Journal of Sinology and Chinese Language Education

Rhetorical Tactics in a Cross-Cultural Dialogue: Transitivity Analysis of the FOX vs. CGTN Host Debate

Anni WANG — 2024-10-01

This study analyzes the rhetorical tactics used in the FOX vs. CGTN host debate by Trish Regan and Liu Xin in the context of the China-US trade dispute. Utilizing a methodology rooted in Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the Transitivity analysis, this research uncovers four primary rhetorical strategies used by the hosts to enhance persuasiveness, echoing the classic rhetorical appeals mentioned by Aristotle and Confucius. These strategies include the use of an effective-passive voice in the Material Process to highlight the evidence and, therefore enhance logos, the tactical use of the “happening” type of Material Process as well as the Existential Process to make justifications and defend the rectification of names by steering away from adverse discussions subtly, leveraging the Mental Process with the unique feature of “Entity as Sensor” to enhance the level of authority and credibility of the speaker (ethos), and employing the “identifying” Relational Process to reduce the credible authorship of the opponent’s speech (depriving of ethos). By breaking down these strategies through analyzing the language structures, the study provides insight into the nuanced linguistic strategies used in complex international discussions. It seeks to enhance effective communication and mutual understanding in intercultural dialogues, answering the calls of scholars for comparative, alternative, and multicultural rhetoric studies.

On the Structural Types of the Nom Characters in “Chinh Phu Ngam Bi Luc” Kept in the National Library of Vietnam

Thi Ngoc Thu LE — 2024-10-01

The Chinh Phu Ngam Bi Luc kept in the National Library of Vietnam is the most complete version of the Chinh Phu Ngam. There are 412 verse lines, totaling 2,885 words; excluding repeated words, characters used in people’s names, and place names, the number is 1,251 words in the Chinh Phu Ngam Bi Luc. Nom characters in this book are divided into single-font and combined-font characters by the “component analysis method.” According to the different functions of components, single-font characters can be further divided into single-font pictographic characters, single-font phonetic characters, and single-font code characters. At the same time, Combined-font characters can be further divided into form-pronunciation combination characters, meaning-meaning combination characters, sound-meaning combination characters, meaning-marked combination characters, sound-pronunciation combination characters, pronunciation-marked combination characters, form-pronunciation combination characters, and so on. According to statistics, the number of single phonetic characters and combined phonetic and semantic characters is the majority. This shows that Vietnamese and Chinese are closely related in pronunciation, and a large number of Chinese characters are borrowed to remember pronunciation. The pictophonetic mode has become the mainstream structure of Nom characters.

A Study on the Origin and Popularity of “Commentary on Classical Chinese Texts” in the Mid to. Late Song Dynasty

Tianxiang CEN — 2024-10-01

The practice of “commentary and punctuation on classical Chinese texts” (guwen pingdian) emerged as a new phenomenon alongside the popularity of anthologies of classical Chinese prose in the mid to late Southern Song dynasty. Scholars have often explored the reasons for the rise of these commentaries by examining cultural traditions such as the punctuation, interpretation and annotation of classic texts. However, in the historical context of the mid to late Southern Song, the most direct and crucial factor behind the emergence of classical commentaries can be attributed to the influence of the imperial examination system. The term “commentary” in this context derives from the remarks made by examiners after reviewing examination papers, while “punctuation” originates from the interpunction marks used by examiners during the grading process. Notably, newly discovered historical materials, such as the “Revised Decree of Examination Regulations of Shaoxing” and the “Revised Rules of General Examination Formats of Shaoxing,” illustrate the specific use of marking symbols by examiners when assessing examination papers. Ultimately, it was precisely within the historical context of the Southern Song’s examination society and commercial publishing that commentaries and punctuations, closely linked to classical literary anthologies, gained widespread popularity among the scholar-official class of the time.

A Survey of the Significance of Academic Journals Focusing on Chinese Studies in Thailand

Rui ZHOU — 2024-10-01

This research aims to examine the significance and development trends of Thai journals focusing on Chinese Studies in the context of the 21st century. The study utilizes data from academic journals published by Thai educational and research institutions. Content analysis is employed, examining the journals' objectives, article directions, research topics, academic standards, authors, and Thai academic platforms such as the Thai-Journal Citation Index Center (TCI) and the Thai Journals Online (ThaiJO) database, as well as analysing the development trends of these journals under the milieu of Thailand's cultural diversity. The research findings of this article indicate that: 1. Although the number of Thai sinological research academic journals is limited, they are relatively well-established and possess certain historical significance and characteristics, balancing both sinology research and Chinese language education; 2. These academic journals are primarily linked to higher education institutions focused on Chinese language education in Thailand, closely associated with the thriving Chinese language education sector that has developed since the 2000s; 3. The sinological research within these journals extends beyond literary text interpretation to include Chinese linguistics, applied linguistics in Chinese, and Buddhist studies; 4. Thai sinological research journals have their own academic standards and are continually advancing towards integration with the Southeast Asian and global sinology communities.

A Study on the Thai Village Names of Chiang-saen District in Northern Thailand

Jiewei LUO — 2024-10-01

This study is based on linguistics and cultural linguistics as research theories, combined with the literature methodologies and inductive analysis to analyze the word structure of village names in Chiang-saen District, Northern Thailand. The research found that the number of disyllabic (32 names) and trisyllabic (24 names) village names in Chiang-saen District is similar. The complete form of “common ‘name + proper’ name” is the main linguistic structure feature, while a few are incomplete and overlapping structures. In terms of naming rationale, the proportion of water sources and terrestrial systems is basically the same, with 90% having the same name as natural and cultural entities. In these cases, the location, terrain, and scale of the villages can be directly identified by names. In addition, the description of the integration of agriculture, religion, and migration in the village names reflects the living style and ecological views of the Chiang-saen people that are adapted to the natural environment in Northern Thailand, as well as the complex and multi-level characteristics of place names.

Book Review: From Missionary Education to Confucius Institutes

Xing LIU — 2024-10-01

Book Review

Jeff Kyong-McClain and Joseph Tse-Hei Lee eds., From Missionary Education to Confucius Institutes: Historical Reflections on Sino-American Cultural Exchange. London & New York: Routledge, 2024, 225 pp.

Book Review: Zhang Qingling, Studies on Thailands’ Education

Zengyou FU — 2024-10-01

Book Review

张清玲：《泰国教育研究》，南宁：广西教育出版社，2023年版

A Study of the Errors of Native Korean Learners in Acquiring ‘dang-ran’ Based on the Corresponding Chinese Words of Chinese Origin Word ‘dang-yon’

Xinchen TU — 2024-10-01

The Chinese origin word ‘dang-yon’ in Korean comes from the Chinese word ‘dang-ran’. After its semantic evolution and differentiation, it can correspond to various semantics and their usage in modern Chinese including words such as ‘dang-ran,’ ‘bi-ran’ and ‘zi-ran,’ etc. This research is mainly divided into three parts. First, we try to speculate on the types of errors that native Korean learners may make when acquiring the Chinese word ‘dang-ran’ by analyzing the parts of speech, meanings and usages of the main Chinese words corresponding to the related forms of Korean ‘dang-yon.’ Second, we will use the error analysis theory to sort out the errors among native Korean learners in the HSK dynamic composition corpus.Third, we compared the predicted results of interlingual comparison with specific error types and finally analyzed the causes of related errors among native Korean learners. In the conclusion, we propose overall teaching suggestions for native Korean learners based on the types and causes of errors related to the acquisition of ‘dang-ran’ and the ‘usage-based model’ theory of cognitive linguistics. We hope that this study can provide some reference for international Chinese teaching practice from the perspective of country-specific and language-specific differences.

Important Approaches to Cultivating High-End Talents in International Chinese Language Education from Local Teachers’ Perspective

Etienne BANKUWIHA — 2024-10-01

The establishment of the Doctor of Education professional degree in the field of International Chinese Language Education in 2018 and the successful construction of the integrated training system for undergraduate, master and doctoral postgraduate students in International Chinese Language Education in 2022 helped to cultivate elite talents, and have laid a solid foundation for the cultivation of high-end talents in International Chinese Language Education and brought new development opportunities and requirements. Currently, International Chinese Language Education is in a crucial stage of transformation and upgrading, aiming to shape a new pattern that is more open, inclusive, high-quality, and accessible. To build a global communication system for the Chinese language and culture, enhance in-depth understanding between the Chinese and foreign people, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, training institutions should purposefully cultivate high-end talents in International Chinese Language Education with a cross-cultural international perspective. From the standpoint of local teachers, the cultivation of high-end talents in International Chinese Language Education should give full play to the characteristic of the close combination of theory and practice in International Chinese Language Education, and should attach great importance to the “joint training model for high-end talents from Chinese and foreign sides in regional and national contexts”; in addition, emphasis should also be placed on strengthening the cultivation of international perspectives and related capabilities.

Analysis of the Current Status and Developmental Trends of Sino-Thai Higher Education Cooperation

Liaoliao DING — 2024-10-01

Sino-Thai collaborations in higher education serve as a significant model of transnational educational cooperation, which is crucial in promoting the internationalization of higher education and sharing academic resources between the two countries. This study reviews the policy background and practical development of Sino-Thai university collaborations, detailing their establishment and operation across geographic distribution, levels of cooperation, operation modes, program design, and current status. The analysis identifies key challenges in the collaboration, including inadequate student quality, unclear educational goals, an imbalanced theory-practice ratio, insufficient teaching staff, lack of communication mechanisms, inadequate regulatory systems, and insufficient collaborative innovation in research. To address these issues, the study proposes measures such as controlling admission standards, optimizing academic program positioning, coordinating curriculum integration, strengthening faculty development, innovating cooperative modes, benchmarking international standards, and improving top-level design. These measures aim to enhance the quality of collaborative education and provide more robust support for higher education cooperation between the two countries.