The Impact of Native Language on Mandarin Acquisition: A Study of Zhuang and Miao Students

Abstract

This study was conducted with Zhuang and Miao students and Mandarin teachers in grades four to six in four township elementary schools in Dehou Township, Wenshan City, Yunnan Province. The purposes of this study were:1) to study the influences of the native language that affect Zhuang and Miao students when they learn Mandarin,2) to study teachers’ opinions about their students' native language affects their learning when teaching Mandarin to Zhuang and Miao students. Based on Krejcie and Morgan's table, 186 students for questionnaires and 14 teachers were selected for interviews. The study is a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research, which was statistically analyzed using percentages, means (⎯χ), standard deviation (S.D.), and narrative analysis by coding the interview information. The research instruments were questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that 1) the influences of the native language that affect Zhuang and Miao students when they learn Mandarin consisted of four aspects: (1) social context, (2) learner characteristics, (3) learning conditions, and (4) learning process: Social Context was high level (⎯χ) =2.70 and S.D=0.36; Learner Characteristics was moderate level (⎯χ) =2.43 and S.D=0.35; Learning Conditions was moderate level (⎯χ) =2.46 and S.D=0.2936; Learning Process was high level (⎯χ) =2.51 and S.D=0.30. All four aspects had a high level (⎯χ) =2.52 and S.D=0.33; on Zhuang and Miao students' Mandarin learning, and 2) teachers’ opinions about their students' native language affect their learning when teaching Mandarin to Zhuang and Miao students. It showed that Zhuang and Miao’s students had difficulty pronouncing Mandarin when they learned it because of the influence of their language; the difference between Mandarin and the expression habits of the ethnic language also affects the learning of Mandarin by Zhuang and Miao students. This study suggests that the study should emphasize the creation of a Mandarin language environment for Zhuang and Miao students, enhance students' interest in learning Mandarin, improve the conditions for learning Mandarin, and innovate teaching methods.