Using Chinese for Tomorrow: Student Perceptions and Language Gain
Dr. Jeff R. Watson, Associate Professor
Dr. Wayne He (何文潮), Associate Professor of Chinese
U.S. Military Academy
Abstract:
This study presents initial findings from a one-year experimental study that explores student performance and perceptions in a newly developed curriculum based on the textbook Chinese for Tomorrow and the Computer Chinese approach. Two first-year classes of college Chinese were chosen to participate in the study with one class using Chinese for Tomorrow (CfT) and the other a more traditional textbook (Integrated Chinese) and the hand-writing Chinese approach. Because of the initial difficulty and time-consuming nature of learning to handwrite Chinese characters, CfT delays this aspect of studying Chinese at the beginning level. Instead, CfT focuses more on character recognition through the use of a computer-based pinyin-to-character typing and vocabulary program, NJSTAR. As a result, more vocabulary items are able to be covered in the first-year curriculum with more emphasis given to oral skill development. Data from this study show the development of different learning strategies for each of the classes as well as varying student perceptions regarding the new curriculum. Findings to be presented will include analysis of contrasting approaches to learning Chinese at the beginning level, usefulness of the NJSTAR computer program as well as data on student attitudes, perceptions, motivation, and learning strategies in the study.
Dr. Jeff R. Watson, Associate Professor
Chair of Linguistics & Language Acquisition Center for Languages, Cultures, & Regional Studies Department of Foreign Languages,
U.S. Military Academy West Point, NY 10996
Dr. Wayne He (何文潮)， Associate Professor of Chinese
Department of Foreign Languages,
U.S. Military Academy West Point, NY 10996
Wenchao_he@hotmail.com