Theoretico-Methodological Approaches at Teaching Mandarin Chinese in Primary Education (on the example of Specific Linguistic Challenges: Tones and Characters)

The given article analyzes theoretical and methodological approaches to teaching Mandarin Chinese in primary education (ages 5–11), focusing on the specific challenges posed by the tonal system and logographic script. The increasing global demand for Mandarin instruction at the primary level necessitates a re-evaluation of pedagogical practices. The study synthesizes relevant Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories and examines methodologies tailored to address the unique cognitive needs of young learners (YLs) in acquiring Mandarin tones and characters. It investigates the adaptation of major pedagogical frameworks (CLT, TBLT, CLIL, TPR/TPRS, TELL) for the primary Chinese classroom. The analysis aims to provide a theoretically sound foundation for informing pedagogical decisions, curriculum development, and teacher training in primary Chinese language programs.