Multi-Language Education for Indigenous Children in Taiwan Cheng-Kan Chen
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University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Dissertations Student Research 8-1-2011 Multi-language education for indigenous children in Taiwan Cheng-Kan Chen Follow this and additional works at: http://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Chen, Cheng-Kan, "Multi-language education for indigenous children in Taiwan" (2011). Dissertations. Paper 94. This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © 2011 Cheng-Kan Chen ALL RIGHTS RESERVED UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School MULTI-LANGUAGE EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS CHILDREN IN TAIWAN A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Cheng-Kan Chen College of Education and Behavioral Sciences School of Teacher Education Program of Educational Studies August, 2011 ABSTRACT Chen, Cheng-Kan. Multi-Language Education for Indigenous Children in Taiwan. Published Doctor of Education dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2011 The purpose of the study was to explore the language education program implemented for indigenous children in Taiwan at the elementary level. More specifically, this study aimed at gaining insights into the implementation of language curriculum through a qualitative case study of an indigenous elementary school in Taiwan. The researcher’s intent was to explore the factors that influenced the implementation of the language education program with regard to curriculum design, instructional practices, language resources, and professional development and to gain the participants’ perspectives on the language education program. Two administrators, eight language teachers, and six community members were selected as participants for interviews. Moreover, these eight language teachers’ classrooms were observed. Data were collected through the sources of interviews, observations, field notes, and documents. The findings in relation to the research questions were divided into three chapters to report the overall implementation of each language area in the language education program, the influencing factors of the implementation of the language education program, and the participants’ perspectives on the implementation of the language education program. A number of overarching themes synthesizing the findings were subsequently presented. iii The findings suggested that the language education program at the participating school was designed in accordance with the mandated curriculum guidelines. Teachers had the flexibility to deviate from the prescribed curriculum guidelines and to design their instructional goals based on students’ needs and classroom schedules. Language resources, including the international youth volunteer, school signs with three languages (Chinese, English, and the Atayal language), English Express Wonderland, and Indigenous Language Wonderland, were conducive to the enhancement of multiple language learning. Teachers sought to improve their instructional strategies through weekly seminars, feedback from observation teachers, self-learning, and professional workshops. Moreover, this research reported the participants’ views toward the language education program, the loss of indigenous language among children, indigenous language instruction, and their strategies in promoting indigenous language. Finally, recommendations were drawn from the research findings for elementary schools, language teachers, and policy makers. Recommendations for future research that may contribute to understanding the multi-language education for indigenous children were provided as well. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my late father, Kuang-Chin Chen, and my mother, Lu-Hsiang Chen, who have been constant sources of unconditional love and unwavering support that sustain me throughout my life. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my research advisor, Dr. Madeline Milian, who has provided me with insightful suggestions and invaluable assistance throughout my doctoral journey. Without her encouragement and guidance, I would have never reached this accomplishment. To my committee members, Dr. D. Allen Phillips, Dr. Dana Walker, and Dr. Deborah Romero, I am grateful for their expertise and feedback. This project would not have been possible without their intellectual thoughts and commitment. I am grateful to Dr. Maria Lahman, Dr. Susan Hutchinson, Dr. Heng-Yu Ku, and Dr. Alexander Sidorkin for their professional advice in research methodology, warmest friendships, and personal academic guidance. To my classmate, Dr. Bonita Hamilton, I feel so fortunate to have her as my doctoral supporting group member, who has provided me with constant care, countless discussions, and great assistance from the inception of brainstorming ideas to the final completion of my dissertation. Special thanks go to all of my participants for their generosity and openness in sharing their experiences with me. Without them, I could not have understood my inquiry more thoroughly. This dissertation could not have been completed without their cooperation. My deepest appreciation also goes to my colleagues at National Taiwan Normal University for their most generous support of granting me four years’ leave to vi concentrate on my study in the United States. Special thanks go to the former president, Dr. Yih-Shun Gou, and the current president, Dr. Kuo-en Chang, for their assistance and encouragement. I am also much obliged to the financial support from the University of Northern Colorado for helping me accomplish my advanced study. To the following teachers and friends in Taiwan, I owe special thanks for their encouragement and assistance during my preparation for studying abroad: Dr. Nicholas Koss, Dr. Su-Chiao Chen, and Dr. Sher-shiueh Li. I am also grateful to Dr. Chiou-Lan Chern and Dr. Jen-Chwan Liu, who have provided me with timely support and complete trust. To Prof. Crystal Brothe and Prof. Sonja Scullion, my writing tutors during my doctoral study, I have enjoyed all of our discussions regarding the usage of the English language. I also wish to thank Ko-Jen Hsueh and Li-Ching Wang for their loving care and constant encouragement from San Francisco; to Winifred and Clarence Johnson, Dr. Allen Huang and Dr. Lily Huang, Dr. Tad and Jane Gilmore, Kim and Wren Lawrence, Cherry and Tom Morgan, for their care, hospitality, and encouragement during my study in Greeley. My thanks also go to all of my friends in the Taiwanese Students Association for their friendships and assistance in every way. I am indebted to all the support from my family. Thanks to my mother for tolerating me to study in a country far away from Taiwan and for her loving care revealed through everyday international phone calls; to my late sister, Chia-Ling, who passed away during my study in the United States, for her constant support throughout my life; to my youngest sister, Chen-Hua, for bearing the responsibility of taking care of our mother during my temporary absence. I also wish to thank my mother-in-law, my sisters- vii in-law, Annie and Sammy, and Charles Bliss, for their assistance and encouragement along the way. Last but not least, I am grateful to my husband, Dr. Yeong-Ming Wang, who has constantly encouraged me to pursue my goal and provided me with financial support. Thanks to my children for understanding their mother’s wild dream as a life-long learner. My son, Chi-Yang, has been independent enough to study for his entrance examination without being accompanied by his mother. My daughter, Ching-Hsuan, has been my inseparable companion and my personal computer technician during my doctoral study. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study ........................................................................... 1 Need for the Study ..................................................................................... 10 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................. 11 Research Questions ................................................................................... 11 Significance of the Study ........................................................................... 12 Definition of Terms ................................................................................... 12 Summary .................................................................................................... 13 II. LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................... 15 A Brief Introduction of Taiwan.................................................................. 15 The Ethnic Groups ..................................................................................... 15 The Holo People ............................................................................ 15 The Mainlanders ............................................................................ 16 The Hakka People ......................................................................... 16 The Indigenous Peoples ................................................................ 17 Socio-Historical Context ..........................................................................