Chinese as a Second and Foreign Language Education

Pedagogy and Psychology

Qiao Yu Cai

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9789811074431
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Didattica delle lingue

This book presents key issues in the teaching of Chinese as a second or foreign language (TCSL or TCFL). It investigates how multimedia can help to assist TCSL/TCFL and explores practical effects of multimedia-assisted teaching at secondary schools in the Philippines. It addresses the psychology of TCSL/TCFL and discusses various recurring foreign graduate students concerns when learning academic Chinese in graduate institutes in Taiwan. It examines issues of educational assessment and testing, analyzing the validity of a self-made placement test for an immigrant Chinese program, as well as the psychological characteristics of adult learners and their implications for immigrant Chinese curriculum design. As foreign learners of Chinese grow exponentially, this cutting edge read conceptualizes the educational philosophy of TCSL/TCFL as a distinctive discipline.

© The Author(s) 2018

Qiao Yu CaiChinese as a Second and Foreign Language Educationhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7443-1_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction

Qiao Yu Cai¹

(1)

NTCU, Taichung City, Taiwan

End Abstract

Teaching Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL) in t he Unit ed Sates has developed considerably over the past one hundred years, and Yale University was the first to list “Chinese language” as a course in 1891 (Yao & Yao, 2010). Teaching Chinese as a second language (TCSL) in mainland China and Taiwan star ted in the 1950s. Tsinghua University in Beijing was the first to prepare Chinese language programs for Eastern European students in July 1950 and to start actual tuition in the program in 1951 (Fang, 2012). In Taiwan , Hsinchu Huayu school , established in 1953, was the earliest educational institution offering TCSL (Lai, 2013a). As the economy of mainland China has undergone reform and opened to foreign trade, the proportion of non-native Chinese speakers interested in learning Chinese for economic motivations has increased, in comparison to those who learn Chinese for political considerations and cultural interests. This business, economic, and trade development has resulted in a global fervent desire to learn the Chinese language.

The hi storical development of TCSL in mainland China is divided approximately into three periods (Cheng, 2005): the first is “initiation” (1950–70); the second is “professional identification” (1970–80); and the third is “research and the practical development” of TCSL as a professional discipline (1980–90). Taiwanese education of teaching Chinese heritage and non-native Chinese speakers Chinese as a second language, which has developed over the past sixty years (Ho, 2013; Lai, 2013a), aims to promote an understanding of Chinese culture among L2 students, in addition to studying the language itself. In Taiwan, five development periods can be identified (Lai, 2013a): the first is “foundation” (1951–71), which mainly involved foreign missionaries learning Chinese to complete missionary work; the second is “unfolding” (1972–3), which involved non-governmental organizations (NGOs) launching TCSL education; the third is “broadening” (1973–95), which involved establishing Chinese language centers in Taiwanese universities; the fourth is “maturity” (post-1995), which involved the creation of graduate-level institutes and departments of TCSL; the fifth is “sophistication” (post-2001), which involves upholding policies governing TCSL.

The gl obal trend in TCSL and TCFL has gained the attention of the Taiwanese government. In fact, the government’s plan to select and send Chinese language teachers abroad was proposed initially in 1985, with the goal of promoting Taiwanese quality teaching in Chinese language and Taiwanese culture (Ministry of Education & National Academy for Educational Research, 2017). Since 2001, several official meetings on TCSL and TCFL have been convened in succession, for instance, the forum on academic exchange review between the World Chinese Language Association and mainland China in November 2001; the briefing session on the execution plan for the Ministry of Education TCSL promotion and development (2002); the group on overseas TCSL education and traditional Chinese cultural promotion and the Ministry of Education task force on TCSL (established in 2006), and the briefing session on how to promote international TCSL and TCFL education, convened by Dr. Ying-jeou Ma who was then president, in 2011 (Dong & Hsu, 2013; Lai, 2013b). According to the Ministry of Education (MoE), there are six Taiwanese educational policies on TCSL and TCFL education (Ministry of Education & National Academy for Educational Research, 2017):

1. 1.
   The plan to select and send Chinese language teachers abroad.

   “Selecting and Sending Chinese language (Student) Teachers to Overseas Schools for TCFL Directions” was announced in 2011 and amended in 2012. The Chinese language talent base was built in 2015 for broadening cooperative plans with overseas schools that wanted Chinese language (student) teachers and to enhance mutually beneficial results.
2. 2.
   Promoting MoE examination for a TCSL certificate.

   The first MoE examination for the TCSL certificate was held in 2006 with the goal of ensuring the professional quality of Chinese language teachers; this exam has been subsequently held annually in July.
3. 3.
   Researching and developing the Test of Ch inese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) .

   The Steering Co mmittee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu (SC-TOP) was established in November 2005 under the direction of the MoE. The Committee’s major missions were to: (a) design and plan test content of TOCFL; (b) develop the C hildren’s Chinese Competency Certification (CCCC) , designed for non-native Chinese-speakers between the ages of 7 and 12; (c) build test items for TOCFL; (d) develop computer-based Chinese proficiency test systems; (e) promote Taiwan’s Chinese proficiency tests for non-native speakers of Chinese, and (f) increase collaboration among Chinese proficiency test organizations worldwide (SC-TOP, 2007).
4. 4.
   Improving the Ministry of Education’s Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) Intern ational Student Guidelines.

   The Guidelines were introduced in 2006, and amended in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. The purpose of the Guidelines include: (a) encouraging international students (excluding students from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao SAR) to take Huayu (Chinese language) courses in the Republic of China (Taiwan); (b) providing opportunities to increase the understanding of Taiwanese culture and society, and to promote a mutual multicultural understanding and interaction between Taiwan and the international community (Ministry of Education, 2011).
5. 5.
   Advertising the plan for studying Chinese in Taiwan.

   To encourage more non-native Chinese speakers to study Chinese in Taiwan , customized materials and innovative teaching methods were developed to match the distinct characteristics of each student and meet their multiple needs (housing, transportation, culture shock, etc.). “Study in Taiwan ”, an official website (http://​www.​studyintaiwan.​org/​), was developed, and it offers ten reasons for learning Chinese in Taiwan (Study in Taiwan, 2014). In 2017, a short film on learning Chinese in Taiwan, produced by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) , w as released on YouTube (https://​www.​youtube.​com/​watch?​v=​dJb_​uxfcc6U). To date, this film has received over 30,000 views.
6. 6.
   Proposing an eight-year plan to make Taiwan the main country to export the TCSL/TCFL industry.

   In order to expand overseas TCFL sites, the MoE has designed and implemented an eight-year plan to encourage Taiwanese TCSL-related institutes to train teachers, create teaching materials, and develop curriculum for overseas schools, to meet the demand of target areas, such as Europe, America, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and so on (Ministry of Education, 2015). The goal is to increase Taiwan’s global presence in influencing TCSL/TCFL. A budget of three billion New Taiwan dollars has been allocated to accomplish the following (Ministry of Education, 2015):

   • intensify organizational networks and build a sustainable base for TCSL/TCFL development.
   • enhance TCSL/TCFL education quality by thoroughly implementing Total Quality Management (TQM).
   • advance international exchanges for TCSL/TCFL and increase the number of people learning Chinese.
   • develop a higher education industry to allow TCSL/TCFL networks to be more collaborative.
   • build a mechanism between governments, universities, industry, and researchers for a more integrated network of TCSL/TCFL entities.

Thus, it can be seen that TCSL/TCFL education issues, not only in Taiwan but worldwide, have been increasingly active and increasingly positive from an historically developmental perspective. The current performance on TCSL/TCFL, following the Taiwanese government’s sequence of policies are as follows (Ministry of Education & National Academy for Educational Research, 2017):

1. 1.
   665 Taiwanese teachers were recommended to teach Chinese at schools in 22 countries (2009–16).
2. 2.
   3843 examinees received their TCSL certificates, issued by the MoE (2006–16).
3. 3.
   176 examination sites for TOCFL in 29 countries (2016); 25,000 examinees (2003–17).
4. 4.
   3197 international students from 52 countries benefitted from the HES and studied in Taiwan (2012–16).
5. 5.
   1807 Chinese L2 learners and 1214 non-native Chinese-speaking teachers, supported by the Taiwanese government’s grant, participated in short-term Chinese language study tours and Chinese language teacher training programs (2012–16).

Promotion policies and the availability of sufficient funds affect the ebb and flow of TCSL/TCFL education, but academic development also provides a contribution. The concept of “theories without practice are empty, and practice without theories is blind” was...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Effect of Multimedia Visual Aids Used for Teaching Chinese on Philippine Secondary School Students’ Learning Outcomes and Attitudes
• 3. The Anxiety Factors of Studying Academic Chinese in Graduate Programs: Experiences of Non-Native Chinese-Speaking Postgraduates in Taiwan
• 4. An Item Analysis of a Self-Made Placement Test for an Immigrant Chinese Program
• 5. Psychological Characteristics of Adult Learners with Implications for Immigrant Chinese Curriculum Design
• 6. Conclusions
• Back Matter