Developing reflective learners in Chinese as a foreign language in the US

This chapter reports a study that implemented the Integrated Communication (IC) skills approach by integrating assessment and instruction in a college-level advanced Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) course in the US. Both formative and course-level summative assessments were administered in a semester-long advanced Chinese class in order to capture students’ progress. There were three major findings. First, there were measurable gains in students’ IC skills, especially in personal-meaning construction and knowledge refinement. Second, the implementation of IC skill approach was successful in raising students’ awareness of using IC skills for foreign language learning, because they showed more refined language use including lexical production and complexity. Last, we were successful in integrating assessment and instruction at the course and class levels. Discussion is provided regarding how college-level CFL learners were readily engaged in reflecting in an additional language in relation to their previous experiences, which, subsequently, contributed to foreign language learning and refinement.