Keywords: national language teachers' standard ability
On August 23rd, 2004, the Ministry of Education of People's Republic of China (PRC) promulgated the Measures for Determining the Ability of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (OrderNo. 19). At the same time, the Measures for the Qualification Examination of Teachers of Chinese as a Foreign Language (OrderNo. 12 of the former State Education Commission), which has been implemented since 190, was cancelled, and a new job of identifying teachers' abilities was carried out. We have made some thoughts and explorations on the development of the international Chinese teacher qualification examination.
1 exam content
In order to improve the professional quality and teaching level of international Chinese teachers, the International Office of China Language and Literature Working Committee officially promulgated the International Standards for Chinese Teachers (hereinafter referred to as the Standards) in 2007. This standard comprehensively describes the knowledge, ability and quality that teachers engaged in international Chinese teaching should possess, and provides a basis for the international Chinese teacher qualification examination. This standard consists of five modules and 10 standard. These five modules include:
1. Basic knowledge and skills of language
2. Culture and communication
3. Second language acquisition and learning strategies
4. Teaching methods
5. Teachers' comprehensive quality
The five modules are all elements of a qualified Chinese teacher's ability, but their importance is different. How to arrange the relative weights of the five modules in the certification examination?
The examination and approval of the qualification of teachers of Chinese as a foreign language by the education authorities began at 1990, and the qualification examination for teachers of Chinese as a foreign language was officially held at 1995. Since then, many exams have been taken. When considering the relative weights of the five modules, we analyzed the previous qualification examinations for teachers of Chinese as a foreign language, and solicited the opinions of Chinese teachers and candidates.
As of 2006, there are four main subjects in TCFL:
1. Modern Chinese and Ancient Chinese
2. Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language Theory and Linguistics
3. China culture and China literature.
4. English
Most Chinese teachers and candidates think that in the past exams, the examination of Chinese teaching practice was insufficient, the proportion of Chinese knowledge and cultural knowledge was too large, and some cultural knowledge was too much, which was difficult. For example, the examination questions involve the styles of official uniforms in different dynasties, the meanings of characters in official uniforms and so on. Although this kind of knowledge test can test whether candidates have certain knowledge of literature, history, philosophy, language, education and so on. The examination of teaching ability is insufficient, and candidates with strong Chinese teaching ability are not inclined. A qualified Chinese teacher needs to have the necessary knowledge, but a person with extensive and profound knowledge is not necessarily a qualified Chinese teacher.
Through investigation and discussion, we realize that in the five modules, basic language knowledge, skills and teaching methods belong to the most basic ability and knowledge elements of Chinese teachers, which embodies the minimum ability requirements for Chinese teachers. Necessary knowledge of second language acquisition and learning strategies, extensive knowledge of culture and communication will help Chinese teachers achieve better teaching results. The comprehensive quality of teachers is mainly reflected in their self-examination and self-improvement ability, which is helpful for teachers to gradually grow into an excellent teacher on the basis of accumulating teaching experience.
Based on this understanding, we put forward some suggestions on the content composition of competency certification examination, as shown in table 1.
Table 1 Content Composition of Competency Certification Examination
package
standard
proportion
Module 1
Basic knowledge and skills of language
Standard one
Chinese knowledge and skills
15%
Module 2
Culture and communication
Standard 3
Chinese culture
10%
Standard 4
Comparison between Chinese and Foreign Cultures and Cross-cultural Communication
10%
Module 3
Second Language Acquisition and Learning Strategies
Standard five
Second Language Acquisition and Learning Strategies
10%
Module 4
teaching method
Standard six
Chinese teaching method
25%
Standard seven
Testing and evaluation
5%
Standard eight
Chinese teaching curriculum, syllabus, teaching materials and auxiliary materials
15%
Standard nine
Modern educational technology and its application
5%
Module 5
Teachers' comprehensive quality
Standard 10
Teachers' comprehensive quality
5%
total
100%
As can be seen from the table 1, the teaching method module accounts for 50% of the examination, the basic knowledge and skills module accounts for 15%, and the two modules account for 65%. We believe that although basic language knowledge and skills are the most basic ability elements of Chinese teachers, this ability can be further reflected in the examination of other ability modules. Therefore, the proportion of examination content is appropriately reduced.
2 exam design
2. 1 Relationship between knowledge and ability
In the examination of teaching Chinese as a foreign language before 2006, the most prominent criticism of teachers and candidates in China was "high score but low energy" or "high energy and low score". In the development of the new competency-based examination, we should first deal with the relationship between knowledge and ability.
In psychology, ability and knowledge are both related and different concepts. The formation of ability is inseparable from the accumulation of knowledge, but ability is not equal to simple knowledge accumulation. For the difference between knowledge and ability, the ancients in China gave a very clear answer long ago: "It is better to teach people to fish than to teach them to fish." Instead of giving others some fish, it is better to teach others some fishing methods. Fish is knowledge; Fishing is ability. The knowledge test is to see how many fish are in a person's basket; The ability test is to let people play two nets to see if they can compete. There is a difference between "fishing" and "fishing", as well as "knowledge" and "ability".
Knowing the difference between knowledge and ability, it is easy to find the difference between ability test and knowledge test. Knowledge test mainly examines specific knowledge content, such as word knowledge, grammar knowledge, linguistics knowledge, teaching method knowledge and so on. The ability test mainly examines those relatively stable psychological characteristics, examines the ability of logical analysis and judgment, and examines the ability to use knowledge to solve problems. Generally speaking, the ability test needs less memory and is not easily influenced by short-term intensive counseling. People with strong memory are generally easy to get good grades in knowledge tests, but in Chinese teaching, people with strong memory are not necessarily better Chinese teachers.
Based on this understanding of the relationship between knowledge and ability, we suggest adopting task-based examination, presenting test questions in a situational way, and adopting a large number of case analysis questions and lesson plan design questions, basically excluding rote learning, so as to be as close to teaching practice as possible and simulate the real teaching practice process. For example:
Example 1 ~ example 10
1 ~ 10, please read the following textbooks and texts, and answer the questions according to the requirements of the questions.
Unit 1: Hello, I'm Mike ......................... 1.
Unit 2: My last name is Jin, and my name is Jintaicheng. .............................................................................................................................................................
Unit 3: I come from ....................... 13, London, England.
Unit 4: I work in a company 19.
Unit 5: How old are you this year? 25
Unit 6: Her boyfriend is very handsome
Unit 7: I live in Sunshine Community.
Unit 8: I like big families.
Unit 9: I'm very busy recently. ................................................................................................................... 49
Unit 10: You can introduce er ............................................................................................................................................ 55.
text
(1) When did you graduate from college?
When did you graduate from college?
I will graduate from college next year. What about you?
A: The year after next. How old are you this year?
B: I'm twenty-one. It belongs to dogs.
You were born in 1982, right?
B: That's right.
When is your birthday?
When is your birthday?
My birthday is1October 18, which falls on Saturday.
Really? What's the date today?
B: Today is the fifteenth.
What are you going to do?
I'm going to hold a birthday party. Will you join us?
A: When will it be held?
B: Seven o'clock on Saturday evening.
A: Where is it?
B: It's in my room.
A: OK. I will definitely go. Best wishes for a happy birthday!
Thank you!
1. The most unsuitable teaching object of this textbook is:
A. China students
B. Adult international students
C. Primary and secondary school students
D. Students of Chinese Department in University
6. What unit is this text?
A. Unit 1
Unit B.5
C.8 unit
D. Unit 10
2. The teaching objectives suitable for this textbook are:
A. Make students master systematic knowledge of Chinese grammar.
B. Make students understand the contemporary national conditions and culture of China.
C. Improve students' ability to write papers in Chinese
D. Improve students' ability to communicate in Chinese
7. This textbook is likely to be:
A. stationery
B. Oral teaching materials
C. Chinese character teaching materials
D. Reading textbooks
3. This textbook is written in the following way:
A. Structure type
B. Cultural types
C. Pragmatic model
D. local
8. The antonym of "like" is:
A.i don't like it.
B. annoying
C. trouble
D. love
4. The pronunciation of "one" in "which year" is:
Ayi
jasper
c . y . I
Dee
9. The expression that conforms to China people is:
How old is your grandfather?
How old is your father?
How old is your son?
How old is your lover?
5. A student's birthday is June 7th. 1984.
He should belong to:
A. tiger
B.rabbit
C.dragon
D. rat
10. Which arrangement of grammar points in the textbook best reflects the principle of gradual progress from easy to difficult:
A. Put the serial sentence after compound sentence.
B. Put the meaning of the passive sentence after "Bei"
C. Put the result complement and the trend complement in the word "ba"
After a sentence
D. Arrange possible supplements in the results supplement and trend supplement.
After language
Example 1 1 ~ example 14
Please read the following materials and answer the question 1 1~ 14.
Do as Romans do in Rome.
What do you think of the teahouse here?
B: I think it's interesting and good for a few friends to chat and listen to cross talk.
C: But I think people talk too loudly in these places.
Teahouses are lively places.
As far as I am concerned, public places should be quiet. I feel uncomfortable in such a noisy place.
People in different countries have different habits. If you don't understand foreign culture, you will feel very unaccustomed. For example, people in China eat with chopsticks, while westerners eat with knives and forks. Westerners put food on plates, cut large pieces into small pieces and send them to their mouths. If there is food on your fingers, lick your fingers. Some people in China are not used to it.
I think we should do as the Romans do. China people should whisper in public places abroad; Foreigners don't have to lick their fingers when eating in China.
I have a question. How to translate "do as the Romans do" into English?
1 1. Please mark the following sentences in pinyin.
China people should whisper in public places abroad; Foreigners don't have to lick their fingers when eating in China.
12 ~ 13. Please correct the following sentences in the materials.
12. It's interesting for some friends to chat and listen to cross talk together.
13. Westerners put food on their plates.
14. Please design two "Ba sentence" exercises for this material, and give an example for each exercise.
2.2 Qualified teachers and excellent teachers
The purpose of the development ability certification examination is mainly to provide teachers' employment service for teaching institutions in China. Considering the needs of teaching institutions in China, it is necessary to provide both "qualified teachers" and "excellent teachers" evaluations. Therefore, we suggest that the competency certification examination includes two levels of certificate examination, A and B. Candidates who have obtained the A-level certificate have reached the knowledge and ability requirements for Chinese teaching and are competent for Chinese teaching. Candidates who have obtained the B-level certificate have a high level of Chinese teaching, and have good teaching design, teaching organization and teaching management capabilities.
Anyone who has a college degree or above and meets certain requirements in Mandarin and foreign languages (non-Chinese speakers have reached a certain level of HSK) can apply for the A-level certificate. Only those who have a bachelor's degree or equivalent, have obtained an A-level certificate and have at least two academic years or accumulated 400 hours of Chinese teaching experience can apply for a B-level certificate.
2.3 Candidates whose mother tongue is Chinese and non-Chinese.
The targets of the competency assessment test include Chinese teachers in and outside China, including Chinese teachers whose mother tongue is Chinese and Chinese teachers whose mother tongue is not Chinese.
Ma Xinfang and Zhao Yanqing (2008) made a statistical analysis of the forecast test paper of the Qualification Examination for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (elementary), and found that there was a significant difference in scores between native Chinese speakers and non-native Chinese speakers. This paper is too easy for people whose mother tongue is Chinese, but it is difficult for people whose mother tongue is not Chinese. Therefore, they suggest that the primary examination should be aimed at candidates whose mother tongue is not Chinese.
Indeed, it is not appropriate to use the same test paper to examine two groups with such great differences, just as it is not appropriate to use the same ruler to measure the cloth for making clothes and the steel for building bridges. Therefore, we suggest that the A-level exam be divided into A 1 and A2. The A 1 exam is mainly aimed at candidates whose mother tongue is not Chinese, while the A2 exam is mainly aimed at candidates whose mother tongue is Chinese. Those who pass the examinations of A 1 and A2 will be awarded certificates of A 1 and A2 respectively.
We don't need to restrict some native Chinese speakers from taking the A 1 exam, but we can also encourage non-native Chinese speakers to take the A2 exam. In the practice of Chinese teaching, two A-level certificates will play their respective roles.
2.4 Chinese teachers engaged in Chinese teaching in different types of schools
The objects of the competency assessment exam include teachers who are engaged in Chinese teaching in kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools and colleges and universities. Different types of schools have different requirements for Chinese teachers.
2.4. 1 The level of Chinese teaching cannot be divided by school type.
Different types of schools have different requirements for Chinese teachers. Generally speaking, kindergartens and primary schools have special requirements for teachers' teaching methods and skills, and higher requirements for teachers' knowledge of pedagogy and psychology. It can't be said that the level of Chinese teachers in kindergartens and primary schools is low, and the level of Chinese teachers in universities is high.
2.4.2 Chinese teachers working in different types of schools are * * *.
Although different types of schools have different requirements for Chinese teachers, Chinese teachers working in different types of schools have great similarities and great intersections in knowledge structure and ability structure. In many aspects, such as Chinese knowledge, grammar knowledge, linguistics knowledge, expression ability, logical thinking ability, cross-cultural communication ability, etc., they all have the same or similar requirements.
2.4.3 At present, it is difficult for Chinese teachers working in different types of schools to organize examinations.
If China teachers working in different types of schools are organized separately, the examination system will become very complicated, at least at present, it is difficult to carry out.
2.4.4 Teachers who give consideration to different types of school work through topic selection.
In order to give consideration to teachers working in different types of schools, we suggest adopting the method of topic selection. For example:
Example 15
This section * * * contains three questions, please choose 1 from the three questions to answer.
These three topics represent different teaching institutions: kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and universities. Please design the teaching plan according to the information provided by the question.
1. Kindergarten
The following are unfinished lesson plans. Please design the teaching according to the information provided by the topic and complete the teaching plan. When designing, please briefly explain the reasons.
Teaching target: 1.4 ~ 5 years old children, 3 males and 2 females.
I have studied Chinese for two months.
3. Chinese class once a week, 20 minutes each time.
Teaching time: 20 minutes.
Teaching place: Xiaoxing Chinese Kindergarten.
Teaching content: 1 Apples, bananas, pears, oranges and watermelons.
2. Sentence pattern: I like eating.
2. Primary and secondary schools
The following are unfinished lesson plans. Please design the teaching according to the information provided by the topic and complete the teaching plan. When designing, please briefly explain the reasons.
Teaching object: 1. Grade 9 middle school, 15 years old.
I have studied Chinese for 6 months.
3. Chinese class once a week, 40 minutes each time.
Teaching time: 40 minutes.
Teaching content:
Text:
Can you swim?
Mary: Jia Ming, do you often exercise?
Jia Ming: I don't exercise often.
Mary: What sports do you like?
Jia Ming: I like running. What about you?
Mary: I like swimming. Can you swim?
Jia Ming: I won't. If you have time, you can teach me!
Learn Chinese from me -33
Teaching purpose:
Teaching preparation:
Teaching process:
3. University
Please look at the following text:
Karen: Huimei, what are you going to do after graduation?
Huimei: I want to be a translator.
Karen: So will you stay and work in Beijing?
Huimei: No. I will return to China as soon as I graduate.
Karen: Going back to China to get married?
Huimei: What did you get married for? I don't have a boyfriend yet. What's your plan?
Karen: I want to stay in China and be an English teacher.
Huimei: Then why do you study Chinese?
Karen: Learning Chinese can not only help me live in China, but also help me understand the similarities and differences between English and Chinese.
Huimei: Now all the students in China learn English, but their pronunciation is not very good.
Karen: Yes, I want to help them correct their pronunciation.
Huimei: I will often come to China to see you from then on.
Karen: Just to see me?
Huimei: Of course.
Words are provided: graduation, doing, being, being, getting married, planning, then, later.
Grammar stipulates: "as long as …", rhetorical questions use "what", "not yet …" and "not only … but also"
Class hours: 100 minutes
Please design a lesson plan for the texts, words and grammar provided above. Requirements: The teaching plan should include at least two words, a grammar point and text processing.
Please answer the questions according to the following requirements and design the teaching plan (written on the answer sheet)
(1) Please design the following lesson plans according to this text and briefly explain the reasons.
The level of students suitable for the teaching plan; Teaching objectives; Teaching emphases and difficulties; Teaching AIDS; Teaching methods adopted; Teaching schedule; Teaching steps; Write on the blackboard.
(2) Please give examples to illustrate the possible mistakes (at least one aspect) in the grammar content of this text, and complete the teaching postscript.
2.5 written test, interview and trial lecture
The oral expression ability of international Chinese teachers is very important. Although the written test is the most economical and simple test method, it is not enough to evaluate the teaching ability of Chinese teachers only through the written test. In addition to written examination, interview is an important means to test the level of teachers.
Considering the feasibility, we suggest that the oral test of A 1 should be changed to HSK (Advanced) oral test, and the candidates who have not obtained the HSK oral test results should be organized by man-machine dialogue alone. The oral test of A2 test is changed to Putonghua proficiency test, and candidates who have not obtained the results of Putonghua proficiency test will be interviewed separately. Considering the feasibility, the trial lecture is not included in the A-level exam.
The B-level examination is conducted in various forms, such as trial lecture, lecture and defense. Applicants for the B-level exam need to take the written test first, and then they can get the qualification for the interview of the B-level exam, and then they can sign up for the teaching practice exam at the test centers set up in various places. The exam is presided over by the interviewer, the whole process is recorded for future reference, and all materials are filed for future reference.
2.6 objective and subjective issues
In the early 1950s, ETS, the largest examination research institution in the United States, conducted a three-year experimental study on objective multiple-choice questions and traditional composition questions. The results show that objective multiple-choice questions are more effective than traditional composition questions in examining writing ability. (Owen, 1999) In the following decades, objective multiple-choice questions became the main questions in American language proficiency tests. Later, the use of objective questions went to extremes. Since the 1990s, subjective questions have gradually been adopted in American exams.
Generally speaking, subjective questions have high validity and objective questions have high reliability. The condition for subjective questions to be effective is a high-level rater. If the rater has no discrimination, there will be many "golden model" mistakes. Even high-level raters sometimes fail to observe it. In the actual marking process, there are often phenomena of stricter beginning and looser judgment. In addition, the subjective test needs to be scored, which has the problem of high cost.
Although the objective multiple-choice question is not valid, it has the advantage of strong objectivity and can be scored by computer. The proposition of objective multiple-choice questions is very difficult and needs the accumulation of experience. For an experienced second language teacher, a set of subjective questions may be assigned in one night, but a confused option in a four-choice multiple-choice question may be considered in one night.
Considering the validity and reliability, as well as the scientificity and economy of the test, we suggest that the choice of test questions includes both objective and multiple-choice questions, as well as subjective and constructive questions, which complement each other and maintain an appropriate proportion. Ensure the lowest reliability of the exam through objective questions. Improve the economy; Through subjective questions, improve the validity of the exam and improve the scientific nature of the exam.
The proportion of objective questions and subjective questions in A-level examination and B-level examination can be different. A-level exams are mainly objective questions, while B-level exams are mainly subjective questions.
2.7 Paper-and-pencil examination and computerized examination
Computerization is the inevitable trend of examination development and the product of the development of computer technology. It can improve the reliability through the "personalized" test of candidates, and can improve the validity through multimedia technology to increase the authenticity of the test. The premise of computerized examination is to establish a high-quality and scientific question bank.
The determination of Chinese teachers' ability should start from a high level and be computerized as soon as possible. With the gradual construction of question bank, the process of computerization of competency-based examination can be divided into three stages: the first stage is simply to transfer the examination with the same content from paper to computer, and conduct the examination at the same time and in different places on the computer. This is the lowest level of CBT (computer-based test). In the second stage, when there are about 20 sets of test papers, you can take the test on the computer in different periods, and the candidates will answer a whole set of test papers at random. At this time, it is necessary to realize the equivalence between different test papers in the question bank. This is commonly known as CBT. In the third stage, after 40 sets of test papers are accumulated, CAT (Computer Adaptive Test) can be realized, and questions can be automatically given according to candidates' answers.
3. Establish an examiner team
In the B-level examination, it is difficult to evaluate excellent Chinese teachers only by written examination, and it must be evaluated by examiners through interviews. Therefore, it is necessary to learn from the national vocational qualification certificate (NVQ) system in Britain, TESOL certification examination in the United States and the third stage examination (Praxis) in ETS, and to ensure the examination quality through the construction and supervision system of examiners: to build a credit-based examiner team with unified powers and responsibilities. This team should include a reasonable hierarchical structure, so that each evaluator can be effectively supervised (Xie Xiaoqing, 2005).
4 Evaluation and training
In some high-risk examination fields, examination institutions and training institutions wrestle with each other, one attacking and the other defending, which ultimately damages the effectiveness and reliability of the examination. In fact, training and evaluation are complementary and dynamic educational means. The best training is based on evaluation and teaching students in accordance with their aptitude; The best evaluation is the evaluation in training, which is based on long-term observation. In the development of teacher qualification examination, we should learn from the NVQ system in Britain, TESOL and Praxis of ETS in the United States, and combine teacher qualification with teacher training in China. The domestic teaching base of Chinese as a foreign language and the Confucius Institute (classroom) abroad can be both the training base of Chinese teachers and the teacher competence appraisal center. In the real work scene, the examiner can evaluate the candidates through long-term observation. This kind of evaluation combined with training can effectively avoid the phenomenon of "high scores and low abilities" than traditional examinations.
5 Preliminary experimental results
In April 2009, we applied the International Basic Knowledge Examination for Chinese Teachers compiled according to the above ideas to the Confucius Institute (classroom) volunteer selection examination organized by Hanban. 963 volunteers took the exam. See table 2 and figure 1 for the analysis results of the test questions.
Table 2 Analysis Results of Basic Knowledge Examination
Number of topics
100
number of people
963
average score
74.327
Standard deviation
7.788
rock bottom
38.000
top score
9 1.000
α coefficient
0.764
standard error
3.782
passing rate
0.743
Average point diallel correlation
0.205
Average diallel correlation
0.3 16
Figure 1 distribution of candidates' scores
The validity analysis of the test paper shows that the average scores of applicants from first-tier schools such as Peking University, Beijing Normal University and beijing language and culture university are significantly higher than those from some second-and third-tier schools. (See Table 3)
Table 3 Performance Statistics of Some Schools
school
average score
Standard deviation
Peking University
79.94
6.046
Beijing Normal University
79.62
4.879
Beijing Language and Culture University
79.0 1
4.940
Other schools
74.83
8.039
Other schools
74.7 1
7.5 1
Other schools
72.94
5.407
Other schools
68.90
7.745
Among the applicants in beijing language and culture university, the average score of students majoring in Chinese as a foreign language is significantly higher than that of other majors. (See Table 4)
Table 4 Comparison of scores between students majoring in Chinese as a foreign language and non-Chinese as a foreign language.
primary
number of people
average score
Standard deviation
Major of Chinese as a Foreign Language in North Language
84
8 1. 12
5.27
Other majors in northern languages
103
75.73
7.09
After the exam, we conducted a survey of some candidates, and the candidates' reaction was: "I feel that the topic is very clever. It feels natural to test according to the situation and combine with the reality. The knowledge points examined cover a wide range, focusing on the application of knowledge rather than the simple memory of knowledge "; "This is really a test of ability. The topic is very clever, the knowledge coverage is comprehensive, and the topic is very interesting. " ; "Very practical"; "not difficult enough"; "I don't think it is discriminatory enough."