應用華語歌曲及錄音軟體於華語教學之課程設計

Abstract

華語在近幾年已成為學習第二外語的熱門選擇，尤其隨著中國在國際地位的提高，以及在軍事及經濟發展各方面都不斷成長，華語學習的需求趨勢預估將有增無減。《每日電訊報》針對碩士畢業人士應學習的語言做排名，華語是亞洲區語言第一名，並且是全世界第四名。 很多人對於華語作為第二外語的學習深感興趣與動機，然而，對非母語人士來說華語學習極具挑戰。尤其很多學生在初學階段抱持興趣，但是隨著程度加深，會有越來越多人放棄學習。因此，隨著華語學習需求的增加，華語教師的需求也隨之增加，華語教學方法的設計與探討也成為重要的研究對象，發展能夠不斷維持學生動機的課程設計，讓無論初級或高級階段的學生都能保持興趣，更是華語教學亟待探討的主題之一。 本研究探討改進的方式之一，是以中文歌曲作為教材的課程設計，以引起學生的學習興趣。研究並探討什麼樣的歌曲適合作為教材以及適合的教學方式，並以焦點團體教學方式探討教學效果。研究發現，以歌曲作為課程設計的主軸，能夠引起學生的學習興趣與動機，無論是內在還是外在動機，並符合馬斯駱（Maslow,1943）所指出的動機來自於自我認同。透過中文歌曲，學生能以多元方式探索與認識華語本身以及華語文化。 作為第二外語，華語這片學海對非母語人士來說浩瀚無窮，常使學生感到挫折。因此研究者希冀透過本研究，在華語教學的教學方法上帶來一些新的見解與嘗試，進而提供華語教師作為多元教學參考。貢獻在於希望教師藉由採用以中文歌曲為輔助教材的教學方法，能讓學生藉由中文民歌、流行歌以及古典民謠等歌曲更認識華語、華語文化甚至認識自己，進而對華語學習保持不滅的興趣。Regarding foreign language study, in 2014 Mandarin Chinese is hot and only growing hotter. Britain’s Telegraph Newspaper ranks Mandarin as the top Asian language for graduate jobs, and fourth in world languages overall. With the world’s largest population of native speakers, qualified Chinese teachers and classroom seats are in great demand. This is a trend that has only been growing in recent years, as China increasingly commands a more powerful and influential military, diplomatic, and economic international presence. However, as Chinese language students progress into upper semesters, their overall numbers drop precipitously. On the one hand then, Chinese holds tremendous appeal for beginning students, while on the other hand it remains for non-native speakers, arguably one of the world’s hardest languages to learn. Still, with this being the case, it only makes it more imperative that Chinese language educators and university programs find ways in which to retain students’ initial enthusiasm, and stem the flow of upper semester student attrition. In this paper, I discuss some of the reasons behind this attrition, how the introduction of music, specifically Chinese songs, can alleviate the drop in student numbers, which songs are suitable as classroom material, and what is to be expected from their proper implementation. It is the author’s assertion that through the use of songs as a curriculum backbone, a new avenue opens for students. Chinese songs allow students to explore and immerse themselves, in a dynamic and expressive new form of their language study. Motivation is piqued and the excitement of new language learning rekindled. I also discuss motivation as it manifests intrinsically, or extrinsically. Further the research provides support for the position that our motivations are born of our sense of self, as evidenced in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943). Chinese in its immensity has a propensity to overwhelm students. It is to the benefit of the entire endeavor, Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, that dynamic learning programs are infused into pedagogical settings. This paper introduces focused teaching goals, stressing realistic student expectations, and measured outcomes. It is hoped that as students familiarize themselves with the hooks of Chinese folk, pop, or classic era music, that they will become further hooked by the fascinating study that is Mandarin Chinese.

On the one hand then, Chinese holds tremendous appeal for beginning students, while on the other hand it remains for non-native speakers, arguably one of the world’s hardest languages to learn. Still, with this being the case, it only makes it more imperative that Chinese language educators and university programs find ways in which to retain students’ initial enthusiasm, and stem the flow of upper semester student attrition. In this paper, I discuss some of the reasons behind this attrition, how the introduction of music, specifically Chinese songs, can alleviate the drop in student numbers, which songs are suitable as classroom material, and what is to be expected from their proper implementation. It is the author’s assertion that through the use of songs as a curriculum backbone, a new avenue opens for students. Chinese songs allow students to explore and immerse themselves, in a dynamic and expressive new form of their language study. Motivation is piqued and the excitement of new language learning rekindled. I also discuss motivation as it manifests intrinsically, or extrinsically. Further the research provides support for the position that our motivations are born of our sense of self, as evidenced in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943).

Chinese in its immensity, has a propensity to overwhelm students. It is to the benefit of the entire endeavor, Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, that dynamic learning programs are infused into pedagogical settings. This paper introduces a program of 12 songs, followed by focused teaching goals, stressing realistic student expectations, and measured outcomes. It is hoped that as students familiarize themselves with the hooks of Chinese folk, pop, or classic era music, that they will become further hooked by the fascinating study that is Mandarin Chinese.