1

Setting the Research Agenda for Teaching and Learning Chinese

Jerome Packard, University of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaignJennifer Liu, Indiana University, Bloomington

National Chinese Language ConferenceApril 30-May 2, 2009

2

Our Plan

1. Review and Implications of Pedagogical Research (Jennifer Liu)

2. Generating Research Questions (Jerry Packard)

3. Conclusion

3

Outline

1. Introduction2. Review of Pedagogical Research:

Characters/Reading/Grammar/Tones3. Other Findings4. Conclusion

4

Introduction 1

Why do we need to do research in CFL? Decision-making

Skill

Knowledge

5

Introduction 2

Why do we need to do research in CFL?Pre-2004: Total Student Enrollment in Chinese

HEd 7-12 HL34,153 (MLA, 2002)

24,000(ACTFL, 2000)

100,000(NCACLS, 2005)

60,000 (CSAUS, 2005)

160,000 Total:238,000 roughly

6

Introduction 3

Why do we need to do research in CFL? Students

Teachers

Researchers

7

Introduction 4

What has CFL research looked like? JCLTA (1966 - ) Searchable Index Browsable Topic Index:

Pedagogical Issues 298Applied Linguistics and Acquisition 207Literature 53Lexicography and Characters 41Applications 32Educational Technology 30Cultural Discussions 14

8

Introduction 5

What has CFL research looked like?

Pedagogy Applied Linguistics

Literature Lexicography Applications Technology Culture0

50

100

150

200

250

300

JCLTA: Research in CFL

Series1

9

Introduction 6

What has CFL research looked like?• Subjects: Adult learners• Level: Mostly beginning• Setting: Traditional schools on university campus• Method: Largely quantitative• Text type: Word/sentence level

10

Review of Pedagogical Research 1

What can we learn from the previous research?Characters (23)• The development of radical and orthographic awareness

could begin from the third year of study for Chinese-speaking children and at the first year of study for nonnative adult learners. (Shen, H. H. & Ke, C., 2007).

• Elaboration (deeper processing) is more effective than rote memorization (shallow processing) for learning characters. Teachers should provide knowledge that can help in the elaboration process – etymology, phonology, orthography and semantics, and encourage students’ self-elaboration. (Shen, H. H. , 2004).

11

Review of Pedagogical Research 2

What can we learn from the previous research?Reading (22)• Word knowledge is a strong predictor of reading

comprehension for beginning learners. If the purpose is to improve reading comprehension, that unknown words should be limited (5%).

• It is most efficient to select material with which students already have an average reading comprehension of 60-70% before the instruction.

• Students have a better retention for higher frequency words than for lower frequency words. Priority should be to learn high frequency words. (Shen, 2005)

12

Review of Pedagogical Research 3

What can we learn from the previous research?Grammar: Acquisition of specific forms (17)• Some grammatical forms are learned earlier than others and

the acquisition progress is not linearly upward.• Formal instruction is beneficial and necessary for L2 learners,

including fluent heritage learners.• Teachers should employ more than one method when

introducing grammar and set different expectations for different grammatical forms. (Yuan & Dietrich, 2004)

13

Review of Pedagogical Research 3

What can we learn from the previous research?Grammar: Acquisition of specific forms (17)Not all language phenomena are equal in the SLA. There

are (1) Linear pattern: practice does make perfect; (2) U-shaped pattern; (3) Plateau pattern. (Ke, 2005)

• PATTERN 1: LINEAR PROGRESSIVE PATTERN– ADJ-PR: Adj. used as predicates (形容词谓语句 ) 我很高兴。

– COR-CO: correlational conjunctions (复句中关系词的位置 ) 只有…才… ; 不但…而且 ;…

14

Review of Pedagogical Research 3

• PATTERN 2: U-SHAPE PATTERN– RES-CO: Resultative complement (结果补语 ) 看懂了这封信。

– POT-CO: potential complement (可能补语 ) 这辆车我们上不去，等下一辆吧。

– REL-CL: relative clauses (动词及小句做定语 ) 我们常去吃饭的餐厅。

– TM-POS:position of time-when and time-span (时点与时段的时间词位置 ) 我们今天晚上去看电影。

– TPC-CO: Topic-comment sentence (话题 ) 今天的语法你有问题吗？

15

Review of Pedagogical Research 3

• PATTERN 3: PLATEAU PATTERN– DIR-CO: directional complement (趋向补语 ) 我常常到北京去。

– COM-PV: comparison sentences (比较句 )– ADV-OR: word order with multiple-adverbials (多项状语的顺序 )小李上星期从北京坐飞机到爱荷华来。

16

Review of Pedagogical Research 4

What can we learn from the previous research?Tones/Pinyin Romanization (10)• Initial Stage– Focus on tone perception & production – More time for tones 2 & 3, especially tone 3

• Second Stage– Emphasize on production in connected speech– Pay attention to each of the four tones (decrease of tones

1&4)• Teach tones not only in isolation, but also at the sentence

level (Tao and Guo, 2008)

17

Other Findings 1

Topics that are less studied• Attitude and motivation• Heritage language learning • Different program settings • Articulation• Technology

18

Other Findings 2

Topics that are rarely studied• Teacher development• Testing and Assessment• Culture: Perspectives• Interpretive communication: Listening

Comprehension• Presentational communication: Writing

19

Conclusion 1

We need more studies on…• Subjects: Younger learners• Level: Advanced/superior• Setting: Non-traditional mode of instruction

(e.g., immersion, self-directed, web-based)• Method: qualitative, longitudinal • Text type: discourse level, speech act

20

Conclusion 2We need to…• Identify issues of great concerns to

practitioners • Investigate the level at lower and upper ends

of a long sequence of instruction• Encourage collaborative research effort

across levels• Create mechanism for dissemination of new

knowledge and findings

21

Generating Research Questions

Jerry PackardUniversity of Illinois

National Chinese Language ConferenceApril 30-May 2, 2009

Generating research questions

• Step 1: Brainstorm !• Step 2: Generate research question !• Step 3: Share your question !

First Step -

• Break down into brainstorm groups

Brainstorm groups

issues

Issue 1

Issu

e 4

Issue 3

Issu

e 2

ideas

Idea

5

Idea 1

Idea

2

Idea 3

Idea 4

questions

Question 1

Qu

esti

on

3

Question 2

Second Step -

• Break down into brainstorm groups !• Generate research question(s) !

Generating Research Questions general content

• What do I want to know ?• What can help my teaching ?• Which works better, X or Y ?• What can help students learn better ?• Etc., etc. !

Generating Research Questions specific content

• Speak slow or fast ?• Correct their tones or not ?• Use Chinese or English in class ?• Focus on characters or not ?• Focus on pinyin or not ?• Trace tones in air or not ?• Etc., etc., etc. !

Third Step -

• Break down into brainstorm groups !• Generate research question(s) !• Share question with our forum !

Hypothesis Testing Model• Start with an idea or

problem

Research Question

Idea Problem

Method

• Generate a research question

• Choose a method to address question

• Implement your project !

Implement !

Conclude…

We all can do research that will help answer

questions about teaching and learning Chinese !