Activities as a vehicle for linguistic and sociocultural knowledge at the elementary level

Abstract

This paper reports on a content-based elementary Chinese as a foreign language programme. It focuses on classroom language activities that are designed and implemented to serve the dual goals of language development and cultural learning. From a sociocultural perspective, it investigated how classroom activities are organized to integrate culture/content and language learning for young beginners. Two themes are highlighted in the discussion: (1) initial teacher planning vs. curriculum as experienced; (2) graphic organizers and language product. The result of the study throws light on the possibilities of a wide range of systematic form-function relations in the classroom, the integration of language and content learning, and on further directions for intentional planning in any other second or foreign language teaching programmes. It also reveals potential for implementing content-based foreign language instruction at the elementary level even in a situation where the teacher is still working on her own language proficiency. © 2003, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.