Integration of poetic prosody for effective digital Chinese teaching

This chapter explores integrating poetic prosody and aesthetic elements into Chinese language teaching using Chinese poetry. It aims to cultivate students' interest in learning Chinese, develop their artistic abilities and provide curriculum design, innovative teaching materials, and digital resources. The approach benefits international students studying Chinese literature and poetry in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The research proposes a “Classic Recitation Mode” (CRM) using digital recording resources from an early age. This approach enhances students' appreciation for the arts, improves their language skills, and deepens their understanding of Chinese culture. Through vivid readings of classical poems, students increase their reading proficiency, vocabulary, and grasp of paragraph structure, sentence organization, grammar, and rhetoric. Changes in intonation and rhythm enhance their expressive skills. The chapter draws on “Character Education” (CE) by Thomas Lickona and Confucius' “Poetry Education” (PE). Vivid reading develops students' thinking skills, imagination, and cultural understanding, enriching their moral character. It establishes a strong connection between students and the Chinese language for literary and artistic communication, overcoming learning barriers. The research expands on linguistic research in first language (L1) and explores applying this aesthetic approach in second language (L2) international Chinese teaching. Copyright © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Sin Manw Sophia Lam, John Chi-Kin Lee and Chung Mou Si; individual chapters, the contributors.