An investigative analysis on Hong Kong international school students' willingness to communicate in Chinese : in a Hong Kong ESF international school = Xianggang guo ji xue xiao xue sheng Han yu jiao ji yi yuan diao cha yu fen xi : yi Xianggang mou Ying ji guo ji xue xiao wei li

Abstract

本研究探究了香港某所國際學校中漢語作為第二語言學習者的中文交際意願。研究對象主要是香港某英基國際學校的170名漢語學習者；主要採用定量的研究方法，通過研究者的課堂觀課和學生的“自我報告”（Self-report）來搜集數據，通過五個量表（背景變量量表、心理變量量表和課堂內外漢語交際意願量表）來實現研究；研究的內容包括學生們課堂內、外漢語交際意願的總體水平以及可能存在的差異，並總結前人研究發現，在新的研究背景下對一些可能存在影響關係的背景變量（年齡、性別、漢語水平、學習漢語的社會支持、母語、性格、對待學習漢語的態度）和心理變量（學習漢語時的焦慮、動機、自我覺察的交際能力）進行數據分析并驗證假設，通過SPSS19.0來付諸實現；最終就如何提高學生的課堂內、外漢語交際意願提出教學建議。 本次研究的主要研究發現有：（1）該國際學校漢語學習者的總體漢語交際意願水平偏低，介於“較低交際意願”和“中度交際意願”之間，而且課內漢語交際意願略高於課外漢語交際意願。（2）總體來看，男生和女生之間不存在漢語交際意願上的顯著差異，但在課內，女生比男生更容易不懂就問、更關注語言知識的細節；男生比女生更願意作為發言代表來公開表達自己觀點；在課外，男生比女生更願意在校園裡與陌生人說漢語，更願意和朋友們或者陌生人上網用漢語交流。（3）預科項目（DP）和中學項目（MYP）的學生群體間不存在漢語交際意願的顯著差異。但在課堂上，DP學生比MYP的學生更願意進行公開性的漢語表達，更願意深入探討相關問題，更願意進行一些總結概括能力較強的發言。（4）DP年級學生的漢語水平和交際意願呈顯著正相關，即漢語水平高越高，課內、課外和總體的漢語交際意願越高,漢語水平越低，課內、課外和總體的漢語交際意願越低。（5）在用漢語進行“主動性發言”上的意願，漢語水平高的群體明顯高於漢語水平低的群體，說明高水平漢語學習者更願意掌握交際的主動權。（6）學習漢語社會支持較多的群體表現出明顯更高的漢語交際意願，呈顯著正相關。（7）以廣東話作為母語的學生比以英語作為母語的學生具有更高的漢語交際意願，這種差異性在課堂外比課堂內體現得更為明顯。（8）性格較外向的學生比性格較內向的學生具有更高的課內漢語交際意願。（9）喜歡學漢語的學生比不喜歡學漢語的學生具有更高的課內、課外和總體漢語交際意願。（10）總體來看，學生學習漢語的動機和自我覺察的漢語交際能力都偏高，且兩者與課內、課外和總體漢語交際意願均呈十分顯著正相關，其中動機與課外方面相關性略大，而自我覺察的交際能力與課內方面相關性略大。學生的總體焦慮水平偏低，與課內、課外和總體交際意願均呈十分顯著負相關，與課內方面相關性略大課外方面。無論是課內還是課外漢語交際意願，“自我覺察的交際能力”對漢語交際意願來說是預測性最強的心理變量。

This research investigated Chinese as second language (CSL) learner’s willingness to communicate (WTC) both inside and outside classroom in one of international schools, Hong Kong. The research objects are 170 Chinese Language B learners from an English School Foundation (ESF) international school. The main methodology adopted here was quantitative method. Classroom observations by researcher and self-reports by students were firstly done to collect background data, and then five scales were employed to do the main investigation, including a WTC Inside–the-classroom Scales (WTCIS), a WTC Outside-the-classroom Scale (WTCOS), a Language Anxiety Scale (LAS), a Motivation Scale (MS) and a Self-perceived Communicative Competence Scale (SCCS). The research objectives were to explore the general situation of CSL learners’ WTC, and the specific characteristics as well as possible differences of their WTC inside and outside the classroom; then to further examine the possible affecting variables from both background and psychological perspectives including gender, age, Chinese language proficiency, mother tongue, social support, personality and attitudes towards learning Chinese, which were regarded as background variables, and language anxiety, motivation and self-perceived communicative competence, which were regarded as psychological variables. After that, data was processed and analyzed by SPSS 19.0 for hypothesis verification. Finally, pedagogical implications on how to improve CSL learners’ WTC both inside and outside classroom were generalized from the study. The major findings showed that: (1) the general WTC of CSL learners from this school were slightly on the low side, between the Lower and Middle level, and the WTC inside the classroom was comparatively higher than outside of classroom. (2) On overall WTC, there was no significant difference between male and female students. But inside the classroom, girls were more likely to ask questions and pay more attention on language details than boys, while boy were more active to be the presenters and voice out in public. Outside the classroom, boys were more willing to communicate with strangers or chat online with friends in Chinese. (3) No significant WTC difference was found between Diploma Program (DP) and Middle Years Program (MYP), but DP CSL learners showed more willingness to make public speech, to be more of an inquirer in problems, and to do more generalization in speaking. (4) Among DP group, significant positive correlation was found between language proficiency and WTC, suggesting that the more proficient CSL learners showed higher WTC, and vice versa. (5) The more proficient group were more willing to speak Chinese voluntarily than the less proficient ones, implying that the more competent language learners are more likely to the take the initiative in communication. (6) CSL learners with more social supports to learn Chinese showed higher WTC, and a significant positive correlation was found here. (7) Students with Cantonese as mother tongue had higher WTC than their English as mothertougue counterparts, and this difference was more obviously outside of classroom. (8) Extroverted students showed significantly higher WTC inside of the classroom than the introverted. (9) Students who liked learning Chinese demonstrated higher WTC than those who didn’t. (10) Students’ motivation to learn Chinese and their SPCC were both on the high side, and both correlated positively on WTC, with motivation correlated more closely on outside WTC while SPCC more on inside WTC. Students showed slight lower anxiety level in speaking Chinese. Anxiety had significant negative correlation with WTC, and it mattered more inside than outside of classroom. No matter for WTC inside or outside, SPCC was the most predictive variable among the three.