Journal of Sinology and Chinese Language Education

A Genre Analysis of Introductions in TCFL MA Theses by Chinese and Korean Students Using the CARS Model

2025-08-02T14:37:10+07:00

With the increasing number of international students in China, many encounter dual challenges in structural organization and linguistic expression when writing academic papers in Chinese. The introduction, as a critical component of a thesis, not only sets the research framework and contextualizes the topic for the readers but also significantly influences the overall quality of the work. Drawing on the CARS model, this study investigates the genre characteristics of introduction sections in 40 master’s theses in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL) written by Chinese and Korean students. The analysis reveals that Chinese students predominantly adopt a linear structure, progressively elaborating on the necessity and core content of the research through a clear stepwise progression. In contrast, Korean students exhibit a preference for cyclic move structures, often characterized by redundancy, repetition, and weaker logical progression. These findings offer pedagogical implications for enhancing coherence and rhetorical clarity in academic writing among international students studying in China.

A Study on the Representation of Chinese Image in the Vietnamese Local Chinese Textbook Hanyu

2025-08-01T11:42:24+07:00

This paper adopts the three-dimensional analysis method from Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. First, it conducts a statistical and analytical examination of the cultural elements in Hanyu from the perspectives of content dimension and image color dimension. Subsequently, it delves into the representation modes and word cloud distribution of China’s image within this textbook series. Based on a comprehensive description and analysis of the Chinese image in the local Chinese textbook, it discusses the discursive and social practices of the Chinese image presentation in Hanyu, elaborating on the sources of information and social reasons for the distribution of the Chinese image. Finally, taking Hanyu as an example, it moves to the implications for writing the Chinese image in local Chinese language textbooks. This study combines quantitative data analysis with qualitative text interpretation, hoping to enrich the existing research methods on the Chinese image in textbooks and provide a reference for studying China’s national image in the context of localized Chinese language teaching materials.

Research on the Application of Picture Books by Ethnic Chinese Writers in Reading Instruction for the Affective Mechanisms of Ethnic Chinese Children in the Context of International Chinese Education

2025-08-01T10:49:50+07:00

From the perspective of affective mechanism-based reading teaching, enabling teachers to strategically leverage the synergy between language teaching and the affective mechanism constitutes a new growth point in international Chinese education research. Picture books by Ethnic Chinese writers not only incorporate abundant Chinese cultural elements but also adopt an empathetic narrative perspective, making the theme of Chinese cultural identity more accessible to Ethnic Chinese children readers. These features provide a strong foundation for implementing affective mechanism-based reading instruction. The picture book Watercress can be effectively applied in reading instruction for Ethnic Chinese children. On the one hand, it allows for the in-depth exploration of text’s “empathy” elements to establish a reading connection grounded in affective mechanisms; on the other hand, it helps construct an affective reading path for children based on the visual-textual isomorphism of the narrative; Furthermore, by aligning with the language teaching objectives of international Chinese education, this approach allows for pedagogical adaptation from picture book to reading text, making picture books by Ethnic Chinese writers a unique educational resource for fostering both linguistic and emotional development in heritage children.

Affecting Factors of Cultural Identity of Pre-Qin Confucianism and Taoism and Its Correlation with Academic Achievement among Thai CSL Undergraduate Students

2024-12-10T09:22:45+07:00

In the study of Chinese cultural identity of the foreign Chinese as a second language (CSL) learners, there is a lack of more detailed cultural identity research on the specific content of Chinese culture from a micro perspective, and even less discussion on its correlation between it and academic achievement. Therefore, this study used a combination of questionnaires and interviews to analyze the current situation of Thai Chinese undergraduates’ cultural identification with Confucianism and Taoism in the pre-Qin era, its affecting factors, and its relationship with academic achievement based on three dimensions: cognitive-emotional-behavioral, with a total of 293 undergraduate students from the School of Sinology of Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand as participants. The study shows that: 1) the participants’ cultural identification with pre-Qin Confucianism and Daoism is high and there is no significant difference in their cultural identification with the two ideas; 2) the participants’ cultural identification with pre-Qin Confucianism and Daoism is significantly affected by their self-assessed Chinese language proficiency, the presence of long-term chatting friends who are native speakers of Chinese, motivation for learning and majors, and to a certain extent, by their religious beliefs, the length of time spent on Chinese language learning, and the use of media, but not by the presence or absence of native Chinese speakers, and not by the presence or absence of native speakers; 3) The participants’ cultural identification with the pre-Qin Confucianism and Daoism was significantly positively correlated with their academic achievement. In view of this, it is important to examine how to deal with these affecting factors in order to enhance the learners’ sense of cultural identification with Confucianism and Daoism and to promote the related teaching.

Development and Validation of a Rubric for Intermediate-Advanced Chinese as a Second Language Writing

2025-07-31T15:50:11+07:00

This study develops an analytic rubric for intermediate and advanced learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL), drawing on multiple guidelines and evaluation standards. Expert reviews and empirical scoring confirmed the rubric’s reliability and validity. Covering key dimensions such as vocabulary, grammar, organization, and content, the rubric effectively differentiates learner proficiency levels and improves inter-rater consistency across both teacher and student raters. Though more complex than holistic scoring methods, the analytic rubric provides enhanced diagnostic insights and multi-dimensional feedback, offering valuable guidance for the assessment and improvement of intermediate- to advanced-level CSL writing instruction.

Linguistic Challenges in Learning Chinese Measure Words: Insights from Zambian L2 Learners

2025-03-10T20:08:05+07:00

For over a decade, Chinese language education has existed in Zambia. A key challenge for Zambian students learning Chinese is mastering Chinese measure words, such as个 (gè), 只(zhī), 群 (qún), and 辆 (liàng), which are essential for precise communication. Research surveyed 30 students (HSK levels 3-5) on four common measure words. Findings showed students struggle due to differing meanings and uses compared to their native languages. Consequently, they often replace or omit these words in their Chinese. The paper suggests that instructors must understand students’ first languages. This understanding is crucial for developing effective teaching methods for Chinese measure words. Tailored strategies can then address specific linguistic differences, improving acquisition.

Writing Quality Research Articles in Chinese Studies: A Practical Guide to Publishing in National and International Academic Journals

2025-04-19T09:48:01+07:00

In the current academic landscape, publishing research articles has become a key indicator of scholarly quality and advancement. However, many scholars in the humanities—particularly those in the field of Chinese studies—continue to face significant challenges in developing manuscripts that meet the standards of national and international academic journals. This article presents a systematic approach to writing high-quality research articles in Chinese studies. It addresses key components such as understanding the IMRaD structure, formulating research questions based on identified gaps in the literature, constructing conceptual frameworks, and composing each section of the manuscript in a coherent and logical manner. It also offers practical strategies for preparing manuscripts for submission in a professional context. Additionally, the article highlights common pitfalls—including redundant reporting, lack of analytical depth, and unacademic or imprecise language use—and provides concrete solutions to overcome them. With illustrative examples that contrast well-structured and poorly structured research, this article aims to enhance academic writing skills among scholars in Chinese studies, emphasizing that anyone can publish research—provided they understand the system thoroughly and have the courage to start writing today.

A Study of Alice Munro’s Novels in Perspective of Feminist Literary Criticism Based on Corpus Stylistics

2025-07-31T10:38:50+07:00

Alice Munro, the first Canadian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, is renowned for her portrayals of women’s lives in small-town northern Canada. Her works reflect a feminist focus, often addressing alienation, confinement, and self-definition within patriarchal structures. However, most studies on Munro’s work rely heavily on qualitative methods, leaving room for more objective approaches. This study combines feminist literary criticism with corpus stylistics to address this gap, offering a balanced analysis of feminist elements in Munro’s writing. A corpus of 14 Munro short stories is compared with a reference corpus of works by contemporary male Booker Prize-winning authors using AntConc software. Keyword analysis reveals four major thematic elements: feminism, family, small towns, and winter. Collocational and concordance analyses further explore gendered keywords, highlighting Munro’s unique emphasis on women’s emotions and inner lives. The findings underscore Munro’s distinct narrative perspective, particularly in her portrayal of the female body, which contrasts sharply with male authors of her time. The corpus stylistics analysis approach offers a fresh perspective on understanding Munro’s literary contributions.

Gentle Resistance: Grassroots Poetic Expressions on Bilibili.com

2025-08-02T14:17:42+07:00

This paper examines grassroots poetic creations in the comment section of Bilibili UP Master “Moji辞書,” exploring the popularity and cultural significance of Chinese haiku (Hanpai) and classical Chinese poetry within online spaces. Chinese haiku creation draws upon the form of Japanese haiku while incorporating the imagery and lyrical traditions of classical Chinese literature, resulting in a distinct hybrid form. Concurrently, classical Chinese poetry creation exhibits notable contemporary and avant-garde characteristics. The grassroots community constructs a sense of collective identity through “Sinophone Classicism” and uses it to express concerns regarding contemporary social issues. These creative expressions constitute both a form of resistance against the polarization of online discourse and a gentle resistance to mainstream ideology, offering a new perspective for understanding contemporary Sinosphere online poetry.

The Creative Evolution of Barbie Movies and Its Implications for Chinese Children’s Films

2025-07-31T11:03:05+07:00

The American company Mattel has launched the Barbie series of children’s films since 2001, successively developing multiple series such as the “Fairy Tale Princess Series,” “Fairy Series,” and “Modern Series,” with a distinct evolution of creative concepts. This can provide insights for the creation of Chinese children’s films in terms of industrial linkage, theme innovation and character portrayal, and highlight the “child-centered” educational concept in films. Especially for the creation of children’s films targeting girls as the audience, it reveals the evolution of feminist ideology in this series is conducive to the expression of gender concepts in the films and helps children establish healthy gender views.

Book Review: Wilt. L Idema, Insects in Chinese Literature: A Study and Anthology

2025-07-31T11:20:38+07:00

Book Review

Wilt. L Idema, Insects in Chinese Literature: A Study and Anthology.

New York: Cambria Press, 2019, 354 pp.