Corso di laurea magistrale in Scienze del Linguaggio D.M. 270/2004 Tesi di Laurea “Dalla Cina alla cucina”: A study on the efficacy of the Experiential Learning with Chinese students. Relatore Ch. Prof. Fabio Caon Correlatore Ch. Prof. Graziano Serragiotto Laureando Laura Schiattone Matricola 855608 Anno Accademico 2015 / 2016 Sii l’insegnante che tutti ricorderanno. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE. THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: A METHODOLOGY TO FACILITATE THE FOREIGN OR SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING ..................................................................... 4 1.1 – Learning a Foreign or Second Language ................................................................ 4 1.1.1 - The role of the teacher ................................................................................... 5 1.1.2 - The importance of the student ...................................................................... 6 1.1.2.1 – The internal factors ......................................................................... 6 1.1.2.2 – The external factors ........................................................................ 8 1.1.3 - The motivation ............................................................................................... 8 1.2 – Learning through experience ................................................................................. 10 1.2.1 - The experience ............................................................................................. 11 1.2.2 - The Neurosciences ....................................................................................... 13 1.2.2.1 – The sensory memory ..................................................................... 13 1.2.2.2 – The mirror and canonical neurons ............................................... 15 1.2.2.3 – The Embodiment theory ................................................................ 20 1.2.3 - The Experiential Learning ........................................................................... 23 CHAPTER TWO. THE INTERCULTURAL TEACHING: THE CASE OF THE CHINESE STUDENT IN ITALY .............................................................................................................................. 32 2.1 – The Intercultural teaching ...................................................................................... 33 2.1.1 - The Relational abilities ................................................................................ 34 2.1.2 – The student learning a SL ........................................................................... 34 2.1.2.1 – The internal factors ....................................................................... 35 2.1.2.2 – The external factors ...................................................................... 37 2.2 – The Chinese language and the difficulties in learning Italian ............................. 38 2.2.1 – Aspects of the Chinese language ................................................................ 38 2.2.1.1 – Phonology .................................................................................... 39 I 2.2.1.2 – Morphology .................................................................................. 40 2.2.1.3 – Lexicon and Semantics ................................................................. 40 2.2.1.4 – Syntax ........................................................................................... 42 2.2.2 – Linguistic difficulties of a Sinophone learning Italian ............................... 43 2.3 – The school system .................................................................................................... 45 2.3.1 – Chinese school system ................................................................................. 45 2.3.1.1 – The relationship with the knowledge: the Confucian culture ...... 47 2.3.1.2 – How Chinese students learn ......................................................... 47 2.3.1.3 – “The good teacher” and “the good student” in China ............... 48 2.3.2 – The Chinese student in the Italian school ................................................... 50 CHAPTER THREE. THE STUDY ............................................................................................ 54 3.1 – The context: “Il Milione” project ........................................................................... 54 3.2 – The study .................................................................................................................. 58 3.2.1 - The method ................................................................................................... 59 3.2.2 – The subjects and the pre-requisites ............................................................ 60 3.2.2.1 – The more advanced students ......................................................... 61 3.2.2.2 – The intermediate group ................................................................. 62 3.2.2.3 – The weakest student ..................................................................... 62 3.2.3 – The objectives of the study .......................................................................... 63 CHAPTER FOUR. THE MATERIALS ..................................................................................... 65 4.1 – The pre-test .............................................................................................................. 65 4.2 – The Italian course .................................................................................................... 67 4.3 – The second test ......................................................................................................... 69 4.4 – The Experiential Learning ..................................................................................... 70 4.4.1 – The first lesson ............................................................................................ 71 4.4.2 – The second lesson ....................................................................................... 73 4.4.3 – The third lesson ........................................................................................... 74 4.4.4 – The fourth lesson ......................................................................................... 75 4.4.5 – The fifth lesson ............................................................................................ 77 4.4.6 – Considerations about the cooking classes ................................................... 78 II 4.5 – The final test ............................................................................................................. 79 4.6 – The questionnaire .................................................................................................... 80 CHAPTER FIVE. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................... 82 5.1 – The results ................................................................................................................ 82 5.1.1 – The tests ...................................................................................................... 82 5.1.1.1 – The oral comprehension .............................................................. 83 5.1.1.2 – The written comprehension .......................................................... 84 5.1.1.3 – The grammar ................................................................................. 85 5.1.1.4 – The lexicon ................................................................................... 86 5.1.1.5 – The written production ................................................................. 87 5.1.1.6 – The oral production ...................................................................... 87 5.1.2 – The questionnaires ...................................................................................... 89 5.1.2.1 – Information about the students (Questions 1, 2, 3) ...................... 89 5.1.2.2 – The most efficacious way to study and why (Q. 4, 6) .................... 90 5.1.2.3 – The less efficacious way to study and why (Q. 5, 7) ..................... 92 5.1.2.4 – The favourite Italian course (Q. 8) ............................................... 94 5.1.2.5 – Evaluation on the Italian course (Q. 9 to 12) .............................. 95 5.1.2.6 – Evaluation on the Italian course based on the cooking lessons (Q. 13 to 16) ................................................................................................ 98 5.1.2.7 – The general opinion (Q. 17) ........................................................ 102 5.2 – The Discussion ....................................................................................................... 104 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 110 APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................... 114 Ducument about “Il Milione” project ........................................................................... 115 Test in China ................................................................................................................... 120 Pre-test ............................................................................................................................. 124 Second test ......................................................................................................................