Using Karaoke to Enhance Recognition of Chinese Words: A Cross-Languages Adoption

This study investigated the effects of Chinese karaoke on recognition and retention of the Chinese characters/words by the Iranian male junior high school learners (N=61, p<.05). In a posttest control group design, students in three English language institutes in Tehran were randomly divided into three groups of Text-only which received the Chinese words via merely a text; Song group which were taught the words via an audio song as well as the text; and finally, Karaoke group which received the words by karaoke, plus the text. The lessons were instructed in two consecutive 20-minute long periods at the end of their routine English classes. The subjects then were tested for their recognition of the 24 Chinese words in question. A One-way ANOVA was run to analyse the scores of the participants. The results revealed that students under Karaoke obtained significantly higher scores as compared to both Text-only and Sound groups. The results, however, did not show any significant difference between the scores of the Text-only and Sound groups. Furthermore, based on the experiment design of this study, this paper advocates consideration of the Arabic writing system as a substitute for the Romanized Pinyin when teaching Chinese to language learners who are familiar with Arabic. 

This study investigated the effects of Chinese karaoke on recognition and retention of the Chinese characters/words by the Iranian male junior high school learners (N=61, p<.05). In a posttest control group design, students in three English language institutes in Tehran were randomly divided into three groups of Text-only which received the Chinese words via merely a text; Song group which were taught the words via an audio song as well as the text; and finally, Karaoke group which received the words by karaoke, plus the text. The lessons were instructed in two consecutive 20-minute long periods at the end of their routine English classes. The subjects then were tested for their recognition of the 24 Chinese words in question. A One-way ANOVA was run to analyse the scores of the participants. The results revealed that students under Karaoke obtained significantly higher scores as compared to both Text-only and Sound groups. The results, however, did not show any significant difference between the scores of the Text-only and Sound groups. Furthermore, based on the experiment design of this study, this paper advocates consideration of the Arabic writing system as a substitute for the Romanized Pinyin when teaching Chinese to language learners who are familiar with Arabic.