Cette thèse inscrit sa réflexion sur la pédagogie et la didactique du chinois langue étrangère (LE) dans une perspective historico-épistémologique. S’appuyant sur le processus de disciplinarisation comme fil directeur, elle comprend deux axes principaux : l’histoire de l’enseignement et l’épistémologie des savoirs à enseigner. Notre questionnement porte sur les conditions qui ont rendu possible la construction disciplinaire du chinois comme LE dans le système éducatif français. Il s’agit non seulement des conditions externes (économiques, politiques, sociales) qui ont permis l’émergence et l’institutionnalisation de l’enseignement du chinois dans le contexte précis de la France ; mais aussi et surtout des conditions de possibilité internes que sont la construction des savoirs enseignables, la transposition didactique, les continuités et les ruptures épistémologiques, ainsi que le fonctionnement intrinsèque du système éducatif. Notre enquête s’étend du début du XIXe siècle à nos jours. Elle porte sur quatre institutions dans lesquelles les cours de langue chinoise se sont introduits de façon graduelle : le Collège de France, l’Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales, l’université et enfin l’enseignement primaire et secondaire. L’objectif de cette recherche est de monter que le chinois enseigné comme LE n’est pas un objet « donné », préétabli, mais un objet construit et toujours à reconstruire en fonction de finalités pédagogiques et didactiques. Ainsi le chinois langue vivante étrangère (LVE) défini comme discipline scolaire se distingue fondamentalement d’une formation universitaire par une plus grande normalisation et homogénéisation de ses savoirs. C’est d’ailleurs du fait de sa tradition de centralisation et de planification éducative que la France a joué un rôle précurseur dans le processus de disciplinarisation du chinois LVE. / This thesis focuses on the pedagogy and didactics of the Chinese language from a historical and epistemological perspective. Using the concept of “disciplinarisation” as its main focus, it explores two main aspects: the history of the teaching of Chinese and the epistemology of the knowledge to be transmitted. It analyzes the conditions that have made it possible for the Chinese language to become a subject taught in the French educational system. It addresses both the external conditions - economical, political and social conditions - that have made the emergence and institutionalization of the teaching of Chinese in France possible, but also - and more importantly - the internal conditions: the construction of teachable content, didactic transposition, the epistemological continuum and epistemological ruptures as well as the inner workings of the French educational system. This investigation focuses on a period that ranges from the beginning of the nineteenth century to today. It focuses on four different institutions in which teaching Chinese gradually appeared: the Collège de France, the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations, French universities and finally French primary and secondary schools. The goal objective of this research is to show that Chinese, as a foreign language, is not a fixed object but rather an object that was constructed and is still being constructed according to various pedagogical and didactic goals. Thus, Chinese as a subject taught in primary and secondary school is fundamentally different from Chinese as a university discipline in that the former is more normalized and more homogenous. Indeed, the pioneering role played by France’s national education system in establishing “Chinese as a foreign language” as a school subject can be attributed in large part to its long-held traditions of centralization and academic planning.

The Chinese ba-construction is a frequently used, language-specific construction that is difficult for most learners who study Chinese as a second language. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a Chinese second language pedagogical model on the ba-construction among college-level English-speaking learners of Chinese. For the ba-construction, namely “Subject + ba + ba-NP + ba-VP (Verb + Complement),” the investigator proposed an L2 instructional model that emphasizes both syntactic and semantic relationships between the ba-NP and the ba-VP. Based on this model and on cognitive theories of second language acquisition, the investigator designed a series of grammar instruction sessions that combined meaningful input, communicative tasks and form-focused instruction on four frequently used types of the ba-construction and one less frequently used type. The instruction sessions were administered weekly to the participants for a total of four weeks. Fourteen participants at two proficiency levels, namely novice and intermediate, were recruited for the study. Quantitative data were obtained from a pre-test, a post-test and a delayed post-test in the form of four measurement tasks: Grammaticality Judgement, Cloze, Translation and Contextualized Sentence Production with Keywords. Using a split-plot statistical model (with the time factor crossed and the proficiency level factor non-assignable), non-parametric alternative tests and a semi-structured interview, the investigator addressed the following three research questions: 1) Is the pedagogical model effectively strong in explaining the ba-construction and facilitating L2 learners’ comprehension and production? 2) Are the instruction sessions beneficial to L2 learners’ understanding of different form–meaning mappings of the ba-construction? 3) Do the effects of the pedagogical model and the instruction vary for L2 learners at different proficiency levels? Data analyses revealed a significant main time effect on participants’ overall performance and performance on each measurement task; the main group effect was not significant except for the Cloze task; no interaction effects were found in either the comprehension or production tasks. While participants acquired the ba-constructions in comprehension significantly better than in production, different trends in acquisition patterns were also found between their performances in these two language skills. After receiving instruction, participants performed significantly better in comprehension tasks and could maintain that level of performance in the delayed post-test; their performance on production tasks became better right after the instruction sessions, but deteriorated significantly afterwards. The participants’ improvement on ba-constructions with directional complements (Type 3) and resultative complements (Type 4), as well as the less commonly used type, was significant in general; in comprehension tasks, participants’ improvement on Type 5 was significantly higher than that for the Type 1 ba-constructions expressing relocation/displacement. Data collected from the semi-structured interviews indicated participants’ favorable evaluation and need for integrated L2 instruction that included elements of pedagogical grammar, especially on language-specific constructions. These results point to the importance of L2 grammar instruction in drawing L2 learners’ attention to form and to the association between form and meaning; instruction plays an indispensable role in communicative L2 classes and serves as a necessary reinforcement to the frequent exposure to meaningful L2 input. For Chinese ba-constructions, instruction that focuses on declarative knowledge is beneficial across proficiency levels.

The study explored whether or not to delay introducing Chinese characters as part of first year Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) courses in post-secondary institutions in the U.S. Topics investigated: a) timing structures of current CFL programs in the U.S.; b) CFL teachers’ and students’ beliefs and rationales of an appropriate timing to introduce characters; c) CFL teachers’ and students’ beliefs about the importance and difficulty of different Chinese language skills; and d) CFL teachers’ and students’ beliefs about the requirement of handwriting in beginning-level CFL courses. Data were collected through a large-scale online student survey with 914 students and a large-scale online teacher survey with 192 teachers. At the same time, a total of 21 students and five teachers from a delayed character introduction (DCI) program and an immediate character introduction (ICI) program were interviewed. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that the majority of CFL programs did not delay teaching characters; most of teachers and students believed that speaking and listening were the most important skills and reading and especially writing characters were the most difficult skills; and most of teachers and students did not favor alternative methods to replace the handwriting of characters even though they considered handwriting to be the most difficult skill. With few studies carried out to investigate the timing issue of character teaching, results from the study provided foundational knowledge for CFL educators to better understand CFL teaching and learning in general, along with the teaching and learning of written Chinese characters, in particular.

This study empirically investigated the impact of an online learning community project on university students' motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). A newly-proposed L2 motivation theory - the L2 motivational self system (Dörnyei 2005; 2009) - was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The three aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self, and L2 learning experience), as described in this theory, were measured before and after the online project. Specific motivating and demotivating features of the online project were generated from participants' responses. Four individuals with different heritage and technology backgrounds were selected as cases to provide information about their perception of this online project and the possible impact of this project on their motivation. A concurrent transformative mixed method design was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A pre- and post-test survey and semi-structured interviews served as the main instruments for data collection. Paired t-tests were conducted to identify differences in the participants' pre- and post- scores for the three aspects of motivation. Constant comparative method and double coding method were used to generate the major themes about the motivating and demotivating features of the online project. A narrative analysis approach was taken to explore how individuals with different backgrounds perceived their experience in this online project and the possible impact of the project on their motivation. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in L2 learning experience before and after the online project, while there was no significant difference in the other two aspects of motivation (ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self). This finding provided empirical evidence about the different natures of the three motivational aspects. That is, ideal L2 self and ought-to L2 self were built up over a long period of time and thus relatively stable, while L2 learning experience was more dynamic and fluid and had a tendency to change even within a relatively short period of time. Regarding the motivating and demotivating features, the results suggested that the most motivating features of this online project were the access to alternative learning resources and tools and opportunities to connect to a larger community of Chinese learners, while the demotivating features were mostly related to the technology barrier and the time and effort it took to complete this project. Furthermore, findings from the interviews with the selected individuals implied that regardless of their different heritage and technology backgrounds, most of them had a positive experience of this online project. However, the impact of this project on their motivation was limited.

Cette thèse s’attache à comprendre les dynamiques au sein du système de la pensée enseignante des enseignants de langues étrangères (LE) à l’aide d’un dispositif de suivi multimodal et longitudinal. Situé en didactique des langues et notamment en pensée enseignante, ce travail est inscrit dans un cadre théorique multidisciplinaire où est postulée une cohabitation du socioconstructivisme et de l’émergentisme. Dans le but de saisir les aspects évolutifs des représentations de six enseignants de français langue étrangère (FLE) et de chinois langue étrangère (CLE) en Chine et en France, des moyens d’observation et d’entretiens – semi-directifs et d’auto-confrontation – ont été mobilisés pour chacun des enseignants durant un semestre. Leurs discours de verbalisation ont été analysés selon une approche double conjuguant l’analyse de contenu et l’analyse du discours. A côté d’une image de soi pluri-identitaire et instable, se dessine un système de connaissances et de convictions dont la construction et le fonctionnement portent la marque de l’historicité, de la subjectivité, de la contextualité et des contradictions. La théorie de l’activité trouve sa validité dans la répartition du travail basée sur les profils des apprenants-collaborateurs typifiés ; le poids de l’action incorporée se traduit par l’effet envisagé que l’enseignant souhaite atteindre à l’issue de l’action. La non-linéarité de l’évolution contextuelle va de pair avec l’actualisation des pratiques et des représentations. La complexité de la pensée enseignante est articulée autour d’une dynamique entre l’intentionnalité, l’action incorporée et les contraintes contextuelles. La rupture de la réflexivité au cours de l’action, découverte en neurosciences, et validée ici par la mise en place de méthodologies en sciences humaines et sociales, constitue à ce titre la contribution majeure de ce travail. / This dissertation is devoted to reconstructing the dynamics of foreign language teachers’ thinking by a multimodal and longitudinal approach. Focused on the field of Applied Linguistics and teacher cognition in particular, the present work is part of a multidisciplinary theoretical framework co-constructed of Social constructivism and Emergentism. This study involved six teachers of French as a foreign language (FFL) and Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) working in China and in France, each being followed up for one semester, through classroom observation and different kinds of interviews (semi-directive interviews and stimulated recall). Their verbalization was then analyzed by a mixed approach combining content analysis and discourse analysis. Besides an instable self-image characterized by multi-identity, emerge from each teacher’s discourse a knowledge and belief system and its historicity, subjectivity, contextuality and contradiction. The validity of Activity Theory is confirmed by a division of labour based on learners’ profiles that the teacher typifies. The importance of embodied action is dependent on the expected outcome. Teachers wish to not only complete their teaching activity but also reach an effect which is an integrated part of their thinking patterns. The non-linearity of context changing explains the updating of teacher’s thinking and practice. Teacher cognition’s complexity is structured around a dynamic between intentionality, embodied action and situational constraints. The break of reflexivity during action, discovered in neurosciences and validated here in a human and social sciences’ methodology, constitutes the key contribution of this work.

Listening comprehension has been the forgotten skill in second language acquisition. However, in recent years, more and more studies have focused on listening comprehension and now acknowledge its importance in language acquisition. Empirical studies have explored how listeners use the two main listening processes (top-down processing and bottom-up processing). In this study, 31 low-proficiency level Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners from Brigham Young University took the Chinese Computer Adaptive Language Test (CCALT) and listened to four listening passages, measured by idea unit analysis and local and global question types. The data from these measurements suggest that low-proficiency level CFL participants in this study used both top-down and bottom-up processing while they listened to short listening passages. The results suggest listening comprehension at various proficiency levels needs to be studied further in Chinese and with different types of listening passages.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The number of Chinese-learners in South Africa has increased rapidly in recent years, but the quality of the dictionaries that are available for their use has not improved much. The more students study Chinese, the more it becomes necessary to create suitable dictionaries to facilitate their studies. In the hope of meeting this need, this study selects two written dictionaries commonly used by students at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, namely the Oxford Beginner's Chinese Dictionary and the Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary, to analyze, comment on and compare in terms of structure and equivalence. Using the results of this analysis, this study offers suggestions for improving the quality of future Mandarin learner’s dictionaries. This study takes into consideration the situation faced by students when learning Chinese abroad, especially in South Africa, the development of pedagogical lexicography in Chinese-learner’s dictionaries in China and abroad, the relationship between online dictionaries and written dictionaries, and some special characteristics of the Chinese language, all of which factors greatly influence the making of a dictionary. Theoretically and methodically, this study is based on Function Theory as presented by Sven Tarp. According to Function Theory, before writing a dictionary, lexicographers must analyze specific types of users in specific types of situations. This study attempts to follow Tarp’s suggestion by analyzing a small group of dictionary users with the help of a survey conducted by the author in an attempt to get a general idea of how Mandarin learners at Stellenbosch University use dictionaries. The main focus of this study is the frame structure, microstructure, macrostructure and dictionary equivalence in two dictionaries--Concise and Beginner’s. After carefully analyzing these aspects of the dictionaries, the author identifies the sections of these dictionaries which successfully present information in a way that will be most beneficial for their intended audiences. The study goes on to pinpoint less-successful sections of the two dictionaries and provides suggestions for improvement. In sum, this study focuses on using the principle of Function Theory to determine what features should be included in Mandarin learner’s dictionaries to make them more suitable for elementary and intermediate learners of Mandarin at Stellenbosch University, in South Africa, and, by extension, in other parts of the world. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die afgelope paar jaar het die aantal studente van Sjinees in Suid-Afrika aansienlik toegeneem, maar die standaard van beskikbare woordeboeke het nie veel verbeter nie. Hoe meer studente Sjinees bestudeer hoe noodsaakliker is dit om gepaste woordeboeke te ontwikkel om hulle in hulle studie te help. Om aan hierdie behoefte te voldoen, kies hierdie studie twee woordeboeke wat gereeld deur studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch benut word, naamlik die Oxford Beginner’s Chinese Dictionary en die Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary, om hulle te ontleed, kommentaar te lewer en hulle met mekaar in terme van struktuur en ekwivalensie te vergelyk. Met behulp van gevolgtrekkings uit hierdie ontleding word voorstelle gemaak oor hoe om die standaard van toekomstige woordeboeke te verbeter. Die studie neem die situasie in ag waarmee studente wat in die buiteland Sjinees studeer, veral in Suid Afrika, te doen kry, die ontwikkeling van pedagogiese leksikografie in woordeboeke in Sjina sowel as die buiteland, die verhouding tussen aanlynwoordeboeke en gedrukte woordeboeke en sekere spesiale eienskappe van die Sjinese taal - alles faktore wat die opstel van woordeboeke beïnvloed. Teoreties en metodologies is hierdie studie op die funksieteorie, soos aangebied deur Sven Tarp, gebaseer. Volgens die funksieteorie moet leksikograwe voor die opstel van 'n woordeboek spesifieke tipes gebruikers in spesifieke situasies analiseer. Hierdie studie poog om Tarp se voorstelle te volg deur 'n klein groep woordeboekgebruikers, met behulp van 'n ondersoek, uitgevoer deur die outeur, te analiseer om sodoende 'n algemene idee te formuleer van hoe Mandarynse studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch woordeboeke benut. Die hooffokus van hierdie studie is die raamwerk, mikrostruktuur, makrostruktuur en ekwivalensie in die twee gekose woordeboeke – Concise en Beginner’s. Nadat hierdie aspekte van die woordeboeke noukeurig ontleed is, identifiseer die outeur die dele wat inligting op die voordeligste manier vir die bestemde gebruiker aanbied. Ook identifiseer hierdie studie die minder suksesvolle dele en stel moontlike verbeteringe voor. Samevattend fokus hierdie studie daarop om die beginsel van die funksieteorie te benut deur vas te stel watter eienskappe in woordeboeke ingesluit moet word om hulle meer geskik te maak vir elementêre en intermediêre Mandarynse studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch in Suid-Afrika, sowel as in ander dele van die wêreld.

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