A Study On Quasi-Suffixes Denoting Person In The Modern Chinese Language—Based On TCSL

Quasi-suffixes denoting person in the modern Chinese language are important quasi-suffixes. To benefit language teaching, this research focuses on second language teaching environment, and searches Chinese language teaching syllabi, teaching materials, dictionaries, television and the Internet, for42common quasi-suffixes denoting person. According to their use and teaching requirements in the Chinese teaching environment, we divide quasi-suffixes denoting person into open-ended quasi-suffixes and semi-open-ended quasi-suffixes. Then we divide them further into more detailed parts according to the suffix meanings. Later we explain their semantic features, analyze the process and degree of suffixation, and summarize their combined features. We draw three primary conclusions.1) Semi-open-ended quasi-suffixes exhibit comparatively lower degree of grammar development and a corresponding ability to implement lexical morphemes and empty morphemes. The suffix meanings are deeply affected by the original meanings, and some of the words have merged into mainstream vocabulary.2) Open-ended quasi-suffixes boast lower degree of grammar development and have stronger ability to implement empty morphemes and to create new words.3) New words on the Internet have altered vocabulary development. New quasi-suffixes have created many new words.Additionally, drawing on the above research, we have studied Chinese language learners’cognition and application of quasi-suffixes denoting person. First, starting from the42quasi-suffixes, our cognition survey confirms our findings regarding the division and explanation of quasi-suffixes in a second language teaching environment. We conclude that open-ended suffixes enjoy a high cognition rate, but among the semi-open-ended suffixes, those required by the teaching syllabus and social use also enjoy a high rate. Second, based on the cognition survey, we have studied learners’ applications of quasi-suffixes in restricted contexts and found that the higher the cognition rates, the better the application levels. Further, some quasi-suffixes with lower cognition rates also boast higher understanding levels if they are required by the teaching syllabi. Meanwhile, we searched the HSK dynamic composition corpus and ECNU overseas students’compositions to study their free use of quasi-suffixes denoting person. We find that errors mainly focus on "ren (person/"while others are not apparent because of language evasion. Thus, there remains much to explore regarding quasi-suffixes denoting person in the second language teaching environment.