本研究旨在探討華語詞彙教學的一種特殊方法--「手語歌教學法」，希望能藉此方法，讓初、中級華語學習者更有效、更快速地學會華語的詞彙，同時寓教於樂，在學會記住詞彙的同時，也學會一些華語歌曲及知道一點台灣手語。本研究採取準實驗法，在正式施測前，進行過兩次先導研究，三次的研究對象包括了三種不同年齡的華語學習者：兒童、青少年、及成人。本研究的對象為文化大學英語授課碩士外籍學生30名，實驗組為華語程度零起點外籍生10名，對照組為華語程度零起點及初級外籍生各10名。實驗組學習華語歌曲，並加上手語，對照組只學習相同的華語歌曲，在4周的干預教學前進行了前測，4周的干預教學後進行了後測，後測3周以後再進行宕後測。前後測及宕後測的數據及研究結果顯示：(一)手語歌的教學成效明顯大於華語歌的教學成效。(二)越基礎的學習者，越適合手語歌教學法。(三)越生活化、形象越鮮明、手語和詞彙連結性越強的詞彙，越適合手語歌教學法。(四)手語歌詞彙的難易度要配合學習者的程度較為有效。結合先導研究及正式施測的結果，本研究亦發現手語歌對詞彙的教學效果成人並不低於兒童、青少年，因此手語歌並不只適用於小孩子，它適用於各年齡的華語學習者，作為華語教學詞彙學習的一種媒介。
The purpose of this study is to identify a potentially successful approach for teaching Chinese vocabulary to beginning and intermediate learners of Chinese as a second language through a combination of songs and Chinese sign language. We hope this approach not only increases the rate and the speed of learners’ acquisition of vocabulary, but also grows their interest in learning Chinese language. We conducted a quasi-experimental study with two pilot tests involving three different age groups of participants: children, teenagers and adults. For our quasi-experimental study, we recruited 30 graduate students from non-Chinese backgrounds who were in various masters’ programs taught in English at the Chinese Culture University. The 10-participant experimental group, who were beginning learners of CSL, would learn Chinese vocabulary through Chinese songs with Chinese sign language. The 20-partipant control groups, one beginning learners and the other intermediate learners of CSL, would learn identical vocabulary through identical Chinese songs without sign language. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to both groups before and after the 4-week intervention study. A delayed post-test was administered to both groups 3 weeks after the post-test to further understand the retention differences between the groups. The results of our study suggest that: (1) For all participants, the Chinese sign language song approach was more effective in teaching vocabulary than Chinese songs; (2) The beginning learners of CSL benefited more from the Chinese sign language song approach; (3) The core vocabulary used in everyday life with a concrete meaning and a strong connection with sign language is most suitable for the Chinese sign language song approach; (4)Tthe vocabulary introduced in the Chinese sign language song approach has to match the level and age of the learners. The combined results from the two pilot tests and the quasi-experimental study also pointed out that the adult learners of CSL equally, if not more, benefit from the Chinese sign language song approach with regard to their acquisition of vocabulary.
