‘A star in the sky’: traditional nursery rhymes as a pedagogical tool for Teochew language classes in Singapore
The status of the Teochew language in Singapore is declining. While efforts to revitalize the language have emerged, little research has been done on how to improve this urgent process, particularly for Teochew language classes. Research in foreign language teaching and other language revitali...
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Format: | Final Year Project |
Language: | English |
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Nanyang Technological University
2023
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/171842 |
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Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
Language: | English |
Summary: | The status of the Teochew language in Singapore is declining. While efforts to revitalize the
language have emerged, little research has been done on how to improve this urgent process,
particularly for Teochew language classes. Research in foreign language teaching and other
language revitalization efforts suggest the potential of nursery rhymes as an effective
pedagogical tool in language classes. Thus, this study examines the potential efficacy of
traditional Teochew nursery rhymes in local Teochew classes for adults in terms of improving
classroom engagement and the understanding and retention of prosody, pronunciation, grammar,
and vocabulary. Twenty-eight participants, divided into two groups, received a lesson on basic
Teochew. One group was taught basic Teochew without nursery rhymes and one group was
introduced to a traditional nursery rhyme related to the content of the class. The participants were
tested at three time points including a class evaluation survey immediately after the lesson. The
findings showed that nursery rhymes did not impact engagement and learning in these classes.
The lack of differences in the two groups was attributed to the sampling which may have
attracted participants who are more motivated to learn Chinese vernaculars. The study, however,
provides insights on the needs of aspiring Teochew speakers and how pedagogical tools may be
incorporated more effectively into local revitalization efforts. As alternatives, classroom
storytelling and Master/Apprentice programmes with elder speakers may be considered in future
Teochew revitalization strategies, as they can enable long-term language immersion and
contextualization outside the classroom. Subsequent studies may reveal different results if
nursery rhymes are incorporated into a more rigorous series of Teochew classes and quizzes. |
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