Process drama in the teaching and learning of the Chinese language in a secondary school in Singapore (a case study) = "Guo cheng xi ju" cu jin Xinjiapo zhong xue Hua wen jiao yu xue (ge an yan jiu)

Abstract

Due to its multi-cultural and multi-lingual background, Singapore has developed a complex language environment. Despite the implementation of the Multi-lingual Language Policy by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the language medium for all subjects in schools, except for the Mother Tongue languages, is English. The past two decades has seen drastic changes, with English replacing as the dominant home language. For both the school and home, the environment for usage of Chinese language has shrunk, according to the statistics shown in the Mother Tongue Review Report in 2010 conducted by MOE. Students have found it difficult to learn Chinese Language. Learning interests remain minimal. Evidence-based research for Process Drama in Chinese Language education in Singapore is in a lack. This research aims to investigate the mechanisms of Process Drama, including its functions and characteristics, as well as how it will promote learning interests and motivation for Chinese Language at Secondary school level, and its effectiveness in teaching and learning. Process Drama emphasizes on interaction and participation, with ample studies proving it a useful platform for language learning, and providing authentic settings for language usage in the classroom. This is a single-case qualitative study, with two classes of students from the Secondary Two Express level in Singapore. Multiple sources of evidence will be collected, including participant observations of class lessons in videos, field notes, semi-structured interviews with students, students’ written work with reflections, and students’ survey, for triangulation purposes. Findings from participation observation and video recordings of lessons have shown that Process Drama has provided a comprehensive space of learning, to develop the integrated language skills in students, including listening, speech, reading, writing and thinking skills. From the interviews, students have indicated that Process Drama helps them create an authentic language setting, to develop in-depth studies of lesson topics affectively and rationally. Process Drama has also offered multi-dimensional interactions between teachers and students, both in-role and out-of-role. Students have indicated they take pleasure in active participation during Process Drama lessons. They are able to relate their life experiences with the learning settings of drama and thereby construct their learning. This study has significant contributions for the academic and language education fields. For the academic field, this research has developed both a theoretical framework and a design of teaching processes for Process Drama in Chinese Language learning, which can be considered an innovation in language education. For the language education field, Process Drama is proven its ability to enhance the integrated learning of language. It also creates an interactive language environment, which is authentic as well as suitable for all students of diversified language abilities. This study will be able to provide help in handling the challenges faced in the context of teaching and learning of Chinese in Singapore, through an innovative and effective pedagogy of Process Drama. 新加坡有多元語言環境。教育部推行雙語政策，但學校的主要媒介是英語，華語只在華文課使用。近二十年，家庭用語大幅度改變成英語。學生使用華語的環境減少。教育部的調查顯示，學生認為華文難學，缺乏學習興趣。 有關新加坡過程戲劇教學的實證性研究缺乏。本研究的目的是探討過程戲劇的運作系統、功能與特質，以提升學生的學習興趣，促進華文教學。 本研究採用個案研究設計，對象是新加坡中學兩班華文快捷班中二學生。通過多渠道蒐集資料，包括課堂觀課錄像、實地筆記、訪談、學生作業、及調查問卷等，提供三角驗證。 研究結果顯示過程戲劇提供了全面培養學生各種語文綜合能力的學習空間，包括聆聽、口語、閱讀、書寫、以及各項思維能力。過程戲劇為華文課堂建立真實的語言環境，能有效地從感性及理性層面探討課題，提供師生之間的多層面互動；學生能積極參與課堂，愉快學習，能連接學習情境與生活經驗，建構對世界的認識。 是次研究具有重要的貢獻。學術方面，建立了華文過程戲劇的理論框架和教學流程設計。語文教育方面，過程戲劇能夠有效提升學生的語文綜合能力，同時為不同語文能力學生創設語言互動的環境，有助照顧學生能力差異。本研究為新加坡華文教學提供了創新及有效的教學方法，有助解決華文教學難題。