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What Do Teachers of Chinese As a Foreign Language Believe About Teaching Chinese Literacy to English Speakers?

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What Do Teachers of Chinese As a Foreign Language Believe About Teaching Chinese Literacy to English Speakers? What do Teachers of Chinese as a Foreign Language Believe about Teaching Chinese Literacy to English Speakers? By © 2018 Sheree A. W. Willis DPhil, University of Kansas, 2018 M.A., University of Kansas, 2000 B.A., University of Kansas, 1979 Submitted to the graduate degree program in Curriculum and Instruction and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Chair: Lizette Peter Steven White Heidi Hallman Dennis Karney J. Megan Greene Date Defended: 24 July 2018 The dissertation committee for Sheree A. W. Willis certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: What do Teachers of Chinese as a Foreign Language Believe about Teaching Chinese Literacy to English Speakers? Chair: Lizette Peter Date Approved: 24 July 2018 ii Abstract This study was motivated by a recognition of the difficulties of teaching literacy in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). CFL teachers deliberate over pedagogy, content sequencing, goals for literacy learning, and the use of authentic materials. These issues are complicated by the long history of Chinese literacy practices and the cultural significance of the writing system. The teachers bring rich personal histories and expertise, shaped by this cultural background, to their teaching. The study aims to gain a better understanding of teacher cognition on teaching Chinese literacy, to inform the discussion on improving CFL literacy instruction. The participants are five teachers raised and educated in China who are currently teaching in U.S. K-12 schools. This qualitative study employs semi-structured interviews, triangulated with lesson plans and classroom observations. The conceptual framework is based on Borg’s model (2003) of four sources of language teacher cognition—schooling, professional coursework, classroom practice, and school contexts—extended to incorporate the role of surrounding cultures of learning, as conceptualized by Jin and Cortazzi (2006). The analysis of the data foregrounds the stories told by the participants, examined using a modification of Labov’s scheme. VAB (Values, Attitudes, and Beliefs) Coding is used to identify common themes among the participants. The themes are then examined within the wider perspective of CFL literacy teaching in the United States. The findings are further examined through the lens of “Sponsors of Literacy” (Brandt, 1998), to view CFL teaching from a socio-eoconomic perspective. The data in this study suggest that CFL teachers believe in the importance of teaching fundamental, bottom-up skills in Chinese literacy. The teachers are also committed to nurturing an appreciation for Chinese literacy, including the writing system, among their students. They draw on the traditional Chinese model of an expert, caring teacher to meet the needs of their students. This means modifying the traditional Chinese model of bottom-up literacy teaching. These modifications sometimes include student-centered learning and top-down reading strategies. The findings suggest that future efforts in CFL pedagogy research, teacher training, and curriculum development take into consideration the cultural and personal backgrounds of the teachers. iii Dedication To all of the dedicated and hardworking Chinese language teachers who patiently teach Americans Chinese. iv Acknowledgments I could not have completed this project without the help and support of many generous people who have helped me along this journey. First, I have been blessed with wonderful teachers at KU. I am most grateful for my advisor, Lizette Peter. She is a gifted teacher and I looked forward to every session of every course I took from her. She taught me so much, not only about second language teaching but also how to be a good teacher. During the dissertation process, she has been kind and patient but also insightful. I am most grateful for her tough questions that pushed me to think more deeply about my work. I am indebted also to the other members of my committee for their patience and constructive criticism. Steve White has patiently encouraged me throughout the process. Heidi Hallman introduced me to the work of Deborah Brandt at just the moment I needed it. Megan Greene offered enthusiastic encouragement and thoughtful advice, as a China scholar, on the context of my work. Dennis Karney patiently read my draft with assiduous attention to detail and asked thought-provoking questions. In addition to thanking my committee members, I also want to express my appreciation to faculty member Alison Gabriel. The linguistics courses I took from her helped me gain a deeper understanding of the second language acquisition of Chinese and of the mental processes of reading in Chinese. I am deeply indebted to the participants in my study. They are all hardworking teachers who took time out of their busy schedules to spend time with me. They generously shared with me their stories and their thoughts, and this study is a tribute to their dedicated teaching. I also want to thank all of the many wonderful Chinese teachers who have taught me over the years, v especially the late Joseph Kuo, my teacher and mentor from the time I arrived at KU as a freshman to study Chinese. I wish to thank all of the visiting scholar/teachers from China who have worked with me at KU. I have learned so much from them. I thank also my student assistants who have worked so hard to help me support our work team during these past few months. I am tremendously blessed to have loyal and generous friends. I am thankful to my friend Madeline, who shared with me her expertise on Chinese language teaching and offered insightful suggestions on my analysis. My dear friend Randi has tolerated many long and complaining phone calls from me on the trials and tribulations of writing a dissertation. She also offered “tough love” advice on my writing. Stick with nouns and verbs—simple declarative sentences! I have enjoyed so much our lively discussions on writing. My dear “critical friend” and fellow “dissertation sufferer,” Michele, has helped me through many “dark nights of the soul” in this journey. Her voice on the phone has led me out of some dark places of discouragement. Our discussions on methodology and qualitative research have inspired me. It would have been so much harder for me to complete this project without her friendship. I also want to thank the other members of the six sisters—you know who you are! I am grateful for their encouragement. I am so grateful for my family. Everyone in my family has been so encouraging and supportive of me. I remember fondly the discussions I had with my father-in-law, Ron, when I first started this project. He offered useful wisdom from many years of successful work in academia and I wish he were here to see me complete this. I also want to thank my mother-in- law Marie. The cakes helped! My father Quintin has steadfastly encouraged me to follow his example to get a doctoral degree. My brother Wade and his wife June have helped me in so vi many ways. My daughters Emma and Claire and their husbands David and Kyle have all cheered me on when I thought I would never finish. I could not have completed this without the love and encouragement of my mother Frances. She has listened patiently to my endless speeches on my dissertation, read drafts, and offered enthusiastic encouragement. Finally, I want to thank most of all my husband Jeff. He has encouraged me throughout the years I have invested in this degree. During the writing process, he has kept me fed and well cared-for so that I could devote myself to this endeavor. He has patiently listened to me talk through my analysis and read many long drafts, offering expert editing advice. I am deeply grateful. vii Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Brief Description of Study ..................................................................... 1 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 2 Problem Statement........................................................................................................ 2 The need for Chinese literacy in the United States. ................................................ 2 Chinese literacy acquisition—A challenge for learners. ......................................... 3 Pedagogical dilemmas. ........................................................................................... 5 The Role of Beliefs and Culture. ............................................................................ 5 Defining literacy goals. ........................................................................................... 6 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................ 8 Assumptions and Limitations .................................................................................... 12 Significance .................................................................................................................. 13 Terminology................................................................................................................. 14 Overview of Chapters ................................................................................................. 15 Chapter II Literature Review ..........................................................................................
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