''There are actually fewer classroom learners of Chinese who don't speak Chinese at home taking Chinese at senior levels than there were four years ago,''
In-country enrichment programs are, from a
personal perspective, an immensely rewarding initiative, yet
the costs can be exorbitant. To keep students pursuing Asian language studies
at a secondary school level, enrichment programs should not only be
commonplace, but subsidised by the Government. Students need to be made aware
of the benefits gained from living a
country, experiencing every nuance and minutia not available in Australian
classrooms. Too much emphasis is placed on grades, not skill acquisition.
Ultimately, as clichéd as it sounds, language learning is a journey, not a
destination. Some schools implementing language programs think they’re
broadening their students mind, yet rote learning only serves to expand the
mind’s ability to retain characters, tones and terms, to be regurgitated at a
later, more convenient date.
I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for the Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s 2012 report ‘Good learners of Chinese – profiles of secondary students.’ For someone passionate about language learning, travel
and internationalism, the findings are incredibly frustrating.
"The picture that emerges of the experience of studying Chinese is a rather dismal one."
"Lessons are dull and repetitive."
"There is a considerable imbalance in emphasis on development in literacy at the expense of spoken skills"
At a school level, there is much to learn for teachers and
students alike. Stale, uninspiring teaching practices won’t result in the
uptake of language learning, nor will it ensure students view the process as a
journey, rather than a destination, whereupon they receive their final marks
and that’s the end of it. Instead of having pictures of The Great Wall engaging
only student’s eyes in the classroom, have students experience it for
themselves. Contrary to the belief of some, language learning is a
multi-sensory experience. I count myself as one of the luckiest in the world to
have lived such wonderful moments in a multitude of Asian nations. I only hope
students are provided the opportunity to implement sensory, vivid learning
practices in Asian environments. To achieve inspiration is to avoid
destination-thinking. I’d hope broadening the mind involves filling it with
experiences of the richest quality, not school determined objectives students slavishly
work to achieve.
