Toward A Chinese Language Curriculum Based On The Phenomenological Perspective

This study theoretically explores Chinese language curriculum from a phenomenological perspective. Through the process of phenomenological reduction, this paper would like to toward a kind of curriculum on the basic Chinese language life, drawing some insights and inspirations. The study puts the curriculum on a purer and richer platform of life, therefore, the life and meaning of the curriculum can be revealed.Chapter one attempts to identify the trends and phases of Chinese language curriculum. Centuries of modernization has brought about many fruitful results to the curriculum reform both theoretically and practically. However, it has encountered many problems along its path of scientific development. In terms of internal logic and external influence, the curriculum needs scientific steering from a greater sense. After discussing its trends and problems, the author puts it under the light of "life—science". Thus provides the following phenomenological reduction with a clear direction and solid foundation.The second chapter examines the curriculum from the perspective of phenomenological reduction and is the core of this whole thesis. The initial step of reduction has to be "reducing straight to the source". Thus, the author first brings the curriculum back to dimension of real life: the everyday use of language other than its role in the classroom, and, one step further, the language before the times of scientization. However, this is far from the end of reduction. The primary purpose of this process is to reveal the very original picture of the curriculum in its truest sense based on phenomenological ideas. Nowadays, the nature of the curriculum has been "obstructed" by some modern ideas or "abducted" by some traditional ones. Therefore, the second step of reduction is to reveal the purity of the Chinese language life. Only in pure contemplation can the life and meaning of the curriculum manifest themselves in "body, ethics, meaning, and realm", the four dimensions that constitute the superimposed model of layered meanings from the perspective of life. Chinese language curriculum is not only an existing home, but also life and existence in their literary sense. The curriculum craves for a kind of internal realm, being "living next-door".In this light, the third chapter focuses on the new view towards Chinese language knowledge. This is the bridge between philosophy and practice. Chinese language in the view of phenomenology, is able to provide the knowledge of "embodiment","ethics and morality","meaning", and "implicit realm" respectively for the four dimensions mentioned above and thus forms a series of "scientific" knowledge in a new sense, offering abundant material to the curriculum practice.The fourth chapter turns to discuss the curriculum objectives. After a brief introduction of our curriculum goals through the ages in China as well as drawing on European and American counterparts,the paper proposes the curriculum objective from the perspective of phenomenology, and claims that students should enjoy a Chinese language life of higher quality. This objective or direction is determined by the characteristics of the Chinese language life and ought to be an aim the curriculum should strive for all the time.In the fifth chapter, the author tries to explore how to master the content of the curriculum, which mainly involves the way to intentionally grasp the meaning. The paper provides a concise explanation for this through "introducing the image" and "commenting on the morality." Then, the author deliberates on how to present the content of textbooks, one of the most important parts of the entire content of the curriculum, from the perspective of phenomenology. The "embodiment","morality","meaningfulness", and "sense of realm" are exactly the concretions of the four phases of Chinese language life from the perspective of phenomenological reduction.The sixth chapter touches upon the curriculum practice, especially in the field of pedagogy. In face of the pure and rich life of language, the most basic idea of Chinese language teaching is "facing towards the life, devoting to the life, and transcending beyond the life." The specific teaching strategies can be concluded as "to experience personally,""to understand the morality,""to comprehend the meaning," and "to enter the realm," based on the four dimensions.The last chapter is concerned with Chinese language evaluation, which should be in line with the curriculum objective. The specific evaluation criteria should first of all be based on the richness of the Chinese language life. Evaluation should not be single-faceted. Then the criteria should be based on the purity of the Chinese language life. In this respect, the author advocates the aesthetic evaluation of Chinese language, the only dimension in which "transcending beyond the life" can be realized and students can truly enjoy a high-quality Chinese language life.The nature of this study is to draw insights and inspirations but not structure, allowing Chinese language "to be what it really is." From this view, the Chinese language life, pure and rich, can be revealed without "obstruction" or "abduction." Of course, this perspective would somewhat be a "castle in the air" unless it is represented and proved in the real practice. Pure and rich curriculum is what deserves our efforts for the development of the Chinese language curriculum in the future.