Investigation Of The Use Of Medium Of Instruction In Elementary Chinese Language Classes In Scotland

The Chinese language teaching in Scotland,the UK has different conditions and characteristics in the use of medium of instruction from that in domestic teaching of Chinese as a second language.So far,the research on the medium of instruction in Chinese language teaching is relatively single in terms of research objects and methods,and there is a lack of research on Scotland.In order to clarify the actual use of the medium of instruction in the elementary Chinese language classes in Scotland,taking Edi nburgh Chinese School as an example,this thesis uses a combination of questionnaire,interview,and classroom observation-case analysis to investigate the attitudes of teachers and students towards the use of the medium of instruction,the situation and characteristics of the use of the medium of instruction,and its specific application in teacher discourse.The thesis first investigated the attitudes and perceptions of Chinese language teachers and students on the use of medium of instruction through teachers’ questionnaires and interviews with teachers and students.The result s show that teachers recognize and pay attention to the positive role of the medium of instruction in elementary Chinese language teaching,but do not advocate excessive reliance on it;most students affirm the role of medium of instruction in promoting their Chinese learning,and their own Chinese proficiency has also affected different degrees of acceptance and demand for the medium of instruction.Framed by the LICC paradigm of classroom observation,the situation and characteristics of the use of the medium of instruction in classes were observed and analysed from four dimensions-Learning,Instruction,Curriculum and Culture.It shows that the students generally have a strong de pendence on the medium of instruction;teachers use medium of instruction most frequently in vocabulary,grammar and culture teaching;teaching methods affect the appropriate use of medium of instruction;reasonable use of medium of instruction can create a good classroom atmosphere.Focusing on the six types of teacher discourse in a specific classroom case,including deixis,demonstration,explanation,organizing,questioning and feedback,the thesis further conducted a quantitative statistical analysis of the proportion of the medium of instruction as well as a qualitative discussion of its specific application.The overall findings show that the medium of instruction is used more in teacher discourse with strong teacher-student interaction,while the teacher discourse involving language content offers more target language input.The thesis also put forward relevant teaching suggestions for the use of medium of instruction,such as following the principle of moderation,reducing reliance on medium of instruction by taking advantage of auxiliary means such as multimedia technology and enriching teaching methods,and paying attention to avoiding the possible negative effects caused by the use of medium of instruction.Through the investigation and research on the use of medium of instruction at Edinburgh Chinese School,this thesis re flects the actual situation of Chinese classroom teaching in Scotland.It is expected to inspire overseas Chinese language education workers in Scotland,the UK and even the world in terms of the use of the medium of instruction,so as to promote the flourishing development of international Chinese language education.