A Study On The Oral Output Strategies By Learners Of Chinese In Nigeria

The study on learning strategies has developed rapidly in both theoretical and empirical aspects with the development of second language acquisition research and the continued attention on learners in recent years. Strategy study on learning Chinese as a foreign language and L2at home has also increased significantly along with the growing in learning Chinese as a second language. The development in Chinese language teaching abroad has provided a broad platform for related studies especially in recent years.Since1970’s researchers have paid attention to successful learners’ learning strategies and done theoretical research in definitions and classifications of learning strategies. Related empirical studies have been undertaken and further theoretical studies also developed continuously. Studies on learning strategies regarding specific language skills have taken place, with an increased focus on oral learning strategy.Based on a literature review of learning strategies in TCSOL, however, the research on oral learning strategies focused on an overall study or the oral communication strategies. Studies on oral output strategies and African learners remain much neglected.This thesis attempts at a survey-based research on Nigerian learners’ awareness of Chinese oral output from the micro-perspective of oral production. Firstly, the study starts with the output hypothesis and learning strategy, focuses on reviewing the definitions, classifications and related research findings, puts forward the contents and classifications about oral output strategies in Chinese learning. Secondly, the study analyzes the statistical data on the strategies awareness, use and effect of related factors based on a questionnaire completed by a group of learners of Chinese in the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria. Further study is carried out with a classroom observation and interviews. The study concludes with a discussion on the feasibility and effect of strategy training.The current study shows that the most frequently-used strategies are monitoring, error correction and asking for help, which is different from the research findings of communication strategy and overall learning strategy. Strategy use is not influenced by gender but different by target language proficiency and motivation. On one hand, although the views of oral output and strategies are not significantly different by gender, the girls focus on the oral output summarizing strategies than boys. On the other hand, high-level group pay more attention to the monitoring strategy and error correction strategy than low-level group, but the acceptance of speaking in classroom or in some other situations reduce at the same time. In addition, some of the strategies used on certain special occasions reduce with increased levels of the target language. In terms of motivation, low-level students and boys prefer the surface motivation frequently whereas the learners with surface motivation use strategies positively. The strategy training methods and effect differ from strategies. Some strategies related closely to teaching will work better when they are accepted by students. Such strategies, however, are highly dependent on classroom use; hence they are not often used autonomously by students out of class. The strategies conditioned by learning contents and stages require presentation and repeated training, and bring about obvious effect. There are many strategies identified and accepted by students from the beginning. They are very practical and familiar to students, but their roles in oral output should not be overlooked.