内容语言整合教学背景下提高自主学习的网络资源使用--高级中文课个案研究.pdf

Using Online Resources to Foster Autonomous Learning in a CLIL Context:A Case Study of an Advanced Chinese ClassXiao Zeng Mount Holyoke CollegeAbstractThe role of online resources has become increasingly significant in content and language integrated Chinese courses in terms of material preparation and autonomous learning ask design.The study examines a case of integrating online visual resources into an advanced Chinese newspaper and journalism class and discusses how online resources can be utilized to foster student autonomy and promote self-regulated learning.Specifically,the study demonstrates the key features of a video platform(Pear Video)and editing tool(Interphoto),and shows how the task arrangement takes advantage of he resources in enhancing students language and content skills.The analysis of the earning outcomes and students feedback proved the efficacy of the video platform and such curriculum design.Keywords:CLIL,autonomous learning,authentic online resources,advanced Chinese learning,video projectCFL(Chinese as a Foreign Language)learning mediated by various technological esources(e.g.,LMS,mobile devices,multimedia materials,and various online services)has become an integral part of CFL education beyond the classroom.With the global pandemic forcing more students to study from home,the proportion of time spent on self-directed technology-assisted learning significantly increases.However,the utilization of digital tools demands a higher level of independence and interdependence(Barnard et al.,2009;Little&Thorne,2017).How can we prepare students for such learning through the use of rich online esources?The understanding of certain resources and the creative way of incorporating them into he curriculum may be the answer.The video is one of the most common resources in use,especially in a content and language integrated Chinese class where authentic materials are indispensable.Long influenced by teacher-centered,textbook-driven pedagogy,CFL educators face the challenge of finding suitable videos and using them efficiently to enhance students earning experience,not to mention the difficulties of helping students use the visual materials hemselves to acquire the language.The study attempts to address this issue by analyzing the case of an advanced Chinese class at the tertiary level and proposes the potential of integrating videos to foster student autonomy development in a CLIL context.Literature ReviewTechnology-enhanced Autonomous LearningLearner autonomy in foreign language learning refers to the readiness and ability to shift flexibly between independent and group tasks to manage ones own language learning(Dam,37Zeng:Using Online Resources to Foster Autonomous Learning in a CLIL ContextPublished by EngagedScholarshipCSU,20222013;Holec,1981;Benson,2016).The exercise of autonomy plays a vital role in Chinese second language learning for tertiary students,sometimes being the deciding factor of their academic success.Many scholars and educators begin to realize the limitation of classroom instruction and the potential of promoting language learning autonomy among CFL learners within and beyond the classroom(Ding,2011;Jin,2001;Lai,2019;Wang,2016).Among these works,Lais study on learners beliefs and autonomous language learning pointed out the significance of technological resources to foreign language students self-directed learning experience.According to her,technology has a“two-way cyclical interaction”with learning beliefs in the development of autonomous language learning.The LMS(Learning Management System,e.g.,Moodle and Google Classroom),mobile applications,authentic audio or audiovisual materials,and various online services such as streaming websites are all common resources students resort to when they need to consolidate their existing knowledge or acquire new vocabulary and grammar on their own.Therefore,many studies have been dedicated to technology-enhanced autonomous language learning.They mainly examine how the technological environment interacts with the fostering of language learner autonomy in a teacher-initiated context,including the reinforcement of learners identities(Little&Thorne,2017;Pellerin,2017),the redefinition of learner autonomy in a social or political context(Lewis,2014;Little&Thorne,2017),the challenges posed by selfregulation in the virtual environment(Suvorov&Cabello,2017)and emergence of ideas in pedagogical design(Hafner&Miller,2011).Currently,technology-assisted autonomous Chinese learning is majorly driven by interests,lacking support from teachers.It is not surprising that very limited research has been done to explore the interweaving relationships between CFL learners and technology in their autonomous learning process.Jin(2001)is among the first group of researchers to discuss the role of autonomy in CFL teaching at a theoretical level.He agrees the major indicator of successful CFL teaching is that students understand how to learn independently.His statement is later echoed by Dings(2011)investigation into teachers roles in the development of CFL students autonomous learning ability and Wangs(2016)detailed descriptions of eight students learning profiles regarding their autonomous Chinese language learning.Pedagogical innovations have also been done to help students self-regulate their own Chinese learning using technological resources.For example,Wang(2008)encouraged students to monitor their own learning progress by writing digital learning journals and received promising results;Valdebenito and Chen(2019)suggested a holistic curriculum design incorporating various technology to enhance autonomous learning ability.These studies restate the importance of learner-centered instruction and advocate a focus transition to the individual initiative in CFL education.Content and Language Integrated Learning(CLIL)Based on conceptual foundations established by research on language immersion and pedagogical practice commonly seen in bilingual education,the term“Content and Language Integrated Learning”(CLIL)was first coined in 1994 by David Marsh.He believes CLIL“can be considered a pedagogy focusing on meaning which contrasts to those focus on form”(Marsh,2002,p.49).A similar term“Content-based Instruction”(CBI)more commonly used in North America also refers to the same idea that academic knowledge is taught through a foreign language.According to Cenozs(2015)study,these two terms are not different in their 38Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology,Vol.5,Iss.2 2022,Art.4https:/engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol5/iss2/4fundamental natures and only differ from each other in different contexts.However,CLIL is a more appropriate term for the language program this study involves as the course design is not entirely content-oriented and places slightly more emphasis on language and content learning at the same time.After the mid-90s,CLIL theoretical studies and practices saw a focus transition from linguistic arguments,policy debates,and program descriptions to pedagogical concerns(Stryker&Leaver,1997).Despite the indisputable benefits brought by CLIL,issues like syntactic inaccuracies and a lack of explicit language objectives appear(Dupuy,2000).To deal with the complexities of content and language integrated curricula,empirical studies were widely conducted to explore all aspects of CLIL in different languages(e.g.,Stryker&Leaver,1997;Short,2002).In 2005,the same year when the Eurydice report on CLIL was published,a changed momentum has been discernible in CBI-related fields such as immersion programs,bilingual education,“sheltered”language courses,and FLAC classrooms.More concrete learning goals come into view as a“core instrument for achieving policy aims”directed at creating a multilingual population(Dalton-Puffer,2008).At the same time,in response to the urgent request for a more systematic framework for CBI/CLIL research,on the foundation of the 4Cs Framework of CLIL(Coyle,2007),Zappa-Hollman and Duff(2013)proposed five potential models,varying from larger mixed-method studies to micro-level case studies and discourse analysis.In China,European and American successful models are taken and adapted to create more“English for Specific Purposes”courses both at the school and tertiary levels.Facing the challenges of teaching a language with features distinctive from the European linguistic system,Chinese L2 teachers and instructors start to apply key concepts of CLIL to facilitate CFL learning and build collaborative knowledge construction spaces.At the school level,studies mainly focus on how to accomplish the dual goals of language and culture learning for Chinese L2 learners via CLIL methods(e.g.,Prescott&Zhang,2017).Some scholars attempt to establish a framework for Chinese CLIL,but most of the attention is still on pedagogical practices,like Orton&Cuis“CLIL Unit”proposal in 2016.At the tertiary level,successful research has been conducted majorly addressing the issues arising from language flagship programs and advanced Chinese courses.These works reveal how the programs incorporate LSP elements into its goal of reaching language proficiency and cultural competence(Spring,2012).Integrating Online Resources:Videos and ToolsWhen designing a content and language integrated course or teaching module,Chinese instructors always face a wide range of challenges,among which material preparation is the first to deal with.Most language educators have already realized the significance of authentic learning and attempted to avoid artificial textbook language when preparing appropriate learning materials for their students.As Morrow(1977)defines it,“An authentic text is a stretch of real language,produced by a real speaker or writer for a real audience and designed to convey a real message of some sort”(p.13).Under this definition,videos recorded by native speakers in a real-time manner are the best options.Online platforms like YouTube and Weibo have enabled anyone with internet access to become a content contributor which in turn benefits second language learners who have long been in an artificial linguistic environment and lack authentic language input.39Zeng:Using Online Resources to Foster Autonomous Learning in a CLIL ContextPublished by EngagedScholarshipCSU,2022However,achieving authenticity and comprehension at the same time for students is no easy task.Instructors often find videos in Chinese difficult for students to utilize,especially for those who are in a transition phase from language-focused curriculum to practical content-oriented modules.Major challenges are insufficient language knowledge,social and cultural barriers,unfamiliarity with the topics,high speech rate and low clarity,and the diversity of accents and dialects in these authentic videos.Some researchers(e.g.,Gilmore,2007)have already noticed this phenomenon and attempted to seek solutions.In his study on authentic materials,Gilmore(2007)proposed that a good method to monitor difficulty levels in authentic material is to vary the task rather than the text,and authentic materials are seen as both encouraging a tolerance of partial comprehension and enhancing learners inferencing skills.This might work if the learning process is closely monitored by the instructors and prompt guidance is always available.But in an autonomous learning context,not every student is equipped with the skills and experience to select videos both to their interests and appropriate for their current language level.According to Krashens(1992)input hypothesis,only the“comprehensible input”leads to language acquisition.Thus,this paper seeks to introduce online resources suitable for autonomous learning for CLIL Chinese courses and examine how to integrate them through task design effectively.Short-form Videos:Pear Video as an ExampleWith smartphones and tablets gradually replacing laptops and desktops as the major devices to receive up-to-date information,an increasing number of news consumers are using mobile applications,especially short-form video platforms,for informative or entertaining purposes.Pear Video(梨视频)is one of these Chinese news platforms that offer short-form videos on various topics such as politics,society,entertainment,lifestyle,science and technology,media,economics,etc.Unlike the traditional news media which only hire experienced journalists,the Pear videos are created by thousands of freelancers stationed globally.Also,different from streaming websites YouTube or short-form video APP TikTok where anyone can upload and share,Pear Video only publishes the approved submissions and pays the qualified news content providers(either organizations or individuals).The selection process conducted by professional producers guarantees the quality of footage and at the same time,the clips maintain their organic nature.It means that spontaneous and natural conversations captured between native speakers are more likely to be seen on this platform.Heres a transcribed excerpt happening between a teacher and students when they discussed the topic“gender equality:”“那有没有人告诉过你们，男孩应该是什么样子或者女孩应该是什么样 子？我认为男生应该就是性格开朗，阳光，然后活泼，然后像女生的话，我觉得就是应该，应该就是更加文静一点，就是更加，不应该那么外 向我觉得女生凭什么就不可以踢足球。我问了一下，我们班级大多数 女孩子都蛮喜欢踢足球的呀。”Colloquial features such as typical filler words“然后,”repetition“应该/就是,”unintentional rephrasing“开朗/阳光/活泼”and“文静/不那么外向”remain in the above discourse.These characters only found in unedited videos may seem unprofessional but actually 40Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology,Vol.5,Iss.2 2022,Art.4https:/engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol5/iss2/4provide more linguistic clues for second language learners to understand the meaning of the conversation.This is particularly useful for autonomous Chinese language learners who lack language support from instructors.Since the news feeds are majorly made by ordinary people about their daily lives,vocabulary and grammatical structures appearing on Pear Video are more frequently used compared to the scripted or staged news reports by mainstream media.Another feature that makes Pear Video a suitable online resource for promoting autonomy in a CLIL context is the length of these videos.Most videos last no more than three minutes,and the longest(the documentary series)no more than ten.Regarding the desirable length of videos,studies have already been carried out to prove that the mini-video format or short videos are better(e.g.,Leton et al.,2009).Guo,Kim&Rubin(2014),after their extensive empirical study of how video-producing decisions impact student engagement in virtual educational environments,discovered similar results.They came to the conclusion that“shorter and informal talking-head videos are much more engaging than high-quality,pre-recorded classroom lectures.”The conciseness of these videos works efficiently to provide diverse ideas and opinions in a shorter amount of time and words,which increases the accessibility of information and thus facilitates