The Design & Evaluation of a The Design & Evaluation of a Chinese Curriculum Unit for Chinese Curriculum Unit for the Smooth Transition from the Smooth Transition from High School Courses to High School Courses to College CoursesCollege Courses

Jia Li &Sheree Lin

MIT Academy, CA

Diablo Valley College, CA

• Most Chinese (Mandarin) as a second language courses in high schools and colleges are designed independently by different educators, with little attention to the students’ existing language expertise and future learning plan.

The Goal of This Study

• This study presents our initial attempt to design and evaluate a Chinese curriculum unit for participants’ smooth transition from high school level language courses to college level courses.

• We report our experiences and observations on a jointly designed curriculum unit for both high school and college students.

• 20 high school students and 20 college students in both Mare Island Technology Academy and Contra Costa College participated in this Chinese as a second language study.

MIT Academy: • The total number of students sample is 20,

which include ten male and 10 female students in this study. 10 are Latino, 5 are Filipino, and 5 of them are African- American.

Contra Costa College:The total number of students sample is 20,which include 10 male and 10 femalestudents in this study. 3 of them areCaucasian,5 are Chinese, 4 are Japanese,4 areVietnamese, 2 are Indian, 2 Cambodian.

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Language & Culture

• The development of culture can not be separated by language. The change and development of language always depends on the change and development of culture. (Chen Jianming, 1994)

• Cultural context should be the core of a second language curriculum. (Kramsch, 1994)

Q: Interest in Learning Chinese Language and Culture:

High School Students:

17 out of 20 students wrote that they are interested in learning Chinese culture. 3 out of 20 want to study both Chinese language and culture. 0 of 20 want to learn only the Chinese language.

Q: Interest in Learning Chinese Language and Culture:

College Students:

14 out of 20 want to learn both Chinese language and Culture. 3 of 20 want to learn only the Chinese language. 3 out of 20 want to learn the Chinese culture only.

Based on the Survey

The main purpose of teaching foreign learners Chinese as a second language is to encourage high school students to learn more about China and Chinese culture.

The Communicating of the culture needs to be designed to help high school students become involved in language learning.

• Before we started this research:

Q: After finishing three-year learning of Chinese in high school, do you want to take the joint Chinese college class?

• MIT Academy High School:• 13 of 20 high school students would stop

learning Chinese class. • 5 of 20 high school students might

consider taking the joint Chinese college class.

• 2 of 20 high school students would take the joint Chinese college class.

After we started this research:

• After trying this new curriculum unit for one semester, 7 of 20 high school students would stop learning Chinese class.

• 5 of 20 high school students might consider taking the joint Chinese college class.

• 8 of 20 high school students would take the joint Chinese college class.

Pre and Post Test Assessments Analysis Speaking Listening Reading Writing

CCC Pretest

Protest

10%

61%

9%

59%

5%

69%

1%

81%

MIT Pretest

Protest

15%

70%

11%

71%

8%

75%

9%

70%

Note: The maximum score is 100% for each section. Results show the mean of each group

Multiple Teaching Techniques of This New Curriculum

• Integrate cultural story and popular cultural meaning in Chinese vocabulary learning.

• Example:• 数字文化• 你好• 宿舍• 方便• 上路

• Role-play, games based on the selected Chinese cultural background.

• Example:

• 请• 请问 • 我请你

Movie based culture learning and in-class kinetic learning.

Example: Introduce and teach students to learn the current Chinese middle school and high school morning exercise & eye massage.

舞蹈，说唱表演，迷你话剧

Challenge:

Time!

Future Work

Examination of Learning Chinese as a Second/ Foreign Language  (The First Languages Are Spanish, Filipino.) 

Still Have Time?

• Let’s do:

Watch Students’ Performance:

Chinese Eyes Massage

and Exercise!

Reference• Introduction to the Education of Chinese as a

Second Language. Ed. LIU Xun. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2007. 37.

• Kramsch, C. 1994. Context and Culture in Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Chen Jianming, Aspects of Languages and Cultures. Ed. Hu Wengzhong. Culture and Practicality, 1994, Beijing, Foreign Language Teaching and Study Publishing House.

• ZHANG Y.J. “The History of Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language.” Introduction to Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language. Ed. LIU Xun. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 1997. 69.

Questions/Comments

• I am inviting the audience for any questions or comments from my presentation.