Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

Transcription

1 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time? Panel discussion SLO Netherlands institute for curriculum development 8th June, 2012 Felix Meritis Amsterdam 1 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

2 Organizing committee SLO Daniela Fasoglio senior curriculum developer project manager Dutch Chinese Pilot Anne Beeker senior curriculum developer core team Dutch Chinese Pilot Josephine van den Graven project assistant Iclon Alessandra Corda coordinator National Centre for Modern Languages core team Dutch Chinese Pilot Claire Smulders teacher trainer of Chinese at Iclon Graduate School of Teaching core team Dutch Chinese Pilot 2 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

3 Introduction Writing Chinese characters by hand or electronically is a challenging discussion topic, not only in the Netherlands but also internationally. What is the pedagogical value of teaching pupils how to write characters by hand? Does this activity enhance pupils proficiency in the Chinese language, especially in reading? Is it worth spending a lot of time on hand-writing in the initial stages of their language learning process? Especially keeping in mind the relatively small amount of teaching hours available? How should Chinese writing skills be taught and assessed in secondary education? A group of specialists from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands are coming together in Amsterdam today in order to discuss these topics. Different viewpoints will be compared, various arguments will be offered in an attempt to find mutually shared answers and recommendations. We wish you a stimulating and pleasant day. The organizing committee 3 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

4 The Dutch Pilot Chinese as a school subject is increasingly popular in quite a few European countries, among which the Netherlands. In 2009 the Netherlands Institute of Curriculum Development (SLO) wrote a curriculum proposal as a first step towards the introduction of Chinese Language and Culture as a regular school subject in Dutch secondary education. In 2010 the Dutch Ministry of Education allocated a subsidy to a three-year pilot project in order to gather data on attainability, feasibility and testability of the proposed learning contents and target goals. At the moment, nine secondary schools participate in this project, the results of which will be published at the end of In June 2011 a Chinese language assessment test was carried out in the fourth form of the pilot schools. The results showed that on average an A1 proficiency level had been achieved by the students for speaking, listening and reading, but not for writing. A significant difference was found, too, between writing Chinese characters using pinyin as input on the computer (and then select the right character from the drop-down list) and writing characters by hand. 4 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

5 Programme Registration and coffee Introduction Short outline of the Dutch Chinese pilot project Reason and purpose of the meeting Panel discussion Question 1 a) reviewers b) panel discussion c) questions from the floor Daniela Fasoglio Moderators: Alessandra Corda Daniela Fasoglio Reviewers: Joël Bellassen Tin Chau Tsui Lunch Panel discussion Question 2 a) reviewers b) panel discussion c) questions from the floor Coffee break Panel discussion Question 3 a) reviewers b) panel discussion c) questions from the floor Moderators: Alessandra Corda Daniela Fasoglio Reviewers: Liesje Geyskens Claire Smulders Moderators: Alessandra Corda Daniela Fasoglio Reviewers: Katharine Carruthers Jim McDonald Coffee break Conclusions and recommendations Anne Beeker Closing of the meeting Daniela Fasoglio 5 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

6 Members of the panel Belgium Liesje Geyskens Liesje Geyskens studied Chinese at the Sinology department of the University of Leuven and at Nanjing University. While working as a Chinese teacher in the KU Leuven language training centre for adults, she continued studying at the same University to become a language teacher. She co-founded the Belgian Chinese Teacher Association (BCLA). Together with colleagues she organizes in-service training for Chinese teachers (LUCON). At the moment she teaches Chinese to the bachelor students of the Sinology department of KU Leuven. She is also active as a teacher trainer and is co-developing Chinese teaching material for Flemish secondary schools. Els Hedebouw Els Hedebouw is a full-time Chinese language teacher in the department of sinology at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. She teaches Chinese to first year sinology students (reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary) and conducts teacher training classes for mainly adult education level on teaching grammar, vocabulary and reading. She is also working on a PhD project titled The processes of collaborative activity in literature circles in relation to language use and text comprehension. The case of Dutch CFL learners literature circle discussions of Chinese texts. Her major research interests are Chinese foreign language acquisition and reading in a foreign language. She is co-founder of the Belgian Chinese Language Teachers Association (BCLA). 6 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

7 Members of the panel France Joël Bellassen Joël Bellassen has been Inspecteur Général of Chinese Language Teaching for the Ministry of National Education, France, since He graduated from Paris University (PhD, dept of Chinese, dept of Philosophy) and was a student at the Peking Language Institute and Peking University from 1973 to Next he worked as a Chinese language teacher in secondary education for ten years. He was Associate Professor at the University of Paris from 1991 to 2000, Professor at INALCO from 2000 to 2006 and Research Director in the field of Chinese Didactics from 1997 to today. Honorary president of the French Chinese Language Teachers Association (president from 1987 to 2002); vice-chairman of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching from 1993; chief-editor in charge of Chinese teaching programmes for secondary schools; author of several publications of books, scientific papers, video and cd-rom teaching materials, among others A Key to Chinese Speech and Writing, A brief History of the Chinese Language Teaching in France, Le chinois pour tous, etc. Germany Henning Klöter Henning Klöter is Professor of Chinese and Head of the Chinese Section at the Faculty of Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies of the University of Mainz (Germany). He studied Sinology and Linguistics in Trier, Leiden, Peking and Taipei. MA Chinese Languages and Cultures at Leiden University in Editor and translator in Taiwan research assistant (aio) at Leiden University, PhD in Mandarin language teacher and research associate at the Department of Chinese Languages and Literatures of Ruhr University, Bochum (Germany) postdoctoral research fellow (NWO/veni) at the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics Assistant Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Sinology Studies of National Taiwan Normal University (Taipei) secretary and executive board member of the European Association of Chinese Linguistics Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

8 Members of the panel acting head of the Department of Chinese Languages and Literatures. Since September nd chairman of the Association of Chinese Teachers in German Speaking Countries. Great Britain Katharine Carruthers Katharine Carruthers is the Director of the Schools Network (SSAT) Confucius Institute. The Schools Network is a not-for-profit membership organisation which aims to raise achievement in schools in England and internationally. Katharine has played a leading role in promoting and developing the study of Chinese and China across the curriculum in schools in England. Katharine is an experienced teacher and examiner of Chinese. She is the series editor of the new series of Pearson textbooks for teaching Chinese for year olds and is Chief Examiner for Cambridge Pre-U Mandarin Chinese and Principal Examiner for IGCSE Mandarin for Cambridge International Examinations. She is currently working with colleagues at the Institute of Education, London University to deliver the first year of a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course for teachers of Mandarin Chinese. Katharine graduated in Chinese from Durham University and has an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies. Meryl James Presently Co-ordinator of the Confucius Classroom for Edinburgh City and teacher of Modern Languages. Prior to this post Development Officer for Perth and Kinross Council ( ) with responsibility for developing and promoting all languages offered in schools in Scotland both primary and secondary. It included the teaching and the training of teachers at all levels. A special focus was the development of materials following National Guidelines and encouraging diversity of languages offered, especially for Chinese since 2005/6 in line with the Government s National China Policy. 8 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

9 Members of the panel Jim McDonald Jim McDonald has been Qualifications Manager for Modern Languages at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) since July He has been responsible for a range of modern languages courses and Awards, including the introduction of National Courses in Cantonese and Mandarin in Before taking up the post of QM, he was a principal teacher of modern languages, and taught French, German and Spanish. Lik Suen Lik Suen is Principal Lector in Chinese at the China and Inner Asia Department, University of London. She graduated from Beijing Language University with a major in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. She has over 20 years experience of teaching Chinese to foreign students. She worked for the Chinese University of Hong Kong and joined SOAS Chinese department in Currently she is the Principal Lector in Chinese at SOAS. She is also a senior examiner of Chinese language in several exam boards in the UK. She is the author of several Chinese textbooks. 9 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

10 Members of the panel the Netherlands Ya Ping (Amy) Hsiao Ya Ping (Amy) Hsiao works as a PhD employee at the Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies (CELSTEC) at the Open University of the Netherlands and as a lecturer Chinese at Tilburg University. After her bachelor of Chinese Language & Literature Education in Taiwan, she completed her masters in Applied Linguistics at Edinburgh University and Educational Science and Technology (the track of Educational Management, Evaluation and Assessment) at Twente University. Amy sets out to push the boundaries of language education in multiple directions at once. She dedicates herself to three practices of teaching Chinese as a foreign language: 1) designing optimal instructions to alleviate learner cognitive load and improve learning efficiency, 2) incorporating alternative assessments into classroom activities, and 3) exploring these pedagogical practices in technology-enhanced learning environments. Her website, chinees-leren.nl, not only reflects these practices, but also promotes Chinese language to the general public of Dutch speakers. Claire Smulders Claire Smulders (MA) grew up in Brussels where she passed her European Baccalaureate at the European School of Uccle. After finishing her studies of Chinese Language and Culture at Leiden University, Beijing University and Taiwan Normal University, she worked as a researcher at the Law Faculty of Utrecht University. In addition to being a teacher in Chinese Language and Culture in three Secondary Schools, she is presently working as a Pedagogist in Chinese Language and Culture at Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching (ICLON) and is, as such, involved in the SLO-ICLON Pilot Study Chinees op School. 10 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

11 Members of the panel Tin Chau Tsui Tin Chau Tsui, Senior Lecturer of Chinese language, Department of Oriental Languages and Communication, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. First teacher of the Chinese language in secondary education in the Netherlands. Author of the teaching method Chinees? Een makkie! (Zhongwen? Haoxue!, Chinese? Easy Peasy!) which has been published in The Netherlands and Sweden. Field experience mentor of the postgraduate program Master of Arts in Teaching Chinese as an International Language, Hong Kong Institute of Education. 11 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?

12 12 Learning to write Chinese by hand: a healthy practice or a waste of time?