E-Learning Design for Chinese Classifiers: Reclassification of Nouns for a Novel Approach

Abstract

Chinese classifiers are found to be a category that creates true challenges for second language learners of Chinese to grasp its meaning and use it easily. It is also found that even native speakers of Chinese may lose their competence in using classifiers appropriately after years of living in a non-Chinese speaking community. This paper presents a novel approach in the design of an e-learning tool for Chinese classifier learning and teaching. With this approach, Chinese noun categories are reclassified according to their associations with the types of classifiers. The design is based on both theoretical studies of Chinese classifiers and empirical studies of Chinese classifier acquisition by both children and adults. It allows users to use cognitive strategies to explore and learn with a bottom-up approach the associations of classifiers with nouns.

Proceedings of the 4th Workshop on Cognitive Aspects of the Lexicon (CogALex)

“…Based on the Chinese classifier e-dictionary of (Gao, 2011), designed to help students learn the proper use of Chinese classifiers, this paper further explores the designs of the database and of an e-learning tool interface to better understand the association of classifiers and nouns. In this experimental version of the e-learning tool design, 859 classifiers and 6420 associated nouns were stored and classified in different tables according to the respective noun referents' semantic features and prominent cognitive features.…”

“…There is an ontological base on which classifiers and nouns are associated with (Sowa, 2000;Huang and Ahrens, 2003;Philpot et al, 2003;Nichols et al, 2005), while measure word associations with nouns could be simply based on the notion of quantification. Understanding the differences between the two concepts can help learners of Chinese increase their awareness of the semantic and cognitive bases of classifier associations with nouns (Gao, 2010;Gao, 2011;Quek and Gao, 2011).…”