| Abundant and particular classifiers are one of the characteristics of Sino-Tibetan family of languages. The function of classifiers is mainly to denote the unit of substance and the quantity of behaviors. Apart from this, classifiers in many languages signify the categories, shapes, genders, and levels etc. As far as classifiers in Chinese and Thai are concerned, due to different investigation methods and perspectives of classification, the classifications of classifiers differ somewhat in subdivision. But the division of noun classifiers in the first hierarchy is correspondent, which is mainly divided into weights and measures classifiers, collective classifiers, and individual classifiers etc. Among these classifiers, individual classifiers are relatively special since they describe the shapes of substance. So they are called appearance classifiers (or shape based classifiers) in this dissertation.Appearance classifiers are not only the most typical and significant individual classifiers in Chinese and Thai, but also very puzzling for Thai students learning Chinese.So far, contrastive studies of the collocation of appearance classifiers with nouns between Chinese and Thai are seldom seen. And most of them are done from the perspectives of grammar structures and semantic features. To explore semantic construction and interpret cognitive process of people from the cognitive perspective is scarce. Meanwhile, works and literature related to classifiers in teaching Chinese as a second language are many, yet combining cognitive theories with the teaching of appearance classifiers as a second language is still to be explored.Therefore,based on previous studies and the consideration of related theories in China and abroad, the author chooses 16 representative Chinese appearance classifiers and 15 equivalent Thai appearance classifiers as research objects. And starting from theories in cognitive linguistics, a contrastive study from cognitive perspective is done to explore the similarities and differences, and the deep motivation behind them as well. That is, the application of appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai is determined by the cognitive ability when people understand the objective world. Different cognitive styles between nations exert a significant influence on the differences in using classifiers.Besides, the author developed an exercise to test Thai students on their using of classifiers, and the above research result is checked in teaching Chinese as a second language. The developed exercise was used to test 200 bachelor degree Thai students with different study background,100 students are the Chinese language majored studying in Thailand, while another 100 various majored students are studying in China. Thus the errors made by Thai students when they are using Chinese appearance classifiers are summarized and the contributing factors are revealed with the help of cognitive linguistics. Then, based on cognitive theories, the author attempts to propose effective advice and strategies aiming at Chinese appearance classifiers. Specifically speaking, the research objective is focused on the following three aspects. Firstly, the selection and employment of appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai are influenced by cognitive structure and conceptualization. Secondly, the similarities and differences between semantically similar Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers and the underlying forces are analyzed. Thirdly, causes of errors and teaching strategies when Thai students learn or use Chinese appearance classifiers using theories in cognitive linguistics for reference are explored.To achieve the above objective, the main body of this dissertation is divided into four parts.In part one, based on the illustration of theories and methods in the research of classifiers, general analysis of appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai, the research object of this thesis, is made. With the research approach of integrated lexical semantics and cognitive semantics, lexical meanings of Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers are explored specifically. It includes the following:defining Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers accurately, determining the scope of Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers combining forms with semantics, subdivision of appearance classifiers, illustrating the natures of Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers so as to prove the strong images of them in both Chinese and Thai. In addition, based on categorization theory in cognitive linguistics, typical and atypical members in Chinese and Thai are sorted out.In part two,the grammatical attributes of Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers are described, ways of overlapping and which include collocation rules. The overlapping of Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers is very complicated and the most basic and central pattern is to be found out.In particular,we should explore the manifestation pattern of overlapping and speakers’cognitive perspectives in Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers and make cognitive explanations for the similarities and differences. The collocation rules cover the pattern of "numeral + appearance classifier"and the pattern of "numeral+adjective+appearance classifier". It is important to depict the collocation rules and explain them from cognitive perspective.In part three, it mainly discusses the phenomena of "one classifier vs many objects" and "one object vs many classifiers"in Chinese and Thai appearance classifiers. To start with,from the vision of categorization theory, the tendency of "one classifier vs many objects’Mn both Chinese and Thai is concluded and the motivation for extension is also explored.Then, the author studies the influence of it on the phenomenon of "one object vs many objects"from the perspective of people’s cognitive ability and explains the underlying forces.Part four is mainly about causes of errors made by Thai students learning or using Chinese appearance classifiers and teaching strategies based on cognitive theories. In order to understand how Thai students learn or use appearance classifiers more completely,the author investigate Thai students with different learning backgrounds by testing with the developed classifiers exercise. The causes of errors made by Thai students learning or using Chinese appearance classifiers are revealed based on cognitive theories. And then the findings are applied to teaching Chinese appearance classifiers as a second language. Effective teaching suggestions and strategies for Thai students are also put forward.The major findings in this dissertation are as follows:Firstly,from the vision of integrated lexical semantics and cognitive linguistics, semantic analysis of appearance classifiers between Chinese and Thai are made to reveal their nature and categorization and improve the accuracy of category designation. The analysis is not only to the benefit of solving respective categorization of appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai,but also in favor of the distinction between appearance classifiers and noun classifiers in both Chinese and Thai.Secondly,based on categorization theory in cognitive linguistics,the typical appearance classifiers and atypical ones in Chinese and Thai are determined and distinguished according to attribute,frequency,and collocation in this dissertation. It shows that all the typical appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai are symbolic, and atypical appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai are relevant,while some of the intermediate appearance classifiers are typical, and others are relevant.This reveals that the typical nature and semantic category of appearance classifiers in Chinese are generally in accordance with those in Thai. But due to other factors, they are not completely correspondent.Thirdly, based on cognitive semantics, semantic analysis of types of overlapping in Chinese and Thai is made.It’s concluded that "CC’pattern in Chinese is similar to R1 pattern in cognitive semantics, which has the feature of "integrated"cognitive modal.That is, speakers see collective and integrated state from static and macro perspective. This is opposite to R2 pattern where speakers observe collective individuals successively from dynamic perspective. But in practical use, types of overlapping of appearance classifiers in Chinese and Thai differ. On the basis of iconicity theory in cognitive linguistics and the above studies, the differences in meaning among types of overlapping in Chinese and Thai are expounded, thus verifying different cognitive styles of Chinese and Thai speakers.Shortcomings of this dissertation are mainly as follows:first, cited examples are inadequate;secondly,the verification process in practice to testify the findings are not sufficient.Meanwhile, particular stress is laid on theoretical explanation,thus leading to inadequate examples and quantitative analysis. |
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