The impact of film and film-based activities on the attitudes of English-speaking secondary-school students towards L2 Chinese / Qi Zhang

While foreign-language films can provide second language learners with authentic
exposure to the target language in a relatively natural context, very few studies have been
conducted on the use of film in the teaching of Chinese language and culture. This
research project used two film sessions with a group of secondary-school students of
Chinese in order to investigate the influence of Chinese film on students’ attitudes
towards the study of language from three perspectives: the importance of language study,
motivation, and cultural awareness. Comparing pre- with post-event evaluations, the
correlation tests show that the integration of film in the classroom can indeed increase
motivation to learn Chinese and improve students’ understanding of Chinese culture, but
not their perceptions on the importance of language study. Gender was also considered as
a factor, and interestingly, compared to their female counterparts, male participants
consistently not only report lower motivation, but also demonstrate less cultural
awareness after film sessions. The study shows that film may be used effectively in the
Chinese language classroom to help learners understand Chinese culture and serve to
contextualise the Chinese language, to which British students may have limited real-
world access or holiday exposure. The cultural elements conveyed by foreign language
films and the audience’s comprehension of these elements could be the starting point for
establishing intercultural exchange.