Building an Effective Learning Environment for Chinese Language Learners

Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies

12-2019

Wen-Yu Chang Utah State University

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports

Part of the Language and Literacy Education Commons, and the Modern Languages Commons

Recommended Citation Chang, Wen-Yu, "Building an Effective Learning Environment for Chinese Language Learners" (2019). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 1420. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/1420

This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected].

BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR

CHINESE LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Wen-Yu Chang

A portfolio submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree

MASTER OF SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING

Approved:

______Dr. Sarah Gordon Dr. Karin deJonge-Kannan Major Professor Committee Member

______Dr. Ko-Yin Sung Dr. Bradford J. Hall Committee Member Department Head

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY

Logan, Utah

2019 ii

ABSTRACT

Building an Effective Learning Environment for Chinese Language Learners

Wen-Yu Chang, Master of Second Language Teaching Utah State University, 2019

Major Professor: Dr. Sarah Gordon Department: Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies

This portfolio is a compilation of papers that the author originally wrote during her study in the program of Master of Second Language Teaching at Utah State

University. While pursuing the Master’s degree, the author also served as an instructor, teaching assistant, and research assistant in the Chinese program. Thus, this work is framed by the author's personal reflection accumulated from her day-to-day teaching experiences and class observations.

The portfolio consists of three major sections: (1) teaching perspectives, (2) research perspectives, and (3) an annotated bibliography. With the aim to identify the elements of an effective and communicative learning environment for Chinese language learners in a foreign setting, the author analyzes both the facilitating parameters in an at- home learning environment and the study abroad context. The author also explores the topics of Digital Story Telling and teaching pragmatics. iv

This portfolio is intended to benefit teachers of the Chinese language and culture that seek to build a fruitful learning environment in their classrooms around the world.

(113 pages) v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, I would like to show my gratitude to my committee members for their service and guidance. I would like to thank Dr. Karin deJonge-Kannan. She always dedicates herself to providing me attentive assistance and resourceful guidance. Her wisdom, knowledge, and compassion construct a living example of an influential teacher.

She is a great gift for every fortunate student that has been taught by her. I deeply thank her for her generous support. I would like to thank Dr. Sarah Gordon for serving as my committee chair. Her warming encouragement and gracious spirit have lightened my heart and given me strength to keep doing better. I especially appreciate the time and effort that she has spent on working with me to develop my portfolio. I have to thank Dr.

Ko-Yin Sung for assisting me in preparing Chinese teaching materials and patiently instructing me every time I asked questions. Her insightful and provident feedback has vastly helped me to understand th