NTU, Linguistics and Multilingual Studies
Lih Ing is a PhD student (part-time) at the division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, School of Humanities, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Lih Ing’s research focuses on Bilingualism and Autism, specifically with children and teenagers. A former teacher in local schools specialising in Chinese Language, Lih Ing is interested in gaining insights on how autism influences or interferes with learning Mandarin Chinese, and whether learning Mandarin Chinese influences individuals with autism in the social communication domain. Her professional background in instructional design and technology and educational research supports her research in many ways, including designing and setting up interventions, as well as creating instructional content that leverage on technology.
The effects of video modelling in teaching Mandarin Chinese conversation: A case study of a child with ASD
Conventional views on ASD children in language learning are that they should focus on one language to avoid confusion or further language delays. In Singapore, such views generally pertain to the ethnic Chinese community, stemming from concerns with academic pressure of learning Chinese in Singapore and whether the benefits of learning the heritage language would outweigh the benefits of learning daily living skills. For highly linguistically diversified communities like Singapore, this type of constraints translates into severe social limitations for individuals with ASD. This study is part of a broader study which evaluates if it is possible for English-dominant ASD children to be conversant in Mandarin Chinese as well as show improvement in English. More importantly, it will investigate if they can also learn essential language and communication skills in a process that is sustainable and fun. Utilising evidence-based strategies, e.g. play, joint-attention and narrative intervention, and leveraging on technology, this programme has an explicit focus on phonological awareness, listening and oral skills. In this case study, video recording and role play have been employed as an intervention tool to train an ASD child who is English-dominant. Through his video modeling for a 7-week intervention programme for other participants in the broader study, we examine if phonemic awareness of Mandarin Chinese influence his learning of the language and if he can apply and generalise what has been learnt in authentic scenarios, engaging in spontaneous speech with others. Pre- and post- standardised assessments are also administered to investigate the impact of this intervention on his English proficiency, as well as communication skills.