Analysing Cultural Elements in L2 Mandarin Textbooks for Malaysian Learners

Мұқаба

Дәйексөз келтіру

Толық мәтін

Аннотация

Culture is an important aspect of foreign or second language education as the teaching of foreign languages straddles two languages, the learner’s first language and the target/foreign language, and the different cultures associated with them. Textbooks for the teaching of foreign languages must inevitably orient to cultural elements from at least two cultural practices and environments. In this study, cultural elements in four Mandarin as a second language textbooks written by Malaysian authors were examined using content analysis. The conception of cultural elements proposed by Zhang and Chen and the categorizations of types of culture proposed by Cortazzi and Jin and Chao were employed to investigate the extent to which cultural elements (knowledge-culture or communicative-culture) and types of culture (source, target, international cultures or intercultural interaction) are represented in these textbooks. The analysis found that both knowledge-culture and communicative-culture are embodied in the textbooks. Furthermore, most of the cultural elements identified in the textbooks represent source and target cultures which refer to learners’ own culture and culture of the target language. The presence of international cultures and intercultural interaction, on the other hand, is lower in these textbooks. This study contributes towards a better understanding of how Malaysian authors of Mandarin as a second language textbooks for Malaysian learners incorporate cultural elements in the books they write. It highlights the importance of integrating cultural elements and representing a diversity of cultures in textbooks for teaching Mandarin as a second language.

Авторлар туралы

Wen Lin

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Email: charlene.lin15@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0243-1870
PhD student, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; former Lecturer at Chuxiong Normal University, Yunnan, China PhD student, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; former Lecturer at Chuxiong Normal University, Yunnan, China.

Lay Ang

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Email: hlang@upm.edu.my
ORCID iD: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2489-7620
Associate professor, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Mei Chan

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Email: cmy@upm.edu.my
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4726-9117
Associate professor, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia

Shamala Paramasivam

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Email: shamala@upm.edu.my
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7213-9445
Associate professor, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Әдебиет тізімі

  1. Adaskou, K., Britten, D., & Fahsi, B. (1990). Design decisions on the cultural content of acourse for Morocco. ELT Journal, 44(1), 3-10.
  2. Ajideh, P., & Panahi, M. (2016). An analysis of culture-related content in English textbooks for Iranian students entitled ‘Prospect' and ‘Vision' Series. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 3(6), 87-93.
  3. Baker, W. (2011). From cultural awareness to intercultural awareness: culture in ELT. ELT Journal, 66(1), 62-70. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccr017
  4. Bewley, F. (2018). Culture and language ideology in Chinese foreign language textbooks: A thematic analysis [Unpublished Master's dissertation]. The University of British Columbia.
  5. Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.). Addison Wesley Longman.
  6. Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
  7. Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters.
  8. Chan, S. F., Dewitt, D., & Chin, H. L. (2018). The analysis of cultural and intercultural elements in Mandarin as foreign language textbooks from selected Malaysian public higher education institutions. Jurnal Kurikulum & Pengajaran Asia Pasifik, 3, 66-90.
  9. Chao, T. (2011). The hidden curriculum of cultural content in internationally published ELT textbooks: A closer look at new American Inside Out. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 8(2), 189-210.
  10. Chastain, K. (1988). Developing second-language skills: Theory and practice. Harcourt Brace Publishers.
  11. Chen, G. L. (1992). 语言教学中的文化导入 [Cultural introduction in language teaching]. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 3, 19-30.
  12. Chen, G. L. (1997). 关于对外汉语课中的文化教学问题 [Cultural teaching in teaching Chinese as a second language]. Applied Linguistics, 1, 1-4.http://dx.doi.org. DOI:https://doi.org/10.16499/j.cnki.10035397.1997.01.005
  13. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education. Routledge.
  14. Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. (1999). Cultural mirrors: Materials and methods in the EFL classroom. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Culture in second language teaching and learning (pp. 196-219). Cambridge University Press.
  15. Dehbozorgi, M., Amalsaleh, E., & Kafipour, R. (2014). Exploring cultural content of three prominent EFL textbooks in Iran: A case study of American English Files, Top Notch and Four Corners. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 7(1), 69-81.
  16. Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies. Oxford University Press.
  17. Elo, S., Kariainen, M., Kanste, O., Polkki, T., Ultriainen, K., & Kyngas, H. (2014). Qualitative content analysis: A focus on trustworthiness. SAGE Open, 4, 1-10. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014522633
  18. Hanban. (2014). International curriculum for Chinese language education (Revised ed.). Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
  19. Hoe, F. T. (2014a). A study of Malaysian national universities Mandarin course teaching materials. Overseas Chinese Education, 70, 101-107.
  20. Hoe, F. T. (2014b). 马来西亚国立大学华语教学及教师能力标准研究 [A study of teachers' competency standards and teaching Mandarin as a second language in Malaysian public universities] [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia.
  21. Hoe, F. T. (2016). 马来西亚国立大学华语课程中的文化教学 [The teaching of culture in Mandarin courses in Malaysia public universities]. Paper presented at International Conference on Teaching Mandarin as A Second Language in Kongzi Institute, UM, Malaysia.
  22. Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford University Press.
  23. Kumaravadivelu, B. (2008). Cultural globalization and language education. Yale University Press.
  24. Lam, K. C., & Hoe, F. T. (2013). Mandarin classroom materials for Malay-speaking students: A case in UNIMAS. Overseas Chinese Education, 3, 284-289.
  25. Lee, K. Y. (2009). Treating culture: What 11 high school EFL conversation textbooks in South Korea do. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 8(1), 76-96.
  26. Li, Q. (2015). 汉语教材的国别化问题探讨 [On country specialization of Chinese language textbooks]. World Chinese Teaching, 4, 526-540.
  27. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications.
  28. Liu, C. Y. (2014). On the discourse perspectives in Chinese textbooks for learners in a specific country. Journal of International Chinese Teaching and Research, 4, 73-79.
  29. Liu, X. J. (2018). The choice of cultural topics in textbooks of teaching Chinese as a foreign language and Chinese culture going global. Journal of Guangxi University for Nationalities, 40, 200-204.
  30. Paige, R. M., Jorstad, H., Siaya, L., Klein, F., & Colby, J. (1999). Culture learning in language education: A review of the literature. In R. Paige, D. Lange & Y. Yershova (Eds.), Culture as the core: Integrating culture into the language curriculum (pp. 47-114). The Centre for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, University of Minnesota.
  31. Pan, B. S. (2011). Communication and development of Mandarin in Malaysia: A survey on the TCSL (Mandarin classes) in national universities. Journal of Chinese language Teaching, 7, 242-248.
  32. Pulverness, A. (1995). Cultural studies, British studies and EFL. Modern English Teacher, 4(2), 7-11.
  33. Sándorová, Z. (٢٠١٤). Content analysis as a research method in investigating the cultural components in foreign language textbooks. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 2(1), 95-128.
  34. Spencer-Oatey, H. (2012). What is culture? A compilation of quotations. Global PAD Open House.http://www.warwick.ac.uk/globalpadintercultural.
  35. Stern, H. H. (1983). Fundamental concepts of language teaching. Oxford University Press.
  36. Tajeddin, Z., & Teimournezhad, S. (2014). Exploring the hidden agenda in the representation of culture in international and localized ELT textbooks. The Language Learning Journal, 43(2), 180-193.http://.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2013.869942
  37. Tan, L. N. (2007). 马来西亚对外汉语教材的走向 [Trend of Chinese language materials in Malaysia]. Proceedings of International Conference for Overseas Chinese language Textbook in Australian National University.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315382429.
  38. Tomalin, B., & Stempleski, S. (1993). Cultural awareness. Oxford University Press.
  39. Vernier, S., Barbuzza, S., Giusti, S. D., & Moral, G. D. (2008). The five language skills in the EFL classroom. Nueva Revista de Lenguas Extranjeras, 10, 263-291.
  40. Weber, R. P. (1990). Content analysis. In Basic content analysis (2nd ed., pp. 117-124). Sage Publications.
  41. Yang, M. (2019). 马来西亚本土华语教材词汇编写研究:以《华语入门》为例 [Study on vocabulary compilation of local Mandarin textbook in Malaysia: Taking Introduction to Chinese as an example]. Today's Mass-media, 4, 142-145.
  42. Ye, T. T. (2011). 马来西亚高校汉语作为二语教学发展研究 [A study on the development of teaching Chinese as second language in Malaysian universities] [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Minzu University of China.
  43. Ye, T. T., & Wu, Y. H. (2010). A review of TCSL teaching materials in Malaysia. Journal of Yunnan Normal University, 4, 63-67.
  44. Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
  45. Zhang, Z. Y. (1990). 试议交际文化和知识文化 [Communication culture and knowledge culture]. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 1, 15-32.
  46. Zhao, X. Z. (1989). 文化差异与文化导入论略 [Cultural differences and cultural guidance]. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 1, 76-83.

Қосымша файлдар

Қосымша файлдар
Әрекет
1. JATS XML
Жүктеу


Creative Commons License
Бұл мақала лицензия бойынша қолжетімді Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.