| Summary: | 博士 === 國立政治大學 === 華語文教學博士學位學程 === 102 === This study aims to provide specific suggestions for teaching Chinese culture within the curriculum of Chinese language education in order to develop intercultural competence(ICC)of foreign students. The study takes the Common European Framework of References for Languages(CEFR)as its subject of analysis. The overall 385 descriptions of the CEFR outlines certain components of linguistic and cultural competence in various students’ tasks, class room activities and participation, and teachers’ instructions along different levels (A1 to C2). Based on the taxonomy of educational objectives developed by B.S. Bloom and others as well as further research in educational taxonomy, the present study discusses how intercultural competence is presented in various practices of language teaching and learning and tries to design a conceptual grounding for curriculum designs of teaching Chinese culture which is embedded in Chinese language teaching and which aims to incorporate developing ICC at the same time. To do this, the 385 CEFR “Can-do-descriptors” for language teaching and learning will be analyzed according to their significance for developing ICC.
In detail, the present study applies a comprehensive survey through the research of teaching culture in foreign language education and conducts a detailed analysis of the CEFR Can-do-descriptors. The present study can be subdivided into three main sections and which comprises content analyses as quantitative examinations as well:
Theoretical discussion: The conceptual and theoretical background of language teaching and developing ICC behind the pedagogical recommendations will be discussed. This includes detailed discussions on the main concepts and pedagogical aims in resent studies on teaching culture, like plurilingualism and intercultural communicative competence, and their mutual relationship.
Examination of teaching practices: Curricular patterns, examinations and teaching material design recommended in the CEFR will be surveyed and their application for developing ICC examined. Real case studies, class observations and semi-structured interviews complete this analysis.
Developing ICC in TCSL: A taxonomy of descriptors for developing ICC will be given based on the results of the conceptual analyses and the examinations of teaching practices. Based on this taxonomy, indicators for a curriculum for developing ICC in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSL) will be developed.
The major findings of this study may be summarized as follows：
I. How do activities and practices outlined by the 385 “Can-do-descriptors” of the CEFR contribute to developing ICC? The analysis shows a remarkable uneven distribution:
In general, the appearance rate of activities and practices for developing ICC in the overall 385 Can-do-descriptors is relatively high. Almost every second descriptor (49.6% of all descriptors in detail) contribute to developing of ICC. This shows that ICC is regarded as an important factor in the CEFR pedagogical aims of language learning and teaching.
However, a great amount of tasks, practices and activities aimed for developing ICC start at a relatively high level (B2) of linguistic competence. For instance, the ratio between descriptors which contribute to ICC pedagogy and descriptors which do not make a contribution constitute 48:13 at the C2 level. It seems that developing ICC becomes important at a higher level, but it is much less involved at the basic levels of linguistic competence (Breakthrough, Way Stage, and Threshold).
Actual communicative activities, however, gives a different picture of the needs of language learners. According to the CEFR, plurilingual and pluricultural competence is not in accordance with linguistic competences. Language learners who have less linguistic competences will be forced to utilize more strategies to carry out the same task than those who have greater linguistic competences.
The various cognitive and emotive components of ICC are unevenly presented in the 385 Can-do-descriptors: AICC (affective ICC) appears much less than CICC (cognitive ICC) and BICC (behavioral ICC) in the tasks and activities outlined by the 385 descriptors (AICC: 12%; BICC:45%; CICC: 43%). AICC, however, plays an important role in mediating between CICC and BICC. Therefore, a reinforcement of tasks and activities which aims to develop AICC is recommended in curricula of TCSL.
Reinforcement of tasks and activities for developing ICC at the lower levels: In order to develop ICC of Chinese language learners, specific courses for developing ICC should be integrated into the curriculum at breakthrough (A1) and way stage (A2) level.
II. How should Chinese language teachers incorporate specific knowledge about Chinese culture in their language teaching according to the “385 Can-do- descriptors?:
Almost a third of the 385 Can-do- descriptors apply to specific cultural knowledge (31.68 % of all descriptors). Many tasks imply certain “communication indicators” which involve certain specific cultural connotations. That means that although intercultural communicative competence is emphasized, some specific cultural connotations are needed in order to enhance intercultural awareness and intercultural sensitivity.
In the "385 Can-do-descriptors four different main categories of specific knowledge can be distinguished:
“Cultural background knowledge” is mainly applied at a higher level (B1, C1, C2). A concentration lies at C2 level.
References to “cultural linguistic knowledge” are given at different levels (A2, B2, C1, C2), but concentrate on a higher level (C1).
“Cultural and social behavior knowledge” is subject of language teaching at an intermediate level (A2, B2, C1), but there is a focus at level B2.
“Spiritual cultural knowledge” is involved at all levels, but references are mainly done at a higher level (C2).
Therefore, to develop ICC at the beginners’ level, specific tasks and activities which supplement cultural linguistic knowledge and cultural social behavior knowledge should be designed.
Furthermore, at the borderline between intermediate and advanced levels (from B2 to C1), discussions and reflections should be intensified in order to enhance “intercultural communication affective competence” according to the requirements of tasks at C1 level.
III. Further recommendations for teaching beginners:
Cultural awareness can be developed through high level cognitive activities. The result of the present analyses show, however, that crucial cognitive activities are not applied at the beginners’ levels. Instead, we find that mainly low-level cognitive activities are practiced at the beginners’ level. Therefore, we recommended that Chinese language teacher should design tasks and activities which address certain cognitive activities as “classifying”, “differentiating”, “criticizing” and so on. Furthermore, since tasks and activities which address cognitive activities which help to break up cultural stereotypes, for example, “attributing”, it is suggested to add tasks to develop these cognitive activities at the beginners’ level (A2), too.
We will find different kinds of cultural knowledge at the beginners’ level. At the beginners’ level (A1 and A2), however, a focus lies on “knowledge of specific details and elements” which strengthens forms of a static and content based knowledge. This may be negatively affect the development of ICC. Thus, Chinese language teachers should add tasks and activities which develop affective domains of ICC in order to remove cultural self-centeredness at the beginners. Cultural empathy and respect should be developed in order to explore pluralistic perspectives. This can be done through investigative activities which provide diverse and flexible perspectives on language and culture.
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