Learner motivation in teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign language: Why does teaching and learning method matter?

This PhD study explores the influence of teaching and learning methods on learner motivation in teaching Chinese as a foreign language in an intercultural (or Danish) context and illustrates how the learners are motivated to learn Chinese language and culture through task-based teaching and learning in a student-centred learning environment. Both qualitative and mixed methods approaches have been employed to examine learner motivation and the effects of certain teaching and learning methods (i.e. student-centred methods) in a given context. The findings have shown that a student-centred method, such as task-based teaching and learning or a method inspired by problem-based learning, can be employed as a motivating methodology to provide a supportive environment for language and culture learning (i.e., Chinese language and culture learning), particularly in an intercultural (or Danish) context. The findings further demonstrate that multiple other factors (e.g., affective and learning situation factors) may contribute to increased learner motivation and orientation in a student-centred learning environment. This study also calls attention to the students who learn foreign languages in elective courses, and emphasises the issues of context and the integration of language and culture.