The Influence Of Cultural Affinity On Chinese Learning

With the international popularity of Chinese, teaching Chinese as a foreign language overseas is increasingly valued. Therefore, studies of overseas Chinese teaching and promotion are becoming more and more important. However, the research in this field is still rare at present. In the research that has been done little is mentioned about the relationship between regional culture and Chinese learning. Therefore, it has become more and more important to make use of a cultural affinity with Chinese culture to promote overseas Chinese teaching.The research objects of this paper are Maori and European students in K school in Rotorua, New Zealand. By comparing the degree of cultural affinity and Chinese learning achievement of the two groups, the influence of cultural affinity on their Chinese learning is to be revealed. Further, suggestions are made for Chinese teaching in the region of Rotorua, New Zealand.This paper mainly adopts the methods of empirical study, questionnaire interview and comparative analysis. The opportunity to teach Chinese language in K school and promote Chinese culture was used to collect the relative data and to study the local culture and language. At the same time, the degree of Chinese culture affinity of the Maori and European students together with its impact on their Chinese learning is objectively demonstrated, by combining the questionnaire with the method of interview survey and comparing the results obtained.This paper consists of five chapters. In the Introduction, the author focuses on the background and significance of the study, the literature research review, research objectives and methods. Further, the theoretical basis and the basic framework are also described in this part.Chapter One describes the definition and connotation of’cultural affinity’, proves the relationships between’cultural affinity’and’social distance’,’cultural adaptation’and language study. This chapter lays the theoretical foundation of the following chapters.Chapter Two describes the ethnic origin, the culture of New Zealand and the present situation, on the basis of the racial history of Maori and European people. Then, the author presents the questionnaire used to investigate Maori and European students’degree of affinity to Chinese culture. In this chapter, the research method and content are also mentioned, as well as the questionnaire design. The subjects’ background is also analyzed. On the basis of the analysis, it’s concluded that Chinese learning is associated with the degree of cultural affinity.Chapter Three is about the case study, which targets the influence of cultural affinity on Chinese learning. Following the conclusions in the previous chapter, this chapter further carries out a comparative analysis of typical individuals from the two ethnic groups. Also the other influencing factors of Chinese learning for individuals are also researched and analyzed in this chapter.In Chapter Four the author presents the conclusions and summarizes the significance of the research. Also, some suggestions are raised and future research directions are indicated.The study found that, generally, cultural affinity is related to Chinese learning and they are positively correlated. In addition, through a case comparison, this paper found that the emotional attitude and motivation of the kin of the individual also has a promoting effect. On the whole, Maori students’cultural affinity degree is higher, and their Chinese learning is better. From the individual point of view, some European students learn Chinese better than Maori students. The main reason is that relatively they have stronger emotional attitudes and learning motivations. According to the research conclusion, in view of how to strengthen the cultural affinity of students in K school, Rotorua, New Zealand, this paper suggests cultural comparison, introducing Chinese culture activities, encouraging students to continue to study Chinese and strengthening the motivation for their Chinese study.Through the comparative study, this paper demonstrates that for Maori and European students in K school in Rotorua, New Zealand, the higher the degree of cultural affinity with Chinese culture, the better the results of their Chinese study. Although this study is a regional empirical study, I believe the research results can have a positive role in promoting the further development of overseas Chinese language teaching. I also believe the research results can play a complementary role in international Chinese research in different countries and areas, and contribute to the international promotion of Chinese education for the development of Confucius Institutes.