Comprehensive Chinese Course Based on Task-based Language Teaching Approach with Cooperative Learning Technique to Enhance Chinese Reading Ability of International Students in Xi’an University

Abstract

Background and aim: This study explored the integration of the task-based language teaching approach and cooperative learning to enhance the Chinese reading ability of international students. The aims of this study were: 1) to compare international students’ Chinese reading test scores before and after learning through the comprehensive Chinese course, and 2) to study the international students’ satisfaction with learning through the comprehensive Chinese course. Materials and methods: The study involved 94 international students at Xi’an University, with a sample of 26 second-year foreign students from one class of Xi’an University in China in the autumn term of 2023 through cluster random sampling. The research instruments were lesson plans, a test paper for foreign students’ Chinese reading ability, and a student’s learning satisfaction questionnaire. Experimental design is the one-group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected and analyzed by means, standard deviation, and t-test for the dependent sample. The data were analyzed by using mean, standard deviation, t-test for dependent samples, and t-test for one sample. Results: After learning through the comprehensive Chinese course based on a task-based language teaching approach with cooperative learning technique, foreign students’ Chinese reading ability was higher than before at a 0.05 level of statistical significance (t=2.50, p<0.05). The average score of the post-test (M=11.58, SD=5.56) was higher than that of the pre-test (M=9.35, SD=4.91). Additionally, students’ learning satisfaction was at a high level (M=4.19, SD=0.75). Conclusion: The developed comprehensive Chinese courses based on a task-based language teaching approach with cooperative learning techniques have a significant effect on improving the Chinese reading ability of international students. Furthermore, students were satisfied with their learning of this course.