Dr. Jeff R. Watson
Dr. Wayne He (何文潮)
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Textbook / workbook
Grammar book
Teacher’s manual
Free online audio & flashcards
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Reading, writing, listening, speaking + computing
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Handwriting is introduced gradually
Keyboarding allows students to recognize more
vocabulary
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Not just typing—students need to know
pinyin, tone, and character
Using examples from Chinese for Tomorrow,
Volumes 1 and 2 第一、二册的例子
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Practice exercises
Listening & speaking exercises
Composition
Lab and homework
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Exercises for computing and learning
characters in each chapter (e.g. V.1, L.3, p. 114)
Type the following passage:
王小年請他的中國朋友去看電影，可是她的
中國朋友不喜歡看電影。他問王小年去不去
打球，…

Type the following pinyin sentences and select
the correct characters

Circle the correct character to fill in the blanks.
(不、吓、下、丁、才) 課以後我們才去吃中
國飯。
Example from the Chinese for Tomorrow
Teacher’s Manual, Volume 1:
Lab Session
电脑室
1. Exercises for Computing and Learning Characters
2. Listening to the sound files of the texts
1． 电脑与汉字练习
2 ．听课文录音
Homework
作业
1.Typing and copying the new words for Dialogue One, Two & Narration
sections twice
2.Composition (Textbook Page188, Exercise 4)
3.Selected translation exercises (Textbook Page188, Exercise 5)
1． 对话一、二和叙述的生词各用电脑打两遍
2．作文（课本 188 页练习四）
3．翻译句子（课本 188 页练习五）

Varied listening & speaking exercises to
reinforce learned vocabulary (e.g. Volume 1, p. 148)
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Vol. 1 – simple sentences and short
compositions starting in Lesson 1 (e.g. p.58)
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Vol. 2 – more in-depth compositions (e.g. p.241)
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Two groups: Experimental & Control
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Qualitative & quantitative research methods
 1st-year College Chinese – 160 contact hours

Treatment spanned AY 2009-2010 (2 semesters)
Research Questions
1) How do students perceive their
learning experience when using
the Computer Chinese approach
vs. a more traditional approach?
Data Gathering Instruments
 Video-taped non-participant
observation
 Learning Strategy survey
 Motivation survey (2 iterations)
 Post-course group discussion
 Post-course structured interview
Data Gathering
Modes
 Observation
 Interview
 Self-report
2) How do students perform in terms
 ACTFL-developed Prochievement
of speaking & reading proficiency
Test
 Language Testing
after using the Computer Chinese
 ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview
approach?
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N=24 sophomores
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22 male; 2 female
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No prior formal experience with Chinese
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23 native speakers of English; 1 Korean
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Textbook: Chinese for Tomorrow
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Software: NJSTAR
 N=23 sophomores
 18 male; 5 female
 No prior formal experience with Chinese
 23 native speakers of English
 Textbook: Integrated Chinese
 Software: KEY
Post-treatment Survey
Mid-term Survey
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
12
10
10
Experiment
Control
8
Experimental Group
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
Motivation
Attitude
Experimental 11.86
Control
11.33
0
Confidence
15.79
13.77
Control Group
8
Motivation
6.54
7.3
Attitude
Experimental 10.82
Control
11.47
Confidence
15.91
15.76
6.75
6.39
Mid-term Survey
Post-treatment Survey
4.5
5
4
4.5
4
3.5
3.5
3
3
2.5
Experiment
2
Control
1.5
2.5
Experiment
Control
2
1.5
1
1
0.5
0.5
0
0
Writing characters
Vocab Learning Typing
Writing characters Vocab Learning Typing
Experimental
2.75
3.85
Experimental
2.27
4.46
Control
3.02
2.81
Control
2.93
3.44
Speaking Confidence
4
3.5
3
2.5
Experiment
2
Control
1.5
1
0.5
0
Survey 1
Experimental
Control
Survey 2
3.16
3.54
Experimental
Control
3.36
2.86
 Experimental Group
+ Communicative, conversational focus
+ Integrated grammar
+ Delayed character-writing
+ Functional organization with recycled vocabulary
+ Computer program: NJSTAR
+ Typing ability allows for earlier writing of paragraphs
- Dependence on Pinyin which is later phased out
- Definitions sometimes associated with Pinyin instead of Hanzi
- Some concern about handwriting requirements in advanced
courses
 Control Group
+Functional dialogs with storyline
+Handwriting flashcards
+Decent conversation activities
+Computer program: KEY
- Handwriting exercises led to memorization of stroke order – not
-
meaning association
Limited focus on pronunciation
Some concern about handwriting requirements in advanced
courses
Experimental Group
Control Group
3.5
3.5
3
3
2.5
2.5
2
2
1.5
1.5
1
1
0.5
0.5
0
Use lexical &
sentence context
Use dialog context
Use prefabricated
flashcards
0
Use lexical &
Use dialog context
sentence context
Use hand-made
flashcards
Experimental Group
Control Group
3.5
3.5
3
3
2.5
2.5
2
2
1.5
1.5
1
1
0.5
0.5
0
0
Read characters out
loud repeatedly
Read the pinyin
repeatedly
Use prefabricated
flashcards
Read characters
out loud repeatedly
Read the pinyin
repeatedly
Use hand-made
flashcards
Experimental Group
Control Group
3.5
3.5
3
3
2.5
2.5
2
2
1.5
1.5
1
1
0.5
0.5
0
0
Use prefabricated
flashcards
Associate
characters by
familiar shape
Read texts
repeatedly
Use hand-made
flashcards
Associate
characters by
familiar shape
Write characters
repeatedly
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
Experimental
Control
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Remembering
Using available
resources
Consolidating
Practicing
 Developed & validated by ACTFL
 Geared toward students with lower-level proficiency
 40 multiple-choice items
 18 novice-level; 22 intermediate-level items
 10 vocabulary
 10 grammar
 20 reading proficiency
Prochievement Test Results - (on ACTFL scale)
Percentage of Students
90
80
70
60
2nd-year
50
1st-year Experimental
40
1st-year Control
30
20
10
0
ACTFL Novice
ACTFL Intermediate
ACTFL Advanced
CONTROL
N
22
Range
11.00
Minimum
8.00
Maximum
19.00
Mean
13.5909
Standard
Deviation
2.85622
EXPERIMENTAL
22
14.00
6.00
20.00
14.3182
3.75926
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test for
Equality of Variances
t-test for Equality of Means
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
PRO-C Test
Equal
variances
assumed
F
2.132
Sig.
.152
t
-.723
df
42
Sig. (2tailed)
.474
Mean
Std. Error
Difference Difference Lower
-.72727
1.00657 -2.75861
Upper
1.30407

Both groups demonstrated similar yet unique
learning strategy development.
 Experimental group reported using reading as a memorization
technique.
 Control group reported using writing as a memorization
technique.

Both groups demonstrated similar performance on
the prochievement test while the Experimental
group demonstrated a slight non-statistically
significant edge. But 36% of the Experimental
group reached the Intermediate level of ACTFL
rating in the test while the Control group only 13%.

Both groups generally showed similar patterns in
motivation, attitude and confidence.
 The experimental group held favorable attitude toward typing
on the computer for learning vocabulary
 The control group was generally more favorable to writing
characters than the experimental group. However, on the
second survey (post-treatment), BOTH the Experimental group
AND Control group reported a more positive attitude toward
typing than writing.
 On the first survey (mid-term), the Control group reported more
confidence in their speaking. On the second survey (posttreatment), the Experimental group reported more confidence
in speaking.