Effective character teaching methods for L1 English Chinese-as-a-foreign-language learners

Abstract

Chinese character instruction has been one of the most challenging aspects in teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL). CFL teachers need access to a pool of effective character teaching methods to practice evidence-based and research-informed teaching. This synthesis study comprises an exhaustive search of literature published from 1952 to the present on character instruction for L1 English CFL learners and a systematic review of 22 articles identified through that search. The articles were cross analyzed in terms of research methods, learners’ proficiency levels, learning settings, methodological approaches, and theoretical bases. The analysis found an increasing number of studies on character teaching methods in the past ten years and that technology plays an important role in the design of these methods. Six categories of character instructional methods were identified out of the 39 methods examined in the literature. Within five of the categories, effective methods were identified, described, and discussed. Analysis of the data points out the strengths and weaknesses of the current research on character teaching and highlights the need for more research on character learning with younger learners and on using different approaches at the curriculum level. This article concludes by identifying the next steps to take and calling for more action research to examine the application cycle of these effective methods in classroom teaching.