Applying writing scales of the Common European Framework in Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK)?

Transcription

1 Applying writing scales of the Common European Framework in Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK)? Realities, problems and suggestions for Chinese language teachers and learners Ya Ping Hsiao ( Language Centre,Tilburg University Peter Broeder ( Babylon,Tilburg University

2 Overview 1. Writing skills: the new HSK and CEF 2. What are writing skills in Chinese? 3. Is writing Chinese characters difficult? 4. How are writing skills organized in Chinese language courses at Beginners levels (A1 and A2)? 5. How do teachers perceive of the new HSK and CEF writing scales? 6. How do students perceive of the new HSK and CEF writing scales?

3 The new HSK and CEF Why the new HSK? Hǎnyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì 汉 语 水 平 考 试 Chinese Proficiency Test Applying CEF levels

4 Overview of the new HSK levels HSK levels CEF levels Writing Vocabulary 1 A A2-300 (A1+A2) 3 B1 15 minutes B2 25 minutes C1 40 minutes C2 45 minutes over 5000

5 What are writing skills in Chinese? 1. Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo! Pinyin is the romanization system of the Chinese language or phonetic representation of Chinese speech. 2. Chinese characters: 你 好! The official writing system

6 The 5 th skill: Writing Chinese in Pinyin transcriptions Confusion of using the same alphabet to represent totally different sounds in most other European languages (e.g., j, q, x, zh, ch, sh, r). Complicated rules of spelling (e.g., ü/u) Problems to segment (e.g., Verb + Object, le, complement)

7 The 5 th skills: Writing Chinese characters Strokes Stroke orders 永 Radicals Structures

8 Study 1: Students perceptions of learning Chinese characters 34 university students (Tilburg - Utrecht) 2 levels / 4 groups Beginners (N = 19 students) After 1 semester, 3 hrs per week Advanced (N = 15 students) After 2-3 semesters Age = 22,5 years avg.

9 Describe in one word your experience with writing Chinese characters (CEF-A1) (CEF-A2)

10 Some typical answers: Students perceptions: Why is writing Chinese characters difficult? Because there are so many. Mostly: difficult to keep them apart. No relation with spoken, just have to learn everything by heart. Difficult characters with a lot of strokes. Many characters are very similar. Also, the shapes are uncommon to me. I am used to a connection between letters and sounds. You have to be very precise with the length of the strokes and where you place them, because the meaning of the characters depends on it. 10

11 Study 2: Writing skills, the new HSK and CEF Methods Analyses of course descriptions of Chinese language courses at 8 universities Interviews with teachers at 4 universities Questionnaires with 6 students

12 Written tests of the new HSK Level 1 = A1 Listening: four parts/20 items Reading: four parts/20 items 1. Items are presented with both Pinyin transcriptions and Chinese characters. 2. Writing skills are not tested. Level 2 = A2 Listening: four parts/35 items Reading: four parts/25 items

13 Example: Level 1

14 Example: Level 2

15 Analysis of course descriptions How are writing skills organized in Chinese language courses at Beginners levels (A1 and A2)? 1. How do they plan the instruction of Chinese written systems (Pinyin and characters)? 2. How many characters do students have to learn at Level 1 and 2? 3. Are there descriptions about instructional design or activities of writing skills?

16 Results At Level 1 There are three situations: 1. Pinyin and characters are introduced at the same time from the first few lectures based on the characters of the textbook (Utrecht, Nijmegen, Leuven, Leiden), 2. A limited number of characters are taught such as number 1-10 and the most frequently used characters (Rotterdam, Tilburg) ; 3. Only Pinyin is taught (Maastricht, Groningen).

17 Results At Level 2 1. Most teachers continue with Pinyin as a medium to communicate the pronunciation but no practice about how to use Pinyin anymore. 2. Except Maastricht University, other universities teach Chinese characters at this level. 3. However, the number of characters that students have to learn varies from 20 (Rotterdam) to 200 (Utrecht). 4. Most universities do not clearly state the function of using characters to communicate based on the CEF level descriptors.

18 Interviews Chinese teachers from language centers of 4 universities: Utrecht, Nijmegen, Maastricht and Leuven How do teachers perceive of the new HSK and CEF writing scales?

19 Results 1. Are the table of New HSK test levels clear to you about the number of characters and which characters that your students have to learn at Level 1 and 2? Why (not)? All 4 teachers said the HSK table is unclear because: Writing is not tested at Level 1 and 2. Thus, they are not sure how much they should focus on writing skills. They do not know exactly what vocabulary mean: words or characters. They do not know whether the numbers of vocabulary at each level are cumulative or distinct.

20 Results 2. Do you think it is useful for your students to use CEF writing scales to do self-assessment? Why (not)?

21 All 4 teachers said the CEF level descriptors are unclear for their students because: They do not know which form of written communication these descriptors refer to: Writing a postcard in Pinyin or characters? There is no clue for students to know what writing skills they are supposed to learn.

22 Questionnaires with 6 students How do students perceive of the new HSK and CEF writing scales? 1. Look at the Table of New HSK Test levels. How many characters do you think you need to learn to pass the exam? 2. Do you think that characters are required to pass this test? Why (not)? 3. Look at CEF writing scales for self-assessment. Are the level descriptors clear to you about how to assess your own writing skills in Chinese? Why (not)?

23 Results At Level 1 These 3 students have different interpretations of the numbers of characters that they need to learn at Level 1: from 0 to 10. All of them think the CEF writing scales of self-assessment at Level 1 are clear: They just use Pinyin to write a postcard.

24 Results At Level 2 These 3 students have different interpretations of the numbers of characters that they need to learn at Level 2: from 0 to 400. Two of them think that these descriptors are clear but one thinks they are vague.

25 Suggestions To Hanban: Specifying the level descriptions for the 5th skill (Pinyin and characters) To teachers: Considering students goals of learning Chinese More attention to Character recognition and pen-less reproduction (e.g., typing) Writing for meaning

26 谢 谢! Special thanks to: Dirk Derhaeg (Leuven) Camay Lin (Nijmegen) Suli Poell (Maastricht) Wang-Ju Tsai (Utrecht) Yawen Zhou (Shengzhen) and their students