Designing and Developing a Romanised Mandarin Web-based Instruction for Non-native Learners in Malaysia

Abstract

Hanyu Pinyin (Romanised Mandarin) is taught as part of the teaching Mandarin as a third language in UiTM. The time allocated to teach the sound system of Hanyu Pinyin is insufficient for learners. Hence, it is suggested a web-based instruction incorporate into the curriculum as a self-learning material for learners to enable them to manage their learning process in the absence of instructor. The objective of this paper is to describe the process of designing and developing a Hanyu Pinyin WBI to teach non-native learners (Malay Mandarin learners) in learning Mandarin at a Malaysian university (UiTM). The Hanyu Pinyin WBI is tailored to tackle the weaknesses and to meet the specific needs of Malay learners. Hanyu Pinyin WBI is designed on the basis of Instructional System Design (ISD) methodology. This approach involves four phases: (1) analysis and design, (2) development, (3) implementation, and (4) evaluation of the instruction.