Implementation of Chinese Language Training Course Based on Communicative Approach and Situated Learning to Improve Students’ Listening and Speaking Skills

Background and Importance: Language acquisition, especially in speaking and listening, is essential for overseas students studying Chinese. These competencies promote academic achievement and social assimilation. The communicative approach and situated learning acknowledged for improving language proficiency, provide immersive and pragmatic learning contexts. Nonetheless, the difficulties in implementing these strategies, particularly for Chinese as a foreign language, remain little examined. Objective: The study seeks to assess the efficacy of a Chinese language course that integrates the communicative approach with situated learning to enhance students' speaking and listening abilities by comparing the communicative approach and situated learning scores of students before and after learning through the Chinese language training course based on the communicative approach and situated learning. Methods: Twenty second-year international students at Xi’an University engaged in this experimental investigation. The study employed a pretest-posttest methodology to evaluate speaking and listening skills before and during course implementation, utilizing scoring rubrics and listening assessments. The statistical analysis encompassed means, standard deviation, and t-tests for dependent samples to assess the significance of differences. Results: Post-course assessments indicated significant improvements in both speaking and listening skills. Speaking skills improved significantly (t=19.992, p=0.001, effect size=4.48), and listening skills also showed substantial growth (t=9.289, p=0.001, effect size=2.07). Conclusion: The research illustrates the efficacy of integrating communicative and situated learning methodologies to improve language proficiency. This comprehensive method provides a dynamic and immersive context that fosters significant enhancement in both speaking and listening abilities. This research enhances the understanding of second language instruction, specifically for Chinese learners, and offers data advocating for the adoption of new pedagogical approaches in language training programs.