Experiential Learning in Mandarin Classrooms: The Case for Simulation

The environment that millennials learn in is relaxed and allows for maximum interaction. This type of environment mirrors their real life that is rather “laid-back”. Next, millennials strive for personal relationships. They strive well in environment that encourage interaction, for instance group work. In order to bring that “real-life” environment into the classrooms, teachers can plan “simulation” activities as part of the classroom routine. Simulation activities allow learners to gain “hands-on” experience in the form of experiential learning. One way to enable learners to learn through interaction in “real-life” environment is by using simulation. The objective of this quantitative study is to explore the use of simulation in learning Mandarin. 20 respondents were chosen for this study. The instrument used was a survey with 11 items on a 5 point Likert-scale. Findings revealed that activities done during simulation mirror the benefits of experiential learning. The study also revealed that learners learning using concrete example, abstract conceptualization, converging ideas, as well accommodating old ideas with new learning.