Key Issues in Chinese as a Second Language Research


Book Description

Key Issues in Chinese as a Second Language Research presents and discusses research projects that serve as theoretical grounding for improving the teaching and learning of Chinese as a second language (CSL) in order to help researchers and practitioners better understand the acquisition, development, and use of CSL. With the exception of the first chapter, which is state-of-the-art, each chapter makes an attempt to bring together theory and practice by focusing on theory building and theory application in practice. The book is organized around areas where most future research is needed in CSL: phonology, semantics, grammar, and pragmatics. Consisting of contributions from an international group of scholars working on cutting-edge research, this is the ideal text for researchers, graduate students, and practitioners in the area of Chinese as a second or foreign language.




The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Second Language Acquisition


Book Description

The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Second Language Acquisition is the first reference work of its kind. The handbook contains twenty contributions from leading experts in the field of Chinese SLA, covering a wide range of topics such as social contexts, linguistic perspectives, skill learning, individual differences and learning settings and testing. Each chapter covers historical perspectives, core issues and key findings, research approaches, pedagogical implications, future research direction and additional references. The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Second Language Acquisition is an essential reference for Chinese language teachers and researchers in Chinese applied linguistics and second language acquisition.




Chinese as a Second Language Assessment


Book Description

This book brings together 13 original research papers that address emerging issues in the assessment of Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) in five major areas, including standards in CSL assessment; development of CSL tests; assessment of diverse knowledge and skills; computer-supported assessment; and CSL assessment in relation to instruction and teachers’ assessment competence. It goes beyond the psychometric testing of Chinese and provides cutting-edge examinations of the interfaces of assessment with sociology of language, acquisition, pedagogy, and modern technologies, as well as teacher education. Given its unique features and broad range of topics, the book offers an intriguing and valuable resource, not only for scholars and researchers but also teacher educators and assessment practitioners who are directly or indirectly involved in CSL assessment.




The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language


Book Description

This volume, through highly selective and rigorous review processes, has collected eight empirical studies showcasing research advances in multiple domains including child first language, adult additional language, and heritage language acquisition. The studies are theoretically motivated and have adopted a spectrum of innovative methodological strategies to achieve a broader understanding of the nature of learning and the learning process. The volume encompasses a wide range of contents: 1) The L1 and L2 acquisition of syntax, semantics, phonetics, and the syntax-discourse interface; 2) Data comparisons across different learner groups: L1 Chinese children, L2 Chinese learners, and Chinese heritage speakers; 3) Acquisition of language skills: speaking, listening, and writing; and last but not least, 4) Instructional interventions including consciousness-raising and metacognitive strategy training. The volume is intended to bridge the gap between research and instruction by helping teachers understand their students and their learning. Informed by research, teachers can opt for appropriate pedagogical approaches and instructional conditions for their students. The volume is guest-edited by Xiaohong Wen, Professor in Applied Linguistics and Chinese language Acquisition at the University of Houston.




Chinese as a Second and Foreign Language Education


Book Description

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.




Key Issues in Translation Studies in China


Book Description

This book revisits a number of key issues in Chinese Translation Studies. Reflecting on e.g. what Translation Studies researchers have achieved in the past, and the extent to which the central issues have been addressed and what still needs to be done, a group of respected scholars share their expertise in order to identify some tangible directions and potential areas for future research. In addition, the book discusses a number of key themes, e.g. Translation Studies as a discipline and its essential characteristics, the cultural dimension in translator training, paradigms of curriculum design, the reform of assessment for professional qualification, acts and translation shifts, the principle of faithfulness in translation, and interpreter’s cognitive processing routes. The book offers a useful reference guide for a broad readership including graduate students, and shares insiders’ accounts of various current topics and issues in Chinese Translation Studies. Given its scope, it is also a valuable resource for researchers interested in translation studies in the Chinese context.




Chinese as a Second Language Research from Different Angles


Book Description

A crucial question for Chinese as a Second Language research is how to help elevate Chinese language teaching methodology to the level of other world language methodologies such as English, Spanish and German. This work goes in two directs. One explores how to apply research results achieved in Chinese linguistics to Chinese language teaching and the other is engaged in creating a strong applied linguistics research field that supports Chinese language teaching. CASLAR scholars are mainly involved in the latter one. This book is a representative sample of their research endeavors.




Teaching Chinese as a Second Language


Book Description

Grounded in analysis of Chinese and international educational concepts and classroom techniques currently used to teach Chinese as a Second Language, and a thorough review of recent research in the field, this volume identifies the learning challenges of the language for native English speakers. Orton and Scrimgeour assess the gap in knowledge and skills between learners’ initial and future proficiency levels as L2 Chinese speakers, map their needs as learners towards achieving a high language proficiency, and set out an informed, integrated teaching orientation and practice for the Chinese classroom that responds to those needs. Chapters in the volume address curriculum design, teaching diverse learners and levels, the learning challenges of Chinese oral and literacy skills, grammar and vocabulary, discourse development, cultural understanding, and the affordances of a visit to China. Filled with original and engaging teaching and learning tools and techniques, this book is an essential and rich content resource for primary and secondary teachers, and teacher candidates and educators in Chinese as a Second Language education.




Current Issues in Chinese Linguistics


Book Description

Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in the world and one of the very few contemporary languages whose history is documented in an unbroken tradition extending back to the second millennium. Compared with Western languages, Chinese has a typology with distinguished features in sound system, syntax, and discourse that have a strong impact on Chinese linguistics studies and language learning. Drawing on theoretical models from formal and functional linguistics, discourse analysis, computer-assisted corpus studies, language socialization, and second language acquisition, this volume presents new advances and addresses a broad range of current issues in the study of Chinese linguistics with research studies that originated from the proceedings of the 21st North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics (NACCL-21). As globalization presses on, more and more people are interested in Chinese – its history, structure, research, and new developments. This volume aims to be instrumental. Written in a coherent and structured style, each section is concentrated on a particular linguistic area, and each chapter is self-contained with a clear focus and theoretical framework. It will be valuable to linguists, educators, administrators, specialists, teachers and students of Chinese as a native, second, heritage, or foreign language.




Frontiers of L2 Chinese Language Education


Book Description

Over the past four decades, learning Chinese as a second language has transformed from individual small-scale endeavors to organized mass studies worldwide. In a fast-changing world, the field of L2 Chinese language education is confronted by unprecedented challenges and opportunities. This book presents recent pedagogical practices, innovations and research in L2 Chinese language education across five continents. Bringing together a diverse range of leading researchers and educators, it showcases the latest knowledge, teaching-led research, innovative curriculum design and pedagogical practice in a variety of instructional contexts. Through a mix of overview chapters, empirical studies and critical discussions, the book addresses four key themes – formal instruction; language education technology; curriculum development; and critical overviews– and reflects the latest challenges and coping strategies for teaching and learning Chinese in an increasingly digital world. It will be essential reading for researchers, teachers and students of Chinese as a second language, as well as curriculum developers and textbook writers.