EVALUATING A CFL TEXTBOOK FOR THAI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate Experience Chinese: High School (Volume 1), a widely used Chinese language textbook for Thai high school students. The textbook was evaluated for its compilation concept, teaching methods, and learning contents using quantitative and qualitative analyzing methods. Results showed that the textbook is well designed, practical and authentic. It aims to enhance Thai high school student’s Chinese communication skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as language functions, structures and Chinese cultures. In addition, it promotes use of Chinese language in their daily lives through basic words and sentences, dialogues, and activities. Functions, vocabulary, grammar, and topics are controlled and evenly distributed throughout each lesson, aligning with the cognitive abilities and acceptance of Thai high school students at a beginning level. However, this textbook directly explains how to use new words in Thai through simple translation and lack explanations for grammatical differences between Chinese and Thai languages. To foster students’ vocabulary and grammar learning, it is suggested that teachers should explain how Chinese words and grammatical structures introduced in this textbook are used in different contexts. Further pedagogical implications are discussed in this paper.