The Initial Stage Of Chinese Language Teaching In Thailand In The Context Of Code Switching And Language Selection

In Thai Chinese teaching environment there are two kinds of teaching: that Chinese teachers teach Thai students Chinese and that Thai teachers teach Thai students Chinese. In this paper we study the first context. Under the Thai Chinese teaching environment, the exchange between teachers and students involves in three languages, Chinese, English and Thai because of the language backgrounds in both sides. We may say that the Thai Chinese teaching environment is a tri-lingual environment in which Chinese, English and Thai coexist. Code-switching and language selection is a common phenomenon in exchanges between teachers and students. This research, based on Verschueren' linguistic adaptation theory and Yu Guodong' understanding of adapting factors in code-switching, carries out a detailed analysis on the phenomenon in Thai initial Chinese teaching stage and gives some advise to Chinese teaching in Thailand.There are three innovations in this paper. First, it studied Thailand Chinese teaching from the view of Code-switching and language selection. Second, it referred to adapting factors in code-switching proposed by Mr. Yu in a critical way and put forward the suitable adapting factors which comply with the context in this research. Third, it described and analyzed the psychological processes of the teachers and students during language selection.The content of this essay is as follows.Chapter I is an introduction, which gives an account of the origin of this study, the research significance, current studying situation, the research value, innovation, and research methods to be adopted, the relevant terminology and theories.Chapter II describes the code-switching and language selection phenomenon of teachers and students from their communication both inside class and outside class to show that this phenomenon exist universally in Thai initial stage's Chinese teaching environment and it is necessary to study this phenomenon.Chapter III and the Chapter IV study the teachers' and students' code switching and language selection phenomenon respectively. Chapter III analyzed reasons why teachers and students carry on code switching and the language selection in their communication, based on Verschueren's Linguistic Adaptation Theory and the adapting factors in code switching raised by Yu Guodong. The reason can be mainly explained as adaptation. To be specific, teachers want to adapt to the language ability of both sides, their own certain psychology motives as well as the language habits; students want to conform to the language competence of teachers and students, their own certain psychology motive as well as the language habits. That is to say, teachers and students adapt to three factors. However, in response to all factors, the students' and teachers' language ability is the most fundamental factor for both teachers and students. Thus it can be said that code-switching and language selection is a communication strategy adopted by teachers and students to realize a smooth exchange inside and outside the class due to students and teachers language ability.Chapter IV mainly discusses teachers' and students' language selection from the two aspects. First, through further observation of the phenomenon, it described the code-switching and language selection models, according to which analyzed the psychological processes of the teachers and students during language selecting. Second, by further examining the code-switching and language selection, the author proposed that code-switching form should be understood crectly; the code switching and language selection reason should sum up as to adapt to both teachers' and students' relative level of Chinese, English and Thai; the expression is a psychological anticipated process.Chapter V based on the research in this paper provided the referential suggestion to Thai Chinese teaching.Appendix is other representative examples of code-switching and language phenomenon, which are not listed in the main part in consideration of concise writing style.By doing this study, the author hope that the teacher and student's language phenomenon can be clearly understood and the Thai Chinese teaching can get certain theoretical and practical value and get improved.