Non-native Chinese Speakers in Malaysia: Perspectives and Challenges

Non-native Chinese Speakers in Malaysia: Perspectives and Challenges focuses on the circumstances and challenges facing non-native Chinese speakers who are studying Chinese in Malaysia. It also looks at the past, present, and future of Chinese as a Second Language in Malaysia. The phrase ‘Chinese as a Second Language Teaching’ (CSL) is used throughout this volume to classify Chinese learning as a second language from academic and second language acquisition perspectives. Scholars use the phrase to refer to any Chinese instruction that does not include teaching Chinese as the first language or as the mother tongue. The contributions in this volume cover a wide range of views on non-native Chinese learners learning Chinese as a second language in the Malaysian multilingual environment. At the same time, they discuss extensively the teaching and learning aspects to help readers better understand non-native Chinese learners’ situations.

The book consists of two parts, each containing four chapters. The first part discusses perspectives of teaching Chinese as a second language in Malaysia from non-native Chinese speakers, as well as teaching materials and assessment measures. The second part examines the challenges faced by NNCS in Malaysia in second language teaching and learning, through discussions on survey data, first-hand experiences, and analytical research. The information provides a foundation for further research and exploration on teaching Chinese as a second language in Malaysia. There is currently a dearth of such research, including clarification and discussion of terms. In terms of learning, instructional materials’ design and compilation, and teaching methods should be thoroughly examined. Thus, this book aims to fill some of the research gaps.

Most notably, the learning profile of non-native Chinese learners in Malaysia offers opportunities for further analysis and evaluation. It is clear from most of the chapters that NNCS teacher training, Chinese as a second language teaching institution, learner learning challenges, and textbook categories are lacking in many areas such as the development of curricular materials as well as assessments. There are still many issues to be worked out in these areas and a great deal to be done in this regard. This book’s primary goal therefore is to serve as a springboard for future research on teaching Chinese as a second language. It should be noted that the terms Chinese language and Mandarin are used interchangeably throughout the book, and all meanings are standard Chinese and interchangeable.