EXPLORING THE DEEP PROCESSING STRATEGIES OF CHINESE AS SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS � Linda Tsung � Peiru Tong � Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences � The University of Sydney � 28 th May 2020
WHAT ARE DEEP LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES? Creating mental Language learning strategies (LLS) that linkages require greater depth of processing and cognitive involvement , such as Applying images and sounds metalinguistic awareness and systematic Memorisation strategies grouping, are more likely to facilitate Using key words and learning. semantic mapping Deep processing strategies : Oxford’s Reviewing and (1990) memorisation strategies: employing actions
• Chinese learners create idiosyncratic stories by themselves to McGinnis remember the shapes of the characters. (1999) • While Chinese learners also use generic strategies proposed by LITERATURE REVIEW Oxford (1990), they also use strategies that are more specific to Shen Chinese, e.g., associating the sound of the character with its (2005) shape or meaning. Research on the LLS of Chinese • Based on Oxford (1990) and Shen (2005), the researchers found that the boundary between generic strategies and Mandarin- Grenfell & Chinese-specific strategies is not clear-cut. Harris • The complexity of the graphic features of Chinese characters (2015) may require learners to refine their existing strategies used to learn roman scripts.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS To fill the gap, this study will take into account the strategies of learning Pinyin and tones in addition to the learning of Chinese characters. Research questions: • What strategies are commonly used by the students for learning Pinyin and Chinese characters? 1 • Are there any differences between students with different demographic backgrounds? 2 • How to facilitate students’ strategies for learning Pinyin and Chinese characters? 3
SURVEY DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION Framework for questionnaire design Oxford’s (1990) four levels of memorisation strategies: creating mental linkages, applying images and sounds; using key words and semantic mapping [relating to familiar contexts]; reviewing and employing actions Items reworded and adjusted for Pinyin and character learning respectively
SURVEY DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION The questionnaire consists of: Part 1: Demographic information - gender, first language(s); other language(s); heritage background; class level. Part 2: Pinyin learning strategy scale (11 items); two open-ended questions. Part 3: Chinese character learning strategy scale (17 items); two open-ended questions. Part 4: One open-ended question asking for students’ suggestions on Pinyin and Chinese characters instructions.
SURVEY DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION Questionnaire Validity and Reliability The responses provided by A small number of students Face validity and construct this group of students had (N=18) were asked to fill in validity were reviewed by high internal consistency the questionnaire and check professionals. reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha the clarity of expressions. = .812).
SURVEY DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION Participants: 117 Chinese learners in an Australian university volunteered to participate • 84 from the beginners’ class, had learned Chinese for 1 year; • 33 from intermediate classes, most of whom had learned Chinese for 2-3 years. Time: End of Semester 2, 2019 Test on internal consistency reliability: High reliability level (Cronbach’s Alpha = .807) Handling missing data: 19 items had missing values • 18 students missed 1 item; 1 student missed 2 items • another 1 student missed 3 items; 1 student missed 8 items
DATA ANALYSIS B. Independent-Samples T C. Thematic analysis of A. Principal Axis T est: open-ended question Factoring: responses: Comparing the means of Exploring the dimensions of learners with different Emergent strategies in student learning strategies demographic backgrounds responses KMO and Barlett’s Character learning strategy scale: Pinyin learning strategy scale: Test results of both scales indicated that it was appropriate to conduct factoring analysis:
A. PRINCIPAL AXIS FACTORING � Pinyin strategy scale result: Two factors extracted explaining 46.636% of � variance. Both factors survived the internal consistency � reliability test (Cronbach’s Alpha > 0.6). Factor 1: Visualising the sound (through image & gesture) Factor 2: Creating mental linkages (through grouping & linking a sound to a familiar sound)
A. PRINCIPAL AXIS FACTORING � Character learning strategy scale result: Four factors extracted explaining 39.854% of � variance. All factors survived the internal consistency � reliability test, however, the forth factor had comparatively low Cronbach’s Alpha score of 0.535). Factor 1: Focusing on particular parts and shapes of a character Factor 2: Grouping by same or similar components Factor 3: Memorising and applying the whole character Factor 4: Applying external resources
A. PRINCIPAL AXIS FACTORING � Descriptive statistics of the factors � 1 = Strongly agree; 5 = Strongly disagree � The strategies more commonly used have smaller mean scores. � Shaded rows indicate Pinyin learning strategy factors; unshaded rows indicate Character learning strategy factors.
Summary of results: 1. The most commonly used types of character learning strategy were “Focusing on particular parts and shapes of a character”, and “Memorising and applying a whole character”. This echoes to some extent with Grenfell and Harris’s (2015) finding that “Focus on the whole character” and A. PRINCIPAL AXIS “Focus on strokes” constituted two different factors for Character learning strategies. FACTORING 2. The other two types of Character learning strategies were less commonly used by students, namely, “Applying external resources” and “Grouping by same or similar components”. A possibility is that these two types of strategies might require extra or proactive efforts from students (making flash cards, using mobile device, inventing stories), or more systematic analysis of character components. 3. Regarding Pinyin learning strategies, “Visualising the sound” was much more commonly used than “Creating mental linkages”. The strategy of “Visualising the sound” through image and gesture is particularly useful for learning Pinyin tones. The factor of “Creating mental linkages” scored the highest and above 3 on the scale, which means it was least commonly used by learners. The students of the current study might need instructions on grouping the sounds of Pinyin and linking them to familiar sounds.
Independent-Samples T Tests were performed in SPSS to compare the means between the following groups: (1) Gender (female vs. male) B. (2) Class level (beginners’ vs. intermediate) INDEPENDENT - SAMPLES (3) Heritage background (Chinese background vs. non-Chinese background) T -TEST (4) Languages spoken (English and other European languages vs. Asian languages) Significant differences were only found by “Class level”.
B. INDEPENDENT - SAMPLES T -TEST Intermediate learners’ scores for Character Factor 1 “Focusing on particular parts and shapes of a character” and Character Factor 3 “Memorising and applying the whole character” were significantly lower than those of beginners, which means they used these two types of strategies much more than beginners. It is possible that higher level learners were more familiar with the radicals, strokes, and shapes of characters, but the small number of intermediate learners (N=33) may generate biased results of this study. Further studies are needed to determine the distinction between lower and higher level learners.
C. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTION RESPONSES � Responses were grouped into existing strategy types if appropriate. Other strategies were examined for emergent themes. Other Pinyin learning strategies nominated by Some students specified their strategies for students “Visualising the sound” (e.g., imaging the chart for tones or nodding head) and “Creating mental Repetitive practice 24 linkages” (e.g., relating Pinyin tones to music and their 1 st language sounds). Visualising the sound 22 Imitation and discrimination 20 Many students just “practiced repetitively” or “memorised” the sound. Creating mental linkages 16 Some students mentioned imitating recordings Rote memorisation 7 and native speakers and discriminating between 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 different sounds. Count of responses
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