Use of Hand-on Learning Experience to Enhance Effectiveness of Chinese Teaching and Learning

 

Meng Liping (孟丽萍)

Morristown High School

 

This paper studies how the use of hands-on learning experiences can improve the language skills of students effectively as well as facilitate the teacher in efficient instructions and assessment of the students.

 

The author has designed a variety of lessons that proved to be multi-sensory and hands-on learning experiences, allowing students authentic and problem-solving assessments. For example, the author arranged for a cooking class in which the students learned Chinese vocabulary for cooking ingredients, vegetables and meat as well as expressions for describing cooking steps. In addition, the students learned about different Chinese cooking styles and food cultures. The students are strongly motivated by this teaching approach, and are fully involved in the hands-on learning activities. Another example is a transaction activity in which the students played roles of customers and salespeople, buying and selling stationery such as pencils, books, notebooks, etc. The students used sentence patterns for a complete transaction process from greeting each other, asking for and telling prices, bargaining, paying money (Chinese currency) for items to saying “Welcome back again” and “Goodbye”. Through these activities the students have experienced both cultural and linguistic elements of a Chinese class.

 

The author adopts a flexible attitude toward the use of textbooks and goes much beyond what the textbooks have covered. The hands-on learning experiences for the students have been incorporated into class planning, preparation and instruction.

 

The author will give some examples to illustrate how to integrate hands-on learning experiences into Chinese classes.