Guiding Principles for Early Literacy Experiences for Beginning Learners of Chinese

As more STARTALK Chinese programs are implemented, the need for direction on how to provide appropriate early literacy experiences while also building oral language skills has become clear. Chinese programs in general do not have the advantages of commonly agreed-upon approaches to literacy that are found in mainstream first language (L1) English language programs or in programs for more commonly taught foreign languages (L2). Also, few materials give guidance on basic methods of teaching literacy to students who are beginning their study of Chinese, especially at the elementary and middle school levels. This paper is an attempt to synthesize effective practices in this area. The focus is on programs in grades K–8, but the principles can be applied to the teaching of students at any level. The focus is also on students who have had no previous exposure to Chinese as a heritage language, but the principles apply to both heritage and nonheritage learners.

The following three guiding principles for effective Chinese language literacy instruction can assist how best to approach early literacy instruction for beginning learners of Chinese. The principles are based on the concept that character and vocabulary knowledge are not taught in isolation but instead are integral parts of thematically based content and contexts. These three principles flow from and are an extension of the six STARTALK Endorsed Principles for Effective Teaching and Learning. Each is designed to be used in conjunction with those six principles.