International Chinese Language Teaching

The Application of Multiple Intelligences Theory and the Whole Language Approach in Theme-Based Chinese Language Teaching for Young Children: A Case Study of Dadi International Kindergarten (Srinakarin Campus) in Thailand

ZHENGJIAO LI — 2025-06-30

With the continuous development of international Chinese language education, Chinese learning among young children in Thailand is showing a clear trend of becoming more age-inclusive. However, early childhood Chinese education in Thailand still faces significant challenges, such as the complexity of multilingual environments, fragmented teaching content, underdeveloped instructional frameworks, and limited pedagogical diversity. Against this backdrop, exploring effective methods to enhance children's Chinese proficiency while promoting their multiple intelligences has become a meaningful topic of research.This study aims to: 1) explore whether integrating Multiple Intelligences Theory with the Whole Language Approach can improve the effectiveness of early Chinese language instruction; 2) investigate changes in children’s multiple intelligences before and after the teaching intervention; 3) examine the role of the Whole Language Approach in enhancing young children's Chinese reading and writing skills.Grounded in Multiple Intelligences Theory and applying the pedagogical principles of the Whole Language Approach, this study designed a series of thematic teaching activities. The intervention, centered on the theme of "vegetables," was conducted at the Srinakarin campus of Dadi International Kindergarten in Thailand. Using observational and experimental methods, the research examined how the combined approach affected children’s acquisition of Chinese as a second language.Findings suggest that integrating Multiple Intelligences Theory with the Whole Language Approach can significantly improve the quality of Chinese language teaching, support the development of children's multiple intelligences, and enhance their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. This integrated model not only provides practical guidance for early childhood Chinese language education in Thailand, but also offers new perspectives for the diversified development of language instruction in multilingual environments.

A review of papers on teaching Chinese as a foreign language ——Taking the "THAI JO" website as an example

zheng zhou — 2025-06-30

With the rapid development of teaching Chinese as a foreign language around the world, Thailand, as one of the important countries for Chinese language learning, has gradually attracted attention for its related research results. Taking the ThaiJo platform as the research object, this paper systematically combed the Chinese journal papers related to teaching Chinese as a foreign language on this platform, aiming at exploring the current research status and development trend of local Thai academics in the field of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. By classifying and analysing the topics, research methods, research objects and research hotspots of the papers, this paper finds that the relevant research on the ThaiJo platform mainly focuses on the fields of pedagogy, teaching materials development, and language acquisition, but there are still some limitations in terms of research methods and theoretical depth. This paper further summarises the shortcomings of current research and puts forward directions and suggestions for future research. Overall, the development trend of research on teaching Chinese as a foreign language is gradually becoming clearer, and more attention will be paid to the close integration of practice and theory, the deep integration of technology and education, and the regionalised adaptation in the context of globalisation. Through long-term, dynamic research on teaching methods, in-depth analyses of policy changes in international Chinese language education, and the characteristics of learners at different stages, future research can provide important references to promote the theoretical innovation and practical development of local Chinese language teaching in Thailand as well as the efficiency and diversification of international Chinese language education.

A Contrastive Study of the Semantics and Cultural Connotations of “Fish”-Related Idioms in Chinese and Thai

Jie Wei — 2025-07-02

This study systematically compares the semantics and cultural connotations of "fish"-related idioms in Chinese and Thai, employing Lado’s Contrastive Analysis Theory (1957) as the framework. By classifying meanings and comparing them, the study finds that many "fish" idioms in both languages have negative meanings and often send important social messages; both languages use "fish" to show universal truths; and some similar idioms use "fish" imagery while others use different animals to express similar ideas. The study highlights the multifaceted metaphorical functions of "fish" as a cultural symbol in Chinese and Thai, reflecting shared survival wisdom and moral admonitions rooted in fishing societies. Additionally, it validates the applicability of contrastive analysis in cross-cultural idiom research.

Exploring Chinese language learning motivation of Southeast Asian students studying in China

SHUANG ZHANG — 2025-06-30

Since the end of the 20th century, motivation, as one of the main factors affecting learning effects, has been one of the hot issues discussed in the field of Second Language Acquisition at home and abroad. This paper uses quantitative research methods and uses 120 Southeast Asian students to China as the survey subjects to analyze the characteristics of Chinese learning motivation and the relationship between individual differences and Chinese learning motivation. Descriptive analysis and independent sample T test were conducted on the collected data through SPSS27.0. The research results showed that the learning motivation of Southeast Asian students was at a high level overall, and there were no significant differences in the gender and duration of Chinese learning. However, in terms of age, the learning motivation of the subjects was significantly different in the ideal second language self-dimensionality, which indicated that the ideal second language self-dimensionality has a great impact on learning behavior. At the same time, individual differences factors will affect the distribution of motivation types of international students in different dimensions. Because learners of different age groups have different levels of cognitive development, their construction of their ideal second language self will be affected. Based on this, Chinese teaching cannot adopt a single model, but should adhere to the principle of teaching according to the aptitude, fully meet the diverse needs of learners, and thus improve the pertinence and effectiveness of teaching.

ON THE PROCESS AND PERSPECTIVES OF LANGUAGE LANDSCAPE RESEARCH IN CHINA

XINYU YAO — 2025-06-30

The importance and application value of language landscape research in academia is increasingly recognised, especially in urban planning, education, and cyberspace, where language landscapes have become a core analytical tool for exploring sociolinguistic dynamics. We can divide the development process of language landscape research in China into three phases: initiation, development, and deepening. Research perspectives are becoming more diversified, covering areas such as public signage and geosemiotics and expanding to new-age perspectives like education and online landscapes. The integration of these emerging perspectives broadens the theoretical framework of language landscape research, opening up broader academic pathways. The results will further contribute to constructing a theory of language landscape that fits China's national conditions and provide rich cases and perspectives for international language landscape research.

Research on the development status and promotion strategy of Confucius Institutes in Korea

Shuzhan Pan — 2025-06-30

This study aims to understand the deeper meaning behind the growth of Confucius Institutes by looking at their history and development in Korea, identifying current issues they face, and suggesting ways to improve them based on various factors. Through the database method, the basic information of Korean Confucius Institutes is obtained, and according to the analysed contents, the Confucius Institutes are classified into four categories, namely, teaching, cultural dissemination, social service and scientific research and academic. Case studies of the four types of Confucius Institutes are analysed to get the possible problems of the Confucius Institutes in Korea. Finally, the perspective of understanding and explaining the operation and development of Confucius Institutes in different cultural contexts is combined with the push-and-pull theory to summarise the influencing factors of the development of Confucius Institutes and to propose a series of enhancement strategies specifically for the development of Confucius Institutes in Korea.

A Study of the Perception of Chinese Culture in the Chinese Textbook of Thai Version of Kuaile Hanyu

Cheerarat Phokrachang — 2025-06-30

Learning a foreign language involves more than just mastering linguistic elements; it also requires acquiring cultural knowledge to enhance communication efficiency and deepen the understanding of contextual usage. Textbooks play a vital role not only as educational tools but also as vehicles for cultural transmission. This research aims to study the cultural concepts embedded in the Chinese language textbook series Kuaile Hanyu (Thai Edition) and to analyze how the textbook content influences Thai learners’ perceptions of Chinese culture.

The findings reveal that the textbook presents five cultural dimensions based on Moran’s (2001) framework: Products, Practices, Perspectives, Communities, and Persons. Among these, Practices appear most frequently, while Communities are the least represented. The textbook presents a wide range of Chinese cultural elements, including geography, social customs, arts, school life, cuisine, and etiquette. However, the textbook's minimal representation of Thai culture, primarily through illustrations, suggests a strong focus on Chinese culture without adequate cultural comparison.

These findings can be applied to the planning of Chinese language instruction and the development of culturally balanced textbooks that are better suited for Thai learners within an intercultural learning context.

ANALYSIS OF PUNCTUATION MARK CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE LANDSCAPE IN THE CENTER OF BANGKOK,THAILAND

Preechya Choongern — 2025-06-30

This study systematically analysed the characteristics of punctuation usage in official and unofficial linguistic landscapes in downtown Bangkok through field investigation. The findings indicate that punctuation usage in the official linguistic landscape is relatively concise and infrequent, using only 9 types of punctuation marks, such as periods, connection numbers, brackets, etc., while the use of punctuation marks in unofficial linguistic landscapes is more diverse, using 16 types of punctuation marks, mainly in commercial signage, advertisements, etc. There are significant differences in the types and frequency of punctuation marks. Due to the strong standardisation, the official linguistic landscapes is more regulated, while the unofficial linguistic landscapes has more flexibility and creativity. Punctuation in unofficial contexts is often employed to attract consumers and emphasize key information. In addition, the factors affecting the use of punctuation marks in Bangkok linguistic landscapes include language type, function and nature of linguistic landscapes, and economic and cultural background. This paper provides a new perspective on the use of punctuation in linguistic landscapes and reveals the differences in information expression and cultural presentation between the official and unofficial linguistic landscapes.

A A Comparative Study of Conceptual Metaphors in Chinese Idioms Containing "口" Kǒu (Mouth) And Thai Idioms Containing "ปาก" Pàːk (Mouth)

TANAPAT PANTONGKOM — 2025-06-30

This study aims to explore the similarities and differences in conceptual metaphors found in Chinese idioms containing the word “口” (Kǒu) and Thai idioms containing the word “ปาก” (Pàːk), using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory developed by Lakoff and Johnson as the primary analytical framework. The analysis focuses on categorising the source and target domains of metaphors, examining the semantic types of idioms (positive, negative, and descriptive), the behavioral aspects they reflect (talkativeness, insincerity, verbal skill, consequences of speech, and lifestyle), and the cultural dimensions embedded within them (politics and power, moral instruction, social relationships, and ways of living).

The results reveal that idioms in both languages tend to represent “mouth” (“口” (Kǒu) or “ปาก”) as a metaphorical vehicle for verbal behaviour. However, there are distinctions in how meanings are constructed. Chinese idioms, often in the form of 成语 (chéngyǔ), typically originate from classical literature and employ imagery from nature, weapons, or food, with an emphasis on the societal impact of speech. In contrast, Thai idioms are semi-formal, structurally varied, and draw metaphorical images from everyday life, animals, or plants, focusing more on individual behavior or close interpersonal relationships.

Furthermore, idioms in both languages reflect key cultural values, such as the importance of careful speech, moral responsibility in communication, and appropriateness within social context. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of conceptual metaphor in language and offer practical implications for teaching Chinese and Thai as foreign languages, especially in culturally rich and increasingly interconnected Sino–Thai contexts.

RESEARCH ON TEACHING STATUS AND IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES OF CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHING AT CONFUCUS INSTITUTE OF UNIVERSITY OF TAMATAVE

XUANXUAN ZHOU — 2025-06-30

The Confucius Institute at Tamataf University is the second Confucius Institute in Madagascar, Africa. Since its establishment in 2014, it has made important contributions to the development of international Chinese education in Madagascar. Dialectically, however, students of the Confucius Institute at Tamataf University are faced with difficulties mastering tones, grammar and Chinese characters in the process of learning Chinese. At the same time, there is still room for improvement in teaching equipment, textbook usage, and teaching methods. Based on this, on the basis of fully analysing the situation of the Confucius Institute at Tamataf University, this paper puts forward some suggestions for improvement, such as stimulating students' internal learning motivation by compiling localised teaching materials and integrating culture teaching; cultivating local teachers to improve teaching quality and realise the sustainability of teaching; and improving infrastructure, especially updating teaching equipment, to improve teaching efficiency and learning experience.