An Educational Narrative Research On The Practical Knowledge Of A University Expert Chinese Teacher To Speakers Of Other Languages

In recent years,when the global “Chinese fever” has been heating up,the number of people learning Chinese has rapidly increased.According to official data from the Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban(collectively referred to as Confucius Institute Headquarters),until December 31,2018,there were 548 Confucius Institutes and 1,193 classes in 154 countries and regions around the world.The new situation that Chinese spreads around the world puts forward higher requirements for the training of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages.At the end of 2012,the Confucius Institute Headquarters issued the “Standards for Teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages”(this article is collectively referred to as the “New Standards”).“New Standards”(2012)is no longer limited to requiring teachers to master simple knowledge about Chinese language and culture.Instead,it requires teachers who teach Chinese to speakers of other languages to use theories and knowledge flexibly in teaching practice,which enhances the practicality and operability of knowledge about Chinese language and culture and also indicates the importance of practical knowledge.Although there have been many studies on the practical knowledge of teachers in the academic world,a considerable number of them are directed at language teachers,and most research is aimed at English language teachers or Chinese language teachers.There is small number of research on teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages / teachers to teach Chinese as a foreign language(collectively referred to as teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages).Research,especially focusing on these teachers' practical knowledge,is limited,not to mention empirical research on expert teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages.The academic community lacks in-depth and meticulous discussions on how to develop their own practical knowledge in their daily work,what kind of practical knowledge they have acquired,and what path to develop relevant practical knowledge.Therefore,this paper focuses on the source,knowledge structure,and development path of the practical knowledge that an expert teacher of Chinese to speakers of other languages reveals during the process of being the targeted subject of my research.The practical knowledge of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages is the knowledge that teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages can continuously summarize and develop through the reflection of daily teaching practice and their own knowledge,experience and beliefs,which is the core factor determining the teaching behavior of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages.Moreover,the accumulation and development of teachers' practical knowledge is not one day's work.It is a process of continuous development.Therefore,the researcher decided to approach the spiritual life world of a targeted expert teacher of Chinese to speakers of other languages through narrative research methods.This research aims to realistically describe the rich connotation of the teacher's practical knowledge,and concretely reveal his invisible practical knowledge.It is hoped that the results of this research could help promote the development of practical knowledge of teachers who teach Chinese to speakers of other languages.Based on the systematic analyses of the existing theory about teacher knowledge,teacher practical knowledge and the practical knowledge of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages,this paper synthesizes a conceptual framework of practical knowledge of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages,and takes it as the foundation for designing interview questions and classroom observation checklists.Then the researcher carries out interviews,classroom observations and video recordings accordingly.Findings are generated via analyzing interview recordings,video materials and other related materials.Based on the feasibility of the research and the typical consideration of the research object,the researcher selected an expert teacher of Chinese to speakers of other languages who taught at a university in Shanghai and taught for 12 years.According to the synthesized concept framework,the researcher selects six educational stories or interview fragments that are most relevant to the research questions,and describes the source,composition and development path of the practical knowledge of this targeted expert teacher of Chinese to speakers of other languages using narrative methods.Teaching theories and teachers' beliefs behind these educational narrative stories are explored and interpreted rationally.All these provide new perspectives and cases for other researchers to investigate the practical knowledge of teachers of Chinese to speakers of other languages.