Reflection On The Practice Of Task-based Extracurricular Activities In Level A Chinese Classes Of CI University Vienna

In recent years, with China’s rapid rise, people’s enthusiasm for Chinese learning is in the ascendant on a global scale. Numerous Confucius Institutes have mushroomed all over the world, accompanied by a rapid growth in the amount of overseas Chinese learners. However, for those who learn Chinese in non-target language environment, it’s rather difficult to have a firm grasp of the Chinese language, since time and content of Chinese class is quite limited, and students barely have the opportunities of receiving input and producing output in Chinese in their daily life. Extracurricular activities, as an extension and supplement of classroom teaching, can provide students with such opportunities. Therefore, how to design and implement extracurricular activities, so as to better serve the Chinese learning of overseas learners is undoubtedly an important issue that deserves consideration of teachers and practitioners engaging in oversea Chinese teaching. During his Chinese teaching practice in Confucius Institute of University Vienna, the author has developed preliminary thinking on the issue. He refers to task-based teaching method and designed and practiced a series of task-based extracurricular activities for students from 3 A level classes. This paper presents some cases of those activities, and analyses their design and implementation process. On the basis of case analysis, the author discusses problems found in the practice and corresponding solutions, and then comes up with some advice and suggestions on the design and implementation of extracurricular activities in non-target language environment.This paper consists of five chapters.The first chapter includes significance, content and method of research, as well as literature review on task-based teaching method and extracurricular activities.The second chapter provides detailed information about the 3 level A Chinese classes of Confucius Institute of University Vienna, and then states the necessity and feasibility of carrying out task-based extracurricular activities in those classes.The third chapter introduces main types of extracurricular activities that have been carried out. Culture-experiencing activities make participants get to know not only material culture, but also spiritual culture of Chinese people. Daily-life themed activities lead participants into Chinese communities and drill them in the ability of speech communication. Travelling plan establishments help students to practice their reading and writing skills in Chinese, and help them to know more about China. Language art performances allow students to show their talents and their master of Chinese. The participants can have a strong sense of achievement and satisfaction.The fourth chapter presents and analyses some cases of the activities, and then discusses about those problems in the process:1. Participants have not been provided with sufficient language knowledge in pre-task phase.2. Tasks given to participants are either too difficult or to simple.3. Evaluation session in post-task phase is either too simple or missing.Then the author proposes some improve methods concerning those problems.In the last chapter the author states his suggestions and advice on the practice of extracurricular activities in non-target language environment, as well as the deficiencies of this article.