Song, Min, (Researcher in education) (2013) Participant perceptions about speaking and listening in modern foreign language classes in China and England, and their relationship to classroom practices. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This research will examine participant perceptions about speaking and listening
in modern foreign language classes in China and England, and focus on a
number of case studies of teaching and learning speaking and listening in a
foreign language. The question underpinning my research is: What are
participant perceptions about speaking and listening in modern foreign language
classes in China and England and their relationship to classroom practices?
My chosen research approach is case study because this research seeks to
illuminate the perceptions of teachers and learners in China and England about
speaking and listening in modern foreign language and relationships between the
issues within the topic of my research. For this study I have adopted a multiple
case approach which included nine cases of a class, including the teacher, pupils
and their perceptions about speaking and listening. In order to address the
research questions in this research I used observation, questionnaire and
interview to collect my data. This approach enables me to consider both my own
observations and the views of the participants. When I was designing this
research I did not anticipate that all nine cases would come to fruition. However
all of them completed successfully. Therefore this study included 9 cases with a
huge data set of 36 lesson observation charts and notes, 790 pupil questionnaires,
10 teacher questionnaires, 9 transcribed group interviews with pupils and 10
transcribed interviews with teachers.
The findings of this research indicates that despite the different educational systems in China and England both the teachers and children in Chinese and
English schools shared similar beliefs about the learning and teaching of a
foreign language, especially speaking and listening. However there were
differences between their practice and there was more variation in practice
between the English teachers and children than between the Chinese teachers and
pupils. Most of the Chinese teachers taught in ways which were substantially
similar, but the English teachers taught in very different ways. I believe my
results show that this is related to the cultural and educational differences
between the two countries, in terms of time, practices of teaching and
expectations about pupil activity. Although both Chinese and English teachers
demonstrated similar beliefs about modern foreign language teaching and
learning, especially speaking and listening, their practices were very different.
My findings also suggest that the changing of teachers’ pedagogy played a very
important role in changing pupils’ beliefs and their learning outcomes. The case
study approach of this research has revealed very different relationships between
the beliefs and practices of each teacher and their impact on the children.
This research has contributed to the under-researched area of the teaching and
learning of speaking and listening in a modern foreign language by providing a
thorough and holistic investigation of the teaching and learning of speaking and
listening in a modern foreign language in Chinese and English secondary schools
and is, as far as I can tell, the only research so far in this area.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1603 Secondary Education. High schools
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Language and languages -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- China, Language and languages -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- England
Official Date:	January 2013
Dates:	Date Event January 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Institute of Education
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Medwell, Jane, 1962-; Wray, David, 1950-
Extent:	xiii, 418 leaves : charts.
Language:	eng

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