Abstract:
There are a variety of methods for learning a new language. Two of the most effective methods for learning a foreign language are via music and nursery rhymes. Yet, the use of Chinese nursery rhymes among university undergraduates is not widely implemented when learning Chinese as a foreign language. While mainly focusing upon the first-year undergraduates at the University of Kelaniya, this study will address a need in this area. The data required for this study will be collected through questionnaires and surveys. The usefulness nursery rhymes in Chinese learning will be critically examined by assessing the responses submitted by the students. The goal of this research is to encourage undergraduates to devote time to study the Chinese language through nursery rhymes, as well as to explain how nursery rhymes affect the learning of Chinese as a foreign language. The study explores the efficiency of this learning method and seeks to address the research questions concerning how nursery rhymes contribute to the undergraduates’ learning of Chinese? How is grammatical recognition reflected by learning Chinese nursery rhymes and how does this pedagogy increase undergraduates’ interest in learning Chinese culture and new words? In this research that discusses the importance of nursery rhymes in Chinese learning, the choice of nursery rhymes was selected based on criteria that looks at the importance in acquiring grammar, Chinese culture, and new vocabulary in the process of learning the language. This study aspires to further stimulate the interest of undergraduates in learning Chinese, while contributing towards an affirmative shift in their perceptions of the language. This research will be conducted as a part of a larger study concerning the use of music in foreign language learning, which aims to foster a potential increase in the popularity of the study of the Chinese language in universities.
