Knowledge in practice : a grounded theory approach to constructing beginning Mandarin teachers' use of the communicative language teaching approach

Abstract

The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, promoted by language education programmes, has become the prevailing language teaching methodology across the world. However, the process about the beginning language teacher's application of CLT is not yet explored in past research. This research aimed to study the use of CLT through the beginning Mandarin teacher's perspectives. A grounded theory approach is employed as the research methodology. Data was collected from interviews of eight beginning Mandarin teachers and my reflective journals. The teacher interviewed in the study have been teaching Mandarin in primary schools (stage one to three) and junior high schools (stage four) for one or two years. Major findings suggest a three-dimension explication for the practice of CLT in Mandarin class. The epistemic dimension indicates the beginning Mandarin teacher's understanding of CLT; the perceptual dimension reveals the teacher's concerns of CLT as against their preferences, teaching objectives, and surroundings; and the situational dimension explicates the teacher's adaption of CLT in their particular teaching situations. The integral, emergent process of the three dimensions demonstrates a procedure in the transmission of the CLT theory into practice, and implies the practice of teacher education programmes, language curriculum, and Mandarin teaching to consider issues in the teacher's knowledge-practice process.

Date of Award	2011
Original language	English