| The focus of the research was to investigate the teaching of Mandarin as a second language in a bilingual setting with a teacher recently immigrated from China who used whole language principles normally reserved for teaching language arts in a regular English language (L1) environment. The primary contribution of this study is to increase our understanding of the second language (L2) classroom.;This study mainly focused on the participating teacher's use of whole language principles in the classroom and his philosophy supporting his pedagogical practice. A review of the limited related literature indicated that the use of whole language principles in second language classrooms enhances second language development in the learners. This study aimed to recapitulate the whole language principles in action in the second language classroom in order to increase our knowledge of how they could be used in second language classrooms. The findings of this study are intended to enrich the literature concerning the use of whole language philosophy in the educational context.;In this study, a case study utilizing a qualitative research approach in orientation and methodology, includes interviews and observations as major methods of obtaining data, was structured as research methodology.;Three research questions were employed to guide the study. They were: (1) What principles of whole language are used by the teacher? (2) How does the Chinese teacher use whole language principles in the course of helping children learn Mandarin? (3) What are the reasons for using whole language principles instead of traditional approaches which the teacher was accustomed to using in China?;The researcher observed in the participant's classroom for a period of over two months. The lengthy period of observation enabled him to provide a thick description of the Chinese teacher's second language classroom. The participant and his students were interviewed to gain an understanding of their previous experience, the school, the participant's teaching, and his pedagogical philosophy. The interviews were all conducted within the framework of the research questions.;The conclusion of the research was the result of collaborative construction and interaction between the research participant and the researcher. Implications for second language teaching, second language teacher education, and second language research were drawn to conclude this research report. |
