The Study Of "Cognitive-Functional Approach" Applied In Chinese Noun Classifiers Teaching In Thailand

Taking noun classifiers in Thailand Chinese teaching as research object,we adopt the royal Thailand universities Chinese major students as case study.To begin with,it investigates current noun classifiers in Thailand Chinese teaching from three aspects and gives a detailed introduction of Cognitive-Functional Approach(hereinafter referred to as CFA).Then,based on the theory and principle of CFA,analysis of textbook complication,teaching and learning,we try to explore the principles and methods in noun classifiers teaching.Finally,applying these principles and methods in teaching practice,we hope to test the effectiveness of CFA.Due to noun classifiers with flexible usage and in large number,it has always been part of the key and difficult point for Thailand Chinese majors,besides,it is also their frequent errors.Error occurrences are mainly due to the following three reasons.First,it is due to textbook complication.With less teaching proportion of noun classifiers,over simple explanation and unclearness,insufficient exercises,some even being ignored or unarranged,the teaching content has not meet the requirement for basic learning and training.Second,it is concerned with in classroom teaching.Many local Chinese teachers,with short teaching time and lack of experience,they do not know how to prepare and choose corpus.What's more,ineffective teaching methods,dullness and disharmonious student-teacher relationship are to blame.These problems account for students' errors.At last,it is learning that is responsible.Nevertheless,textbooks and teaching are not only to blame.Negative transfer between Chinese and Thai in noun classifiers,communication strategy,judgment ability and thinking ability also account for students' errors.Cognitive-Functional Approach,based on generative transformational linguistics(TGL),and systemic-functional linguistics(SFL),combining the essence of TGL and SFL,created a new foreign language teaching method.The basic principles of CFL are as follows:First,student-centeredness.It strictly adheres to student-centeredness while teaching and advocates autonomous learning.Second,it provides students with effective corpus and leads them to acquire and perceive language rules.Third,cognitivization is accompanied by input.Fourth,comparison is applied along the whole teaching procedure.Finally,it encourages students to discover and summarize language rules.From the perspective of CFA,based on the current teaching situation,and analysis of students' errors,it strives to establish the principles and methods for Chinese noun classifiers teaching in Thailand.It has the following ten discoveries.It gives direct instruction for textbook complication,effective corpus selection,classroom teaching,teachers' role,teacher-student interaction,classroom activities,language testing,teaching procedures,students'roles and learning styles.It needs to be verified whether it is effective or not by its application to real classroom practice.Quantitative research method is used to verify our hypothesis that CFA is more effective than the other teaching methods by two controlled trials,i.e.on is noun classifiers and noun collocation trial,the others is noun classifiers grammatical structure and its sequence.The two trials have shown that the accuracy of students taught under CFA theory is higher than that of other methods.At the same time,it has proven that CFA is suitable for students from all levels but most suitable for advanced learners.I conducted my trails with the hope that the discoveries of my dissertation could be applied to teaching Chinese in Thailand and improve the teaching methods,thus fully meet the requirements of teaching and learning.Meanwhile,I hope my research findings could fill the gaps of teaching Chinese as a foreign language.