Research On Instructional Language Use In Chinese Teaching In Ukraine

The study of instructional languages has been attracting much attention in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL). The thesis summarizes the previous research, and draws a conclusion under the relevant theory by the questionnaire survey of the students learning Chinese, Chinese language teachers and volunteers in the Confucius Institute at Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University. It concludes that instructional languages play a certain role in TCFL, the importance of which cannot be exaggerated and ignored. Therefore, teachers should integrate the native language and Chinese in the teaching process, with the reasonable use of the mother tongue as a instructional language to optimize the learning environment and to complete teaching.In the development history of foreign language teaching, we can see that after the decline of the grammar-translation method, most of the subsequent teaching methods stressed the target language as a teaching mainstream, avoiding the use of the mother tongue and the common instructional language (i.e. English) in the teaching process. The thesis on the base of the foreign language teaching theories carries out practical surveys and demonstrates the positive role of the instructional languages in TCFL. Theoretically, the positive role of instructional languages is confirmed by combining researches on Krashen’s theory of comprehensible input and affective filter hypothesis, language transfer theories and Error Analysis, with practices in teaching. Practically, the conclusion is drawn by the data and statistical analysis from the questionnaires and interviews of the students learning Chinese, Chinese language teachers and volunteers in the Confucius Institute at Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University. All the students and teachers have to admit that instructional languages mean a lot in foreign language teaching. We should adhere to the principle of proportionality and rational use to promote the teaching activities. Finally, the author through the analysis of the data, on the basis of relevant theories, puts up with the reasonable use of instructional languages and hopes the data and suggestions can do some help in TCFL development.