Chinese Language Learning Difficulty Survey Factors

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Chinese Language Learning Difficulty Survey -
Factors Levels

• British Inter-university China Centre
• Institute for Chinese Studies, University of
  Oxford

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We are going to talk about

• the Survey
• the Participants
• the Factors

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The Survey

• The aim of the survey
• The format of the survey
• Participants information
• Proficiency Level
• Difficulty Order of the seven skills
• Difficulty Extent of the 59 aspects

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The Participants (n164)

• Gender FemaleMale 11.1
• Age 74.4 are 19 to 25 years old
• Nationality 70.12 are British
• Language 76.83 native language and 79.27 home
  language are English
• Student Type 55.5 are Chinese-major students
  and 26.8 are non-Chinese major students

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The Factors (6-34)

• Grammar
• Listening
• Words
• Pronunciation
• Speaking
• Recalling

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Factor 1 - Grammar

• Using the function words correctly (W)
• Using correct/appropriate function words such as
  adverbs ?????,and co-verbs ????? (W)
• Using the correct/appropriate structures such as
  ?????,etc. (W)
• Using the structures correctly (W)
• Using the correct/appropriate notional words such
  as verbs and nouns (W)
• Forming sentences (word order) (W)
• Using the particles correctly (W)
• Using the correct/appropriate particles such as
  ?????,etc (W)
• Forming sentences (word order) (S)
• Identifying the main verb in a complicated
  sentence such as when ? clause is involved (R)
• Understanding some characteristic structure such
  as?????,etc. (R)
• Understanding the sentences that are formed in
  different word orders from your own language (R)

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Factor 2 - Listening

• Spontaneous understanding (L)
• Comprehension without knowing the context or the
  topics (L)
• Following the speed (L)
• Distinguishing homophones (different
  characters/words with same/similar
  pronunciations) (L)
• Recognising words by their sounds (L)
• Understanding different accents (L)
• Segmenting the sentences (finding pauses between
  words) (L)

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Factor 3 - Words

• Understanding some words/phrases that do not have
  translation counterparts in your language (R)
• Segmenting the sentences (to group character(s)
  into words) (R)
• Multi-meanings of certain words (R) 
• Identifying proper nouns (names of people,
  places, etc) (R)

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Factor 4 - Pronunciation

• The intonation, including the tones (S)
• Distinguishing the tones (L)
• Distinguishing the sounds in pronunciation/Pinyin
  (L)
• The pronunciation/Pinyin (S)

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Factor 5 - Speaking

• Gaining fluency (S)
• Expressing a complex idea from your language to
  Chinese (S)
• The transition from reading and listening to
  speaking (S)
• Overcoming anxiety about speaking Chinese (S)

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Factor 6 - Recalling

• Recalling how to write words (W)
• Recalling vocabulary (S)
• Recognising the words (R)

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Assumptions

• Six Factors

• General Level
• Learner Style

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Assumption 1 Level .vs. Factors
Level Factors

• Results
• Strongly Significant F-Listening F-Speaking
  (Plt.005)
• Significant? F-Grammar F-Pronunciation (Plt.05)
• Non-significant F-Words F-Recalling

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Assumption 2 L Style .vs. Factor
Auditory Learner gt Visual Learner in
F-ListeningF-Speaking Visual Learner gt Auditory
Learner in F-WordsF-Grammar
Results Strongly Significant F-Speaking
(plt.005) Significant? F-Listening
(plt.05) Non-significant F-Words F-Grammar
F-Pronunciation F- Recalling
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Further Discussion

• Is Grammar that difficult in Chinese? The more we
  teach, the more difficult?
• Reading is easy, words in reading are not?
• Auditory learners are more talented?

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Thank you very much!BICC recent study
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The Survey

• Section 1 of 4
• General Information (gender, age, nationality,
  languages, etc)

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The Survey

• Section 2 of 4
• Proficiency Level (of in general and seven
  skills)
• Section 3 of 4
• Difficulty Order (of the seven skills)

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The Survey

• Section 4 of 4
• Difficulty Extent (of 59 aspects under 7 skills
  and other)

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Overall Difficulty Order
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Translation Difficulty Order
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Writing Difficulty Order
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Listening Difficulty Order
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Speaking Difficulty Order
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Vocabulary Difficulty Order
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Character Difficulty Order
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Reading Difficulty Order