On The Elementary Level Of My Chinese Classroom: Report Of An Investigative Study

This thesis presents a study that analyzes and evaluates My Chinese Classroom in lightof a subset of that curriculum’s audience. My Chinese Classroom (elementary level: books1-3) is widely used in Shanghai, China, among those who are teaching or learningMandarin Chinese as a second language. The study is specifically concerned with adultswho come to China for employment along with their spouses and take short-term classes toimprove their Mandarin skills.The first chapter of this thesis introduces the study and its value. The chapter reviewsliterature on similar research topics, drawing from that literature a standard for curriculumcritique. The chapter also elucidates My Chinese Classroom’s underlying principles andorganizational pattern. The second chapter describes the methodology and results of thestudy. The author investigates My Chinese Classroom using three methods: first, ananalysis based on four aspects of curriculum development; second, a questionnaire forteachers; and third, a questionnaire for students. The study reveals that My ChineseClassroom is extremely practical and has a strong theoretical foundation, but it lackssomewhat in appeal to its intended audience. Its overall quality ranges from acceptable tovery good.The third chapter contains the study’s conclusion. After discussing the problems thatthe study uncovers, the chapter summarizes the positive and negative elements of thecurriculum under investigation. The author proposes ways to resolve the problems with MyChinese Classroom and provides specific suggestions for future developers of similarcurriculum.