EXPLORING THE USE OF MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION LEARNING STRATEGIES AMONG MFL LEARNERS IN MALAYSIA: ANALYSIS OF GENDER DIFFERENCES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/joa.v13i1.5029Keywords:
Mandarin pronunciation, non-native Mandarin learners, gender, learning strategies, Mandarin as foreign language learningAbstract
Studies on mistakes in Mandarin pronunciation have proof that majority of Mandarin learners encountered problems in learning Mandarin pronunciation. Apart from that, there are limited studies concerning the Mandarin pronunciation learning strategies (MPLS) among non-native learners in Malaysia. Therefore, this study was carried out with the aim to identify the use of learning strategies of non-native Mandarin learners in terms of gender. This study also further examined whether there is any significant difference between the use of MPLS in terms of gender. A group of non-native Mandarin learners, approximately 151 non-native Mandarin learners from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Rembau campus were invited to participate in this study. A 44-item questionnaire, namely “Strategy Inventory for Mandarin Pronunciation Learning” was employed in this study. This strategy inventory was designed based on the taxonomies which were introduced by Oxford (1990) and Peterson (2000). The data collected through the questionnaire were then analyzed using SPSS to achieve the objective of this study. The study revealed that female learners are more likely to use MPLS as compared to male learners while learning Mandarin pronunciation. However, both male and female learners showed similarity in the use of MPLS as the findings demonstrated that both male and female learners tend to use social strategies while learning Mandarin pronunciation while the least used strategies are compensation strategies. T-test analysis employed in this study also portrayed that only cognitive learning strategies displayed a significant difference between male and female learners in Mandarin pronunciation learning. This study would serve as a basis for language educators and curriculum developers in knowing the learning strategies employed by non-native Mandarin learners while learning Mandarin pronunciation. It also suggests language educators and curriculum developers in conducting and planning effective teaching approaches to enhance the performance of Mandarin pronunciation among non-native Mandarin learners.
References
Cao, T. (2015). Chinese pronunciation strategies of American students--- Study on American students participating in the IES Beijing Program, Master thesis, Beijing Foreign Studies University.
Ch’ng, L. C., Norseha Unin., & Ting, H. L. (2019). Learning Mandarin stroke writing among non-Chinese learners: Mobile learning versus traditional learning. DEStech Transactions on Social Science, Education and Human Science, 68-76.
Deng, H., & Tang, Z-F. (2020). A review of Chinese phonetic errors researches in CTCSOL over the past thirty years----- Statistical analysis of literature based on CNKI. Journal of Yichuan University, 42(7), 75-81.
Deng, X. W. (2014). A study on Chinese pronunciation learning strategies of primary level Chilean students--- Take the Confucius institute of Catholic University of Chile as an example, Master thesis, Nanjing University.
Dong, Q. L. (2012). Which strategy do the British students take I learning Chinese pronunciation? ---- Statistic-based research in the University of Sheffield, Master thesis, Nanjing University.
Guo, T. (2022). Teaching design based on initial errors in Chinese: A case study of National Defence University of Malaysia, Master thesis, Yunnan Normal University.
Jia, Z. Y. (2017). A study on Chinese pronunciation leaning strategies of Hungarian primary level students, Master thesis, Beijing Foreign Studies University.
Li, C. Z., & Yan, L. P. (2011). Chinese pronunciation learning strategies among foreign students from Central Asia. Journal of Yibin University, 11(2), 97-99.
Li, M. (2022). An experimental study on Chinese retroflex suffixation for African students, Master thesis, Hebei Normal University.
Liu, F. (2008). A study on Chinese pronunciation learning strategies on elementary-level international students, Master thesis, Beijing Language and Culture University.
Liu, X. F. (2009). Research on foreign students’ Chinese pronunciation learning strategies, Master thesis, East China Normal University.
Mei, Z. Y. (2019). An investigation on Kenyan Chinese learners’ phonetic learning strategies. Master thesis, Tianjin Normal University.
Moon, K. (2012). The effect of pronunciation learning strategies on the accuracy of Chinese tonal pronunciation by Korea, Master thesis, Nanjing University.
Oxford, R. L., & M. Nyikos. (1989). Variables affecting choice of language learning strategies by university students. Modern Language Journal, 73(2), 291-300.
Sekaran, U. (2005). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Sun, Y. X. (2020). A study on Chinese pronunciation learning strategies of primary level students, Master thesis, Shanghai International Studies University.
Ting, H. L. (2022). Pembangunan MOOC bagi Kursus Foundation Mandarin (Level II) berpandukan Model ADDIE. Proceedings of Technology, Science, Social Science & Humanities International Conference TeSSHi 2022, 30 June 2022, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kedah, Malaysia, 294-301.
Ting, H. L., & Ch’ng, L. C. (2023). Students’ acceptance of using MOOC in learning Mandarin during Covid-19 Pandemic. Proceedings of 5th International Conference of Social Sciences and Humanities (Post Covid-19 Era: Challenges and Opportunities), 13-15 June 2022, North Macedonia, Skopje, 170-178.
Ting, H. L., & Jacqueline, S. A. R. (2018). An investigation on Mandarin speaking anxiety among non-native Mandarin learners. Academic Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2(1), 1-9.
Ting, H. L., & Ooi, S. E. (2023). Mandarin pronunciation leaning strategies of MFL learners in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(2), 1571-1585.
Ting, H. L., & Ye, J. (2023). Negative transfer from Malay students’ native language in the acquisition of Mandarin Consonants. Journal of Education and Teaching, 5(2), 75-86.
Ting, H. L., Ch’ng, L. C., & Norseha Unin. (2020). Mobile application and traditional approach for Chinese stroke order instruction in foreign language classroom. Jurnal Intelek, 15(2), 185-19.
Wang, Y. (2022). An experimental study on the acquisition of Chinese monophthong by Sri-Lankan students, Master thesis, Sichuan Normal University.
Wang, Z. Y. (2014). A study on the Chinese pronunciation learning strategies of Indonesian students--- Statistic-based research in four Universitas of Indonesia, Master thesis, Nanjing University.
Yang, S. (2022). An experimental study on Chinese fricatives and affricate acquisition bu middle and advanced Lao students, Master thesis, Sichuan Normal University.
Yi, J. (2016). An investigation into Chinese learners in Cameroon: Their pronunciation and leaning strategy of Chinese pronunciation, Master Thesis, Zhejiang Normal University.
Zhang, M. (2019). A study on the influence of Russian students’ Chinese phonetic learning strategies on phonetic acquisition, Master, thesis, Liaoning University.
Zhou, X. (2021). Study on Chinese speech learning strategies for Peruvian students--- Take the University of Ricardo Palma as an example, Master thesis, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Academia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
