A Study Of Chinese Classroom Teaching And Learning Models In Lower Secondary Schools(LSS) Of Nepal From The Perspective Of Affordance Theory

This study aimed to solve three questions that represent the problems faced by the Chinese learners of Lower Secondary Schools(LSS)of Nepal.The questions are as followed:1.How do the Chinese language learners of LSS perceive the Affordance of Chinese Language Learning in Classroom?2.How to design an affordance based LSS Classroom Chinese Language teaching and learning Model?3.Whether or not the learners’ perception of learning Affordance from classroom environment can effectively improve the Chinese language learning?Firstly,the study defined the Affordance theory,and classified its dynamic,diversified and practicable nature as learners’ perception of information from the environment.Secondly,based on previous studies,this study identified the existence of Chinese learning affordance that the learner could perceive in Chinese classroom while interacting with classroom learning factors(i.e.Teacher,Teaching Materials,Physical Environment,learners’ Prior Language Knowledge)and the learners’ perception on Learner-centered Pedagogy,Chinese Language and Culture Inquiry Activities,Positive Affect and Beliefs,Grades as Feedback and Support for Self-learning and Effort in complex and dynamic Chinese language classroom.Finally,based on field observation,interviews and questionnaires,this research explored the condition of LSS Chinese language learners of Nepal.The research findings showed that the Chinese Teaching Materials used in classroom ignored the learning style and the Prior Language Knowledge(PLK)of the Nepalese learners.Also the Chinese teachers do not possess the knowledge about the learners’ PLK and language learning experience,as a result the Chinese language learning affordances turn out to be unperceivable,un-inventable and unexploitable affordance for the learners.Through questionnaire Method,the study collected the information of LSS students’Perception of Chinese Language Classroom from 315 students and learning styles from 210 students.Furthermore,the study carried out correlation analysis between the learners’perception of Chinese classroom and the learning styles.The correlation analysis between the Scores achieved by Chinese language learners(grade 6 of NA and EES)in classroom and their Perception of Chinese Classroom schools showed that the scores are significantly positively correlated with learner perceiving "Learners-centered pedagogy",“Positive Affect and Beliefs" and "support for self-learning and Effort".Similarly their regression analysis showed that the Chinese language scores depend on above three perception of Chinese language classroom.Hence,considering the Chinese learning information from the classroom factors,the study proposed three different Classroom Teaching and Learning Model suitable for the LSS learner of Nepal.The first is“Learner-centered Chinese Teaching and Learning Model",designed for enhancing Chinese language learning Information in the Classroom,the second is "Chinese Language Positive Affect Improvement Model" to improve learners’ interest in Chinese Learning and salience of positive Chinese language learning Affordance,and the third model is "Supportive Autonomous Chinese Learning Model" which is aimed to boost learners’ autonomous learning behavior in a supportive language learning environment.In addition,the study conducted empirical research on the "Supportive autonomous Chinese Learning Model" in order to demonstrate that the perception of learning affordance by the learner in Chinese language classroom stimulate learners’ autonomous learning for better achievement.The empirical study showed that in supportive learning environment,experimental group were able to notice and perceive the Chinese learning affordance,could intake the information through autonomous learning,and performed better than the control group in learning Chinese language.In conclusion,the study illustrates that the perception of Chinese language learning affordance by the learners in Classroom and its implication has influenced the Chinese language learning.In addition,the study demonstrates the significance relationship between the Learners’ learning style and the perception of Chinese language classroom,and the perception of Chinese language classroom and the Chinese language score achieved by the students in classroom respectively.Therefore,while designing the Chinese Language Teaching and Learning Model for the preliminary learners of LSS,those factors must be strictly considered so that it could improve the effectiveness of Chinese language learning.The innovation of the study is,it broadened the theoretical horizon on Chinese language teaching and learning research in classroom,discussed about the relationship between the Affordance Theory and the development of LSSs’ Chinese classroom and demonstrated the importance of Affordance in the Chinese language teaching and learning Model.Similarly,the study possess applicable values as it is useful to create the Chinese learning classroom environment that is suitable for the Nepalese learners;it is helpful to design Chinese Teaching and Learning Model considering LSS students’learning style so that they could learn Chinese effectively and is also helpful to build Chinese language training system for the learners of Nepal.