News

2011.0315

Integration of Chinese Teaching and Digital Technology Learning Chinese Through 3D Simulation

<div> <p><font size="2">With Chinese learning fever underway, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has developed the first Chinese proficiency grading index and curriculum guidelines, and has also integrated various kinds of Chinese learning materials with digital learning, providing students from Western countries with “Online Interactive Chinese Learning”. Foreign students can have a tour around Taiwan through 3D simulation, learning Chinese as well as gaining a deep understanding of Chinese culture.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2"> <span>   After hosting Beijing Olympics and Shanghai World Expo, China has gradually become more internationalized. Last year, China’s GDP surpassed Japan for the first time, taking the No. 2 spot in the world. Chinese learning has become a trend in the Western world as there are an enormous market and business opportunities to be explored in the Greater China Region. The number of people learning Chinese worldwide is estimated to be more than 100 million. </span></font></p> </div> <div><font size="2">NTNU Principal Dr. Kuo-en Chang noted that Taiwan’s edge in competing with China in the global Chinese teaching market lie in that Taiwanese teachers are equipped with better international perspectives and internet experiences. Dr. Chang also pointed out that Taiwanese teachers are capable of lively teaching and making learning relevant to daily life. “We have to grasp the right timing and feel the pulse of global market demand. We must work hard to distinguish Taiwan’s Chinese teaching and build competitive edges.” Dr. Chang said. </font></div> <div> <p><font size="2">Under the leadership of Dr. Chang, over a dozen professors, including Dr. Yao-ting Sung, Dr. Hsueh-chi Chen, Dr. Ya-hsun Tsai, and Dr. Yu-ju Lan, have formed the “COOL Chinese – Competence Oriented Omniform Learning for Chinese as a Foreign Language” team to integrate 6 aspects, namely, curriculum guidelines, teaching, learning, testing, international cooperation and industry-academia cooperation. The team intends to help industries related to Chinese language integrate with digital technology and establish Taiwan as a leader in global Chinese teaching.</font></p> </div> <div><strong><font size="2">Classification of Chinese teaching materials can bring Taiwan’s Chinese teaching in line with international language teaching standards</font></strong></div> <div> <p><font size="2">With the Chinese learning fever heating up, countries around the world begin to incorporate the Chinese language in their foreign language teaching policies. But what matters even more is the content of Chinese teaching. In recent years, universities and teaching institutions have developed a variety of Chinese teaching materials, but an internationally recognized level reference of Chinese teaching materials is not yet in existence. Foreigners who learn Chinese for the first time are at a loss as to what to study.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">According to Dr. Ya-hsun Tsai, chair of NTNU's Department of Applied Chinese Language and Literature, CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is currently the most comprehensive reference for countries worldwide to set foreign language program standards and is also adopted by the highest number of countries. Thus, developing Chinese proficiency levels and teaching material levels based on CEFR would be conducive for Taiwan to bring its Chinese teaching in line with international practices.</font></p> </div> <div><font size="2">By using scientific research methods such as document analysis, distribution of questionnaires and quantitative research, the NTNU research team completed Chinese proficiency index in 2009. The index is divided into 3 categories (elementary Chinese user, independent Chinese user, expert Chinese user) and 6 levels (A1 Elementary Chinese, A2 High-Elementary Chinese, B1 Intermediate Chinese, B2 High-Intermediate Chinese, C1 Advanced Chinese, and C2 Superior Chinese). Expressing, understanding, interacting and retelling are listed as the 4 fundamental skills, with 15 sub-items and 40 detail items under them. The purpose of building the classifications is to help learners acquire the ability to communicate with others in Chinese. </font></div> <div> <p><font size="2">The research team has designed 6 levels of language courses for learners of Chinese as a second foreign language. The courses are arranged from easy to difficult, which include A1 Elementary Chinese, A2 High-Elementary Chinese, B1 Intermediate Chinese, B2 High-Intermediate Chinese, C1 Advanced Chinese and C2 Superior Chinese. Curriculum guidelines are stipulated accordingly. Class hours and teaching objectives for each level will be proposed corresponding to the 4 language skills, that is, listening, speaking, reading and writing.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">Take A1 and A2, the levels with most learners, as examples. Teaching of listening at the levels attaches importance to understanding and communicating. For speaking, expressing oneself is the major focus. With regard to reading, commonly used words and expressions are stressed. In terms of writing characters and essays, the purpose is to help learners pick up characters, syntactic concepts and Chinese writing forms in meaningful environments.</font></p> </div> <div><font size="2">The research team also proposed guiding principles for making Chinese teaching materials and step-by-step learning materials of Chinese vocabulary and grammar based on the most commonly encountered communication scenarios for foreigners. All these can serve as reference level for future Chinese learning materials, thus establishing relevance between different teaching materials. It would be easier, therefore, for learners to switch from one set of materials to others.</font></div> <div><font size="2"> </font></div> <div><strong><font size="2">3D simulated learning makes Chinese learning more interesting for foreigners</font></strong></div> <div> <p><font size="2">Dr. Tsai noted that although Chinese learning fever is underway, Chinese teachers are inshort supply. It is expected that in the next few years global demand for Chinese teachers will rise to 500,000. The current demand is less than 100,000. Digital learning appears to be promising as it costs less and can be done across time and space. Therefore, the NTNU research team is engaged in industry-academia cooperation, hoping that Chinese learning can be made available to places where there are no Chinese teachers. This aspiration also coincides with the government's cultural innovation policy.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">NTNU combines its Chinese teachers and teaching materials with the first interactive 3D situational teaching platform in Taiwan, provided by the Innovative Digitech-Enabled Applications & Services Institute (IDEAS), Institute for Information Industry. NTNU and IDEAS have joined efforts in developing "3D Chinese Interactive Situations" teaching material. Online courses resembling online game "Second Life" are designed. Students are provided with speaking opportunities in real interactions. In the program, students' pronunciation and intonation can be immediately corrected. Courses become more fun and learning effect is improved.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">The curriculum is divided into the following 10 courses: A1 Elementary Chinese Reading, A1 Elementary Chinese Listening, A2 High-elementary Chinese Reading, A2 High-elementary Chinese Listening, AP Chinese Listening, AP Chinese Speaking, AP Chinese Reading, AP Chinese Writing, Daily Conversation and Business Conversation.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">The most special feature of the curriculum is that it includes a wide variety of topics. Real life aspects of Taiwan, such as sports and leisure activities, tourism, fashion trends, cultural festivals, colloquial usages, are incorporated into the courses. Through lively teaching, foreign students can not only acquire basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills but also can gain insights into Taiwan’s culture.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">By making use of the interactive 3D situational teaching platform developed by IDEAS, NTNU teachers can set course start dates and time slots as well as pre-arrange 3D simulation environment for teaching, which include 40 selections such as airports, hotels, parks, schools, movie theaters, libraries, clinics, homes and shopping malls. Students can select the roles they want to play and course schedules. With headsets and keyboards, students can play roles in the virtual world and have real-time conversations with teachers and fellow classmates.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">Teachers are allowed to upload teaching materials onto the internet. It becomes easier for students to review courses by uploaded video and audio files. If the teacher takes a leave, students can do self-study at home. Animation clips and games can also further motivate students.  </font></p> </div> <div><font size="2">In addition, NTNU has recently consolidated and edited teaching materials developed jointly with IDEAS, doing a test publishing of the textbook "3D Daily Chinese（I）A2". The textbook received rave reviews overseas and will be officially published in the near future.</font></div> <div><font size="2"> </font></div> <div> <p><strong><font size="2">Various sets of Chinese learning materials are developed to cater to different foreign students’ needs </font></strong></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">Plus, A1 Elementary level online self-study course "Adventures in the Chinese-speaking World" was designed for foreign students who have never learned Chinese. By taking the 10 lessons of the course, learners can pick up Chinese intonation, basic Chinese character strokes, approximately 300 Chinese words and design Chinese-learning environment by themselves. After taking the course, learners can go about their daily functions in a Chinese-speaking environment.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">NTNU has collaborated with Locus Publishing to release "Chinese Cubs", a program that highlights the feature of square shape of Chinese characters, engaging foreign students in games that allow them to learn 200 Chinese characters.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">Since 2009, the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission has entrusted NTNU to publish "Biweekly of Overseas Compatriot Education-Intermediate Chinese Digital Learning Material" and "Biweekly of Overseas Compatriot Education-Chinese Digital Learning Material for Children". The first set of learning material serves as teaching aids at overseas Chinese schools and mainstream schools for B1 intermediate Chinese learners while the second set is for children living overseas who are aged 3 years to 6 years old, facilitating parent-children interactions in Chinese and Chinese preschool teachers' teaching. As many as 40,000 overseas compatriots benefit from the teaching materials.</font></p> </div> <div> <p><font size="2">Professor Tsai indicated that in the current era of technology, Chinese teaching can be integrated with digital technology to meet people’s learning needs. Technology enables people all over the world who are interested in learning Chinese cross boundaries of time and space. Technology also makes teaching materials more interactive and engaging, further raising students’ interest level. Teachers can teach through distance learning if the students are equipped with internet skills. With the internet, students can also enjoy the convenience of self-learning.</font></p> </div> <div><font size="2">Professor Tsai pointed out that Taiwanese teachers have global perspectives and internet experiences, and are capable of lively teaching, making learning relevant to student’s daily life. NTNU has over 50 years of Chinese teaching history and vast amount of Chinese teaching materials combined with an excellent digital content industry, altogether earning Taiwan an advantageous position in the Chinese teaching market.</font></div>