Brain-compatible Learning in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (R1) Speakers: Marjorie Hall Haley, Robin Harvey, Frank Tang

1. Brain-Compatible Learning in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign/World Language Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD Professor of Education George Mason University [email_address] April 24, 2010 Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU

2. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU “ Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.” Chinese proverb

3. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Defining Multiple Intelligences

6. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU

8. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU

14. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU

15. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Hall Haley Articles Teaching Through Multiple Intelligences The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, first introduced by Howard Gardner (1983), introduces the concept that there is no general intelligence, but rather that each person has at least eight distinct intelligences which can be developed throughout his/her lifetime, (Haley, p. 1). One of the most important purposes of schools is to develop multiple intelligences, helping people reach vocational goals that are appropriate to their specific spectrum of intelligences. This theory is a pluralistic view that recognizes different cognitive strengths and contrasting cognitive styles. (Haley, p. 2).

16. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Pedagogical Implications Because every learner is unique in their cultural, personal, and experiential background, we must acknowledge that no single teaching method will work for every student. One size does not fit all!

17. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU “ If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” ~~ Chinese proverb

21. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Chinese reading is strongly related to writing skills, because logographic characters in Chinese are based on meaning rather than phonology (Tan & Spinks. 2005). Thus, in the long term, learners who do not develop Chinese writing easily can experience difficulty. Chinese learning involves different brain areas; it involves more activity in the movement-function brain areas instead of auditory brain areas for alphabetic languages. (Siok, Perfetti, Jin & Tan, 2005) English acquisition relies more on listening activities, while Chinese learning may need more movement and spatial activities.

23. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU Chinese learning is whole-brain learning. When speaking English, the left lobe is active, and only when English speakers hear music or use imaging techniques is the right lobe active. But when Chinese perceive Mandarin, besides using the left lobe, Chinese speakers interpret intonation and melody in the right lobe to give the correct meaning to the spoken words. (Scott, 2003). As a teacher, I must understand how non-heritage learners go through their information process linguistically and cognitively so that I can address their learning difficulties more effectively, especially in classrooms with diverse backgrounds, students have unique intellectual strengths, and they learn and remember differently. I should enhance whole-brain learning experiences to ensure that all students’ learning strength are accommodated. For example, I used music, songs with motions, pictures in my teaching, and I also stress intonation in Chinese learning; both of which help involve right lobes of non-heritage learners which is less active when they speak their native languages. Appropriate language form, cognitive process, and learning strategy drive the development of functional neuroanatomy of students. (Siok, Perfetti, Jin & Tan. 2005). In this way, learning Chinese through balanced development in Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking will not only benefit learning itself, but also such multi-sensory input helps in the development of the multiple intelligences.

24. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU By Luo Bingwang

25. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU “ If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” ~~ Chinese proverb

26. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU

27. Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU