociolinguistics: Language and Identity in Greater China978-1032382425

This article reviews Teaching Chinese in the Anglophone World: Perspectives from New Zealand978-3-031-35474-8978-3-031-35475-5

This article reviews A Student Grammar of Chinese《学生中文语法》978-009-23349-1