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A Communicative Analysis of Language Functions in the Chinese As a Foreign Language (CFL) Textbooks: the Case of Happy Chinese

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A Communicative Analysis of Language Functions in the Chinese As a Foreign Language (CFL) Textbooks: the Case of Happy Chinese Universal Journal of Educational Research 8(8): 3725-3733, 2020 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2020.080853 A Communicative Analysis of Language Functions in the Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Textbooks: The Case of Happy Chinese Percia T. Adil, Princess H. Policarpio, Cavin F. Pamintuan* College of Education, Angeles University Foundation, 2009, Angeles City, Philippines Received May 7, 2020; Revised June 27, 2020; Accepted July 20, 2020 Copyright ©2020 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract This study focused on analyzing the prevalent in the modern world. The rapid growth of utterances in each dialogue embedded in the Chinese as China’s economy as well as its exchanges with the world Foreign Language (CFL) textbooks entitled “Happy had contributed to the significant increase in the demand Chinese.” These books are used in Philippine public high for Chinese language learning (Hanban, 2014). The schools under the Special Program for Foreign Language - number of non-native Chinese speakers learning Chinese Mandarin. This study utilized the mixed-methods research as a foreign language (CFL) worldwide has been increasing design and Jakobson’s communicative language function (Du et al., 2017). Moreover, Chinese Mandarin has become model in the analysis and interpretation of quantitative and a contender of the English language in the 21st century qualitative data. The results showed that language (Odinye, 2015). According to the 2017 annual report of the functions are not equally and fairly distributed in every Confucius Institute (Hanban, 2017), at least 9.16 million textbook. The results of this study revealed that in students were learning Chinese Mandarin worldwide, Textbooks 1 and 2, the most observed language function is including the CFL learners in the Philippines. Chinese referential, while in Textbook 3, the most observed Mandarin, along with Spanish, Japanese, French, German, language function is phatic. It is observed in all three and Korean, is being learned as a foreign language in the textbooks that metalinguistic and poetic functions are less Philippine public high schools after it was included in the frequent. Thus, these textbooks in terms of their K-12 curriculum under the Special Program in Foreign communicative ability do not provide comprehensive Language in 2011. The program aims to enhance the support for all the six (6) language functions. Hence, the learners’ macro skills that are fundamental in acquiring study recommends textbook developers to consider communicative competence in a foreign language (Deped, communicative language function as mean to evaluate CFL 2017). and other foreign language learning textbooks. Lastly, the The concept of communicative language teaching has results of this study will provide valuable input to the grown out of the notion that solely teaching grammar is not Department of Education, the Philippines in enhancing and enough to prepare students for using the language improving the instructional materials being used in the independently. This method of teaching proposes that implementation of Chinese Mandarin as a foreign language students need to understand the meaning and the program. communicative function of a language to learn the language (Bilash, 2009). This was supported by Krashen Keywords Language Functions, Chinese as a Foreign &Terell (1983) who claimed that the most effective way of Language (CFL), Textbook learning a language is by being exposed to the target language. The absence of the language environment in foreign language teaching hinders the learners from using the language. Xu and Yao (2014) identified two types of 1. Introduction CFL learners: international students studying in China and students learning Chinese outside China. They added that Since the establishment of the first Confucius Institute in CFL students overseas differ due to their linguistic, societal, 2004, learning Chinese Mandarin has become increasingly and cultural contexts. Studies in Europe (Starr, 2009), 3726 A Communicative Analysis of Language Functions in the Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Textbooks: The Case of Happy Chinese Australia (Orton, 2008), and North America (Cruickshank Meanwhile, the identified textbooks used in the &Tsung, 2011) reported that one of the challenges in CFL Philippines were one of the shortcomings in teaching CFL, is the decreasing motivation of CFL beginner learners, because they were no longer updated and relevant to the often causing lower retention rates. Foreign language students. (Go, n.d. as cited in Yu, 2000). Also, Yang (2014) learning involves a tedious and long process (Kilic, 2015). asserted that non-uniform teaching materials and Green (1985) asserted that while it is significant for old-fashioned teaching methods are some of the several teachers to recognize the language students have when they factors that affect teaching CFL in most schools in the enter school, still, teachers have the responsibility to help Philippines. Teaching effect assessment is a students increase their range of language competence by comprehensive assessment system, and it is closely related exposing students to different real-life situations. She to teaching materials, teaching strategies, and students’ added that dialogue with a more skillful language user performance. Currently, the teaching materials used in plays a significant role in this procedure. The challenge for Philippine public high schools are diversified because they the CFL teachers outside China is to provide a language mainly come from free books provided by the Chinese environment that would encourage CFL students to utilize Mainland government and Taiwan Province. There are also the target language. The teacher should provide charged textbooks coming from the Philippine Chinese simulations inside the foreign language classroom, giving Education Research Center, and few schools introduce the learners the opportunity to utilize the target language in relevant Chinese`` teaching materials from Singapore and real-life scenarios (Krashen, 1981). Aside from imitating Malaysia. In line with this, the goal of this study is to real-life scenarios, the use of varied instructional materials evaluate the CFL textbooks used in the Philippine public and technological devices can also provide inputs in high schools titled “Happy Chinese.” As defined by Ellis foreign language learning (Ariza & Hancock, 2003). Thus, (1997), textbook evaluation is the identification of the language teachers are encouraged to help their students not strengths and weaknesses of a particular textbook. It is a only to read texts for information but to interpret them for process of evaluation which is necessary for choosing the their many layers of meaning (Kramsch, 2004). most appropriate material for the students. Cunningsworth Instructional materials, such as textbooks, play a vital (1995) claimed that one of the criterias in evaluating role in language teaching and acquisition (Bahar&Zaman, textbooks is that it should reflect the present or future uses 2013). Rodriguez (2010) argued that above and beyond the which students will make of the language. It should be an mere study of linguistic forms, textbooks offer aid for the students to use the language effectively for their opportunities to communicate, interact, and negotiate own purposes. Crawford (2002) added that an effective meaning. The textbook is beneficial to teachers for its material that will require students to use the language different purposes, such as resource material, source of purposefully should contain a language which is functional, classroom activities, or even a curriculum itself (Garinger, contextualized, realistic, and authentic. Halliday & 2002). Richard (2001) stated that textbooks are a key Matthiessen (2004) argued that language is primarily component for any language program which served as a functional. The structure or form of language is important basis for the language inputs and language practice that only to serve the function. This implies that without language learners should receive in a language classroom. function, the structure would be completely pointless. Textbooks are widely used in instructional materials both Language is used for a variety of purposes whether formal by the teachers and students (Tok, 2010). With the help of and informal. The purposes in which students use language textbooks, students will learn the approach to use language to communicate refer to the functions of the language or for communication purpose rather than following the commonly known as language functions. There is a wide structure (Shaw&Donough, 2003). On the other hand, Litz range of language functions and each language function (as cited in Tok, 2010) argued that many scripted textbook explains why someone says something. Savignon (1983) language models and dialogues are unauthentic and described a language function as “the use to which inappropriate for communicative language teaching language is put, the purpose of an utterance rather than the because they do not effectively prepare the students for the particular grammatical form an utterance takes.” Tribus different real-life discourse. Richards & Renandya (2002) (2017) carefully scrutinize some widely used ESL and EFL mentioned that one of the weaknesses of a commercialized textbooks, which revealed that these textbooks
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