Thirteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Foreign language instruction aims not only to foster foreign language proficiency, but also to cultivate learners into “citizens of the world,” according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). An important approach towards accomplishing this goal consists of encouraging students to compare practices and products associated with their target language with their background language and culture. How to effectively combine language learning with cultural competence, specifically in a contemporary and globalized classroom, remains a challenge. This study, based on Chinese language courses taught at a community college in California, demonstrates that the approach taken by both traditional and new Chinese textbooks of introducing global elements solely for Chinese vocabulary or emphasizing China’s insularity vis-à-vis other culture is counterproductive. Conversely, establishing a framework that organically anchors Chinese language and culture in a global context provides a means for communicative competence via students’ articulations and explanations of culturally relevant symbols, situations, issues, and phenomena. I cite examples from my implementation of this approach of teaching Chinese within a global context framework. I discuss the pedagogical methods of incorporating international sources, media and languages into the Chinese foreign language education, ultimately demonstrating how effective communication impacts understanding and collaboration in an interdependent world. Overall, this study shows that teaching Chinese against a global backdrop approach substantiates students’ interest, accelerates students’ acquisition of a foreign language, and propels learners to higher levels of both language proficiency and global competency.