International Education Journal, 2006, 7(7), 967-991. ISSN 1443-1475 © 2006 Shannon Research Press. http://iej.com.au 967 The culture and language learning of Chinese festivals in a kindergarten classroom1 Hui-Chin Yang Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York
[email protected] Culture plays a vital role in second language learning. This paper presents an action research study that investigates the role of culture in a Chinese language program in a kindergarten classroom. Three topics have been explored: (a) culture as the core in the development of a thematic unit on Chinese festivals, (b) a culturally responsive pedagogy as a model of instruction, and (c) the assessment of student learning. Nine kindergarten children participated in this study. The thematic unit was undertaken for eight consecutive weeks. Five major Chinese festivals were integrated into this unit; the teaching and learning processes were examined to explore the application of a culturally responsive pedagogy. Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments were administered to explore the children’s learning. The assessments were based the participants’ oral response to one-to-one interviews, their written responses on the Pictorial Attitudes Scale in a whole-group session, cultural artefacts, and drawing and writing products. Thematic curriculum unit, Chinese culture and language, multicultural education, culturally responsive pedagogy INTRODUCTION Teaching culture as an integral part of language has gained importance in the Twenty-first century as a result of internationalisation and globalisation of communication (Lange and Paige, 2003). Although increased attention has been paid to the role of culture in second language learning and teaching, the major interest is still focused on the areas of reading and writing in learning a foreign language (Lafayette, 2003).