Models of bilingual memory of primary pupils in Hong Kong

Models of bilingual memory of primary pupils in Hong Kong

• Ho, Wai Kit Chinese University of Hong Kong

2000

• F Learning & Teaching
  • FE Medium of Instruction, Language of Teaching, Bi-& Multilingual Education, Problems of Bilingualism, Code-mixing & Code-switching
• C Psychology & Learning
  • CE Mental Process, Memory & Problem Solving

Bilingual Education Multicultural Education Educational Psychology Cognitive Therapy

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Primary Education

Chinese-English bilingual education is common practice in Hong Kong schools. In 1997, the Education Department published the paper "Strong Guidelines for Medium of Instruction" to stop the teachers use mixed languages or code-switching in secondary schools. All students entering secondary schools have to undergo the Medium of Instruction Grouping Assessment (MIGA) which is the basis of the assignment to study in Chinese or English-medium schools. The present study of bilingual memory models in local primary school students attempts to provide a theoretical framework for the planning and implementation of bilingual education. It will also contribute towards the development of effective bilingual education in Hong Kong.
For student to communicate and study effectively and efficiently in a second language, a vocabulary of a certain number of words has to be stored up. Cognitive psychologists have four basic models in describing the semantic network of bilinguals. There are namely, Separate Store Model, Common-store Model, Verbal-imagery Dual-code Model and Overlapping Distribution Model. There is no single model that isconsidered to be comprehensive enough in explaining all observed phenomena.
Generally Hong Kong primary school students showed positive attitudes to English learning and English-based teaching. They are fully aware that English is an essential commercial language and a necessary learning tool, which would definitely bring helpful for further studies or future careers. Nevertheless, students also agreed that learning in their mother tongue Chinese or in a mixed code of Chinese and English would reduce their learning difficulties. Primary school students adopted varying strategies in learning Chinese and English. In learning Chinese vocabularies, students only relied on Chinese characters or the Chinese language system without utilizing the English language system. Whereas in learning English vocabularies, students still relied on Chinese resources to support the semantics and pronunciations of English vocabularies. The findings were discussed in terms of the language and the subject knowledge systems, established under the first language. Implementations for teaching in the second (English) language were also suggested.
The findings revealed that our Hong Kong primary school subjects stored and retrieved the vocabularies in most school subjects mainly as Chinese terms. After studying a short period in bridging courses, students' storage shifted from a mainly Chinese-based structure to a mixed English and Chinese-English one. The extent of vocabularies storage in a single-language versus a bilingual one was a continuum. The adoption of different bilingual semantic storage models depends on the learning methods, immersion levels, language environment and language proficiency in place.
This study investigated bilingual memory models of Hong Kong students. Specifically, we examined senior primary school students' semantic storage of vocabularies in the subjects of Social Studies, Mathematics and Science under different conditions (i.e. Chinese or English teaching). Students' pre- and post-test performance in the experimental and control groups was compared. The subjects were 235 students coming from three schools. They were classified as high, medium and low ability by their academic performance. Chinese, English and Mathematics attainment tests, computer administered bilingual language tests, bilingual word association tests and bilingual study questionnaires were administered to all students. The experimental group also received bridging courses for eight weeks to relearn some English translations of major Chinese vocabularies and concepts in Social Studies, Mathematics and Science. The purpose is to see whether English learning abilities could be raised in an English-speaking only environment.

PhD

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-10, Section: A, page: 3859

• English

Dissertation Theses

• 0599988088

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/1d3307cd

2010-12-16