A study on the application of “Chinese+General Studies” in Chinese Language Teaching for non-Chinese-speaking primary students in Hong Kong

Abstract

Non-Chinese-speaking (NCS) students in the Hong Kong SAR face both academic and language barriers in subjects where the medium of instruction is Chinese. Given that Chinese is not their first language, their limited proficiency can considerably hinder their academic performance. By adopting the “Content and Language Integrated Learning”(CLIL) model, this study develops Chinese language materials and learning strategies for Primary Three NCS students in Hong Kong. Focusing on the six key domains of the primary General Studies (GS) curriculum, the research promotes an interdisciplinary method that intertwines Chinese language learning with GS content. The innovative “Chinese+GS” classes will improve students’ Chinese proficiency through subject learning and deepen their understanding of subject-related knowledge via targeted language input. This study serves a dual purpose: firstly, it seeks to challenge the traditional, prevailing language-only teaching approach for NCS students in Hong Kong by striking an equilibrium between the instruction of Chinese as both a “target language” and an “instrumental language, ”which can nurture both language and cognitive development of students. Secondly, the study aims to make a meaningful contribution to the global discourse on Chinese as an international language, sharing insights and practical implications from Hong Kong’s “Chinese+Other Subjects” instructional model. 香港特区非华语学生在使用中文学习其他科目时面临着学科和语言的双重障碍。对非华语学生而言,中文是他们的第二语言或外语,如果中文欠佳,势必影响学科知识的学习。本研究采用“内容与语言整合学习”的4Cs模式,为香港的非华语小学三年级学生设计了一套融合常识科内容的中文学习材料和框架,聚焦于小学常识科的六大学习范畴,展开跨学科协作模式,统整学科与中文作为第二语言的学习内容。创新的“中文+常识”课程旨在融合学科教育来提升学生中文水平,同时透过针对性语言教学深化学科知识的掌握。本研究的意义在于, 首先让香港非华语中文教学突破单一的语言课堂,平衡“目标语言”和“工具语言”的教学,增强学生通过中文学习常识等其他学科的能力﹔其次,亦希望本课题可以抛砖引玉,为国际中文教育中“中文+其他学科”的教学模式提供香港经验。