THE MANDARIN ORAL MASTERY PROGRAMME AS PERCEIVED BY NON-NATIVE LEARNERS

Background and Purpose: Pinyin is required in learning Mandarin. The challenge of Romanised Pinyin is that learners must decipher the meaning of words based on the change of tone. Communication research is often conducted without accounting for the effects of the change of tone in learning a language. With the aim of avoiding miscommunication while strengthening awareness, Campus Buddies Programme was employed to provide tone practice for learners and consequently explores the effectiveness of the intervention. Methodology: This quantitative classroom-based research gathered information through the administration of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 32 Mandarin Level 1 learners identified through purposive sampling. The students studied five topics from the syllabus. A total of 10 native speakers who scored A in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) mentored the learners during the programme. The participants were instructed to answer both pre- and post-tests. Part A consists of demographic details, whereas Part B focuses on the effectiveness of questions and Part C consists of 30 questions of content learned by the respondents. The data were then analysed using SPSS 26 software. Findings: The respondents demonstrated a positive response towards the programme and suggested further improvement ideas such as prolonging the training session and adding more topics and oral activities. The results implicated the programme as a motivator for oral fluency. Many non-native speakers can benefit from conversation with Mandarin native speakers because it is a strong indicator and sound oral mastery strategy. Contributions: This research provides insights into the effectiveness of the current programme in motivating students’ oral learning. The outcome is essential in determining the Mandarin conversation strategy. More studies adopting different variables are proposed to explore correlations from different perspectives in order to improve students’ oral learning. Keywords: Tonal pronunciation, native speakers, non-native speakers, foreign language instruction, Mandarin conversation. Cite as: Chua, N. A., Soon, G. Y., Ibrahim, M. Y., Che Noh, C. H., Mansor, N. R., Embong Eusoff, A. M., Abdul Rashid, R., & Shen, M. (2022). The Mandarin oral mastery programme as perceived by non-native learners. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(1), 1-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss1pp1-23

Foreign Language Acquisition Anxiety and Project-Based Learning in Collaborative L2 Instruction: A Case Study

This article discusses the experiences of an instructor-student collaboration in combining English as a Second Language instruction with a project-based model. It provides information about a year-long period of instruction that made use of extensive collaboration in language instruction for the creation of business documents geared to a specific purpose. The article suggests that such a project-based and collaborative approach to Foreign Language Learning might be useful in alleviating foreign language learning anxiety for advanced speakers of a second language. Additionally, the article discusses instruction performed via the Zoom platform. The use of platforms such as Zoom, or Skype, are becoming more ubiquitous as an instructional trend that pre-dates recent public health concerns, and this technology is discussed here in terms of the opportunities for collaborative learning and feedback it offers in a discipline that is still favors traditional face-to-face instruction. Although the experiences described here occurred in a non-academic setting with an instructor-student dyad, we suggest that it may be useful in academic settings with additional students and fewer collaborative opportunities to create highly specific objectives.

A Systematic Review of Video Games for Second Language Acquisition

This study overviews contemporary studies on the use of video games for second language acquisition within the past ten years spanning the development of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and its connections to SLA, definitions of video games, empirical studies on the facilitative roles played by video games for second language (L2) learning and utilizing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for language learning. The purpose of this chapter is to help the readers obtain a systematic understanding of the development and application of video games in second language education. Findings of this study suggests that players are able to acquire L2 knowledge while playing video games. It also suggests that future research should focus more on the actual integration of video games into language instruction.

Stories Make Readers

Using literature in multilingual and second language classes promotes literacy skills and helps children to adapt to second language instruction. This chapter presents the theoretical framework and practical implementations for enhancing the use of literature in multilingual environments employing Stories Make Readers (StoRe)–project as an example. StoRe concept helps to promote the use of fictional literature and to increase the reading materials and reading time at school and at home. An important aim is to offer, in multilingual groups, reading materials that correspond to the reading abilities and interest of the readers, and to connect different collaborative, child-centered, and multidisciplinary activities in reading. The multilingual line of the StoRe project, called Creating Innovative Approaches to Language Education (IKI), identifies and promotes innovative models for the use and development of language in education and creates research-based, pedagogical maps that help teachers develop and improve their pedagogical practices.

Fostering Active Learning via Critical Pedagogies

This chapter aims to provide a guideline for pre-service and in-service teachers to apply reflective research in language classrooms to gain a multidimensional overview of language teaching strategies in increasing active learning via critical pedagogies. A previously conducted reflective research will be used throughout the chapter to reach the stated aim. Analyzing language teaching techniques and strategies in an English for Academic Purposes classroom where all the students are originally from East Asia, the sample reflective research illustrates the needs and expectations of East Asian students in language learning through the research students, and also it aims to provide clues for TESOL educators to implement a similar study in classrooms employing critical pedagogies to develop language instruction.

How Reflective Practice Informs Blended and Online Language Instruction

This chapter discusses how reflection is essential to informing instruction. The authors reflect on the community-building strategies implemented through an onboarding process prior to the start of the semester that ensures connection and engagement among students who are physically separated. This process opens a line of communication between students and instructors providing essential feedback to identify and address needs as well as build a trusting and open relationship for student-instructor engagement. The authors discuss how throughout the course, student reflection on their learning enabled them to recognize achievements, identify issues, and shape instructional practices. These reflections are an integral part of the interweaving of asynchronous and synchronous sessions based on four different learning models. All learning models included clear scaffolding for maximum benefit regardless of learning environments. The ongoing adjustments based on reflection proved worthy as student communication skills remained equal to those of pre-pandemic learning.

Shifting Gears

In March 2020, all Ohio school buildings were closed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, leaving districts in crisis mode to complete the school year. This chapter per the authors details how the specialists in world languages and cultures at the Ohio Department of Education, in collaboration with the Ohio Foreign Language Association, were able to quickly and efficiently initiate virtual support for Ohio language teachers during the Spring 2020 school year, lead a summer professional learning series to prepare teachers for remote and blended learning the following school year, and continue virtually supporting teachers throughout the disruptions of the 2020-2021 school year. Priorities focused on teachers' and learners' social-emotional needs, high-quality and practical instructional resources that made language learning accessible for all, and a professional learning framework that modeled strategies for reimagining language instruction in an in-person, remote, or blended environment.

It All Connects

The COVID-19 pandemic forced society to reevaluate the role of technology in the blink of an eye, and virtual learning environments became a necessity rather than an option. Even those instructors who were accustomed to remote learning had to reevaluate its best practices. World language teachers especially were forced to consider how to best provide their students the opportunity to practice the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. With communication being the essence of foreign language instruction, it was of utmost consideration as to how it could transition effectively online. While there are many tools available for online teaching, not all of them are suitable for the world language class. Using connectivism as a framework, the authors propose that a single tool, Flipgrid, can be used to develop communicative proficiency and has the potential to enhance 21st century skills. This chapter will describe Flipgrid, its advantages and limitations, and offer three sample activities.

Target Attainment in the Production of English Vowels by Polish Students: The Influence of Language Instruction in the Time of Covid-19, Imitation, and Musicality

This pilot experimental study pursues a number of goals. Firstly, it aims to assess the phonetic attainment of selected English vowels among twelve Polish students of English philology after one term of intensive online pronunciation training in pandemic conditions. Secondly, it looks at potential differences between production outcomes in two experimental contexts, that is, reading and imitation. Finally, it seeks to determine if there is any correlation between musicality and target attainment with a view to identifying a broader scope for potential future research questions. For this purpose, recorded samples of read and imitated English words containing vowels in a uniform context /h_d/ were assessed by six raters using a 5-point Likert scale. The results, including those of an online musicality test, were analysed and subjected to statistical testing. The majority of total scores exceed the assumed acceptability benchmark of 50%. The study yielded a number of unexpected results. Firstly, female participants performed significantly better than male ones in the reading experiment, but not in imitation. Secondly, a stronger correlation was found between the reading results and musicality than between imitation results and musicality.