Learning Chinese as a second language through in-country study: from learners’ perspective

Abstract

This study set out to investigate students’ experiences and perceptions of acquiring Chinese as a second language (CSL) while engaging in a full-year In-country Study (ICS) in China. In particular, it sought to explore: a) whether they perceived making progress in oral Chinese during the ICS period; b) whether they identified any cognitive and affective changes within themselves over time in terms of learning strategies, motivation, and anxiety; c) what they perceived as effective ways in which Chinese oral proficiency could be attained through social contexts inside and outside the class. A small group of 11 students from University of Technology (UTS) participated in the study. All of them studied at one of the two UTS partner universities in mainland China, namely, Shanghai University and Zhejiang University. The study was governed by the survey-based research method, involving 3 questionnaire surveys throughout the year of 2012 and an interview upon the completion of ICS. The findings indicated that all of the students in this study reported that ICS helped them improve their oral proficiency in Chinese. Overall, their motivation for learning Chinese was increased, their strategy use was widened and more flexible, while their anxiety in speaking the target language (TL) decreased. Pedagogically, as far as learning spoken Chinese is concerned, they were more inclined to a teacher-centred approach rather than a learner-centred approach. They expressed strongly that their first language, English, should be kept at the minimum in class by both teachers and students alike. Outside the class, they perceived that social networks played a crucial role in their gains in oral Chinese proficiency in China. In light of these findings, the full-year ICS program should continue to be supported and promoted. Meanwhile, teachers of Chinese at home universities must endeavour to improve the delivery of their curriculum in order to better facilitate and prepare future ICS students for their experiences in China.