Journal of Sinology (วารสารจีนวิทยา)

CULTURAL GENE ANALYSIS OF WUDING YI COSTUMES

Shi Yi — 2026-06-18

Against the backdrop of rapid modernization, the structural connotations of traditional ethnic costume cultures and their modes of transmission have attracted renewed academic attention. As an important cultural form carrying historical memory and cultural identity, Wuding Yi costumes possess significant research value. This study aims to identify the core cultural genes of Wuding Yi costumes and to reveal the internal mechanisms underlying the gradual weakening of their spiritual essence. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study systematically analyzes the symbolic systems and deep cultural structures of Yi costumes from the Nasu and Naisu branches through literature review and fieldwork investigation. The results indicate that the cultural genes of Wuding Yi costumes are primarily manifested in the coexistence of ancient and modern materials, the continuity of ancient Qiang spiritual traditions, the aesthetic legacy of ancient nobility, and the integrative characteristics formed through long-term multi-ethnic interactions. However, in the process of modernization, these cultural transmission chains are gradually breaking, leading to an increasing tendency toward symbolic and superficial expressions of spiritual meaning. This study deepens the theoretical understanding of the structural foundations of Yi costume culture and provides support for cultural genes preservation and the contemporary design translation of cultural elements.

CRITICAL THINKING OF CFL LEARNERS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN A CHINESE PHILOSOPHY COURSE

Caijun Lin — 2026-06-18

Critical thinking is an influential factor in the development of foreign language proficiency. However, research specifically targeting the critical thinking of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners are currently lacking. To explore the status quo of critical thinking among CFL learners and its relationship with their academic performance, this study surveyed 229 third-year undergraduate students from a university in Northern Thailand. Employing a questionnaire-based research methodology, the study investigated the students’ current level of critical thinking and its correlation with their achievement in a Chinese philosophy course. The main findings are as follows: 1) The critical thinking of the participants was generally at an intermediate level. Potential constraints on the development of these abilities may include a lack of training and practice in critical reflection, as well as factors like lower proficiency in Chinese and insufficient cognitive maturity. 2) A moderate positive correlation was found between the participants’ critical thinking and their academic performance in the Chinese philosophy course. Furthermore, Critical thinking has a significant positive predictive effect on their academic performance. This study broadens the scope and contextual boundaries of critical thinking research, thereby enriching its theoretical implications within cross-linguistic and cross-cultural contexts. Furthermore, it provides empirical evidence and pedagogical insights for developing the critical thinking of CFL learners in the specific setting of Chinese philosophy courses.

A TRANSLATION STUDY OF THAI FOOD NAMES INTO CHINESE

Kawinkorn Chaijaroen — 2026-06-18

The translation of Thai food names into Chinese by AirAsia under the “Santan” brand, which serves a large number of Chinese passengers, employs a variety of translation strategies. This study examines these strategies and proposes appropriate translation guidelines. The data comprise 74 food items from the “Santan” brand, analyzed using the translation strategy frameworks of Pimphan Wessakosol, Kanokporn Numthong, and Supannee Pinmanee. The results show that nine translation strategies were used, with mixed strategies predominating. Literal translation was the most frequent, followed by literal translation combined with transliteration, explicitation, and omission. Literal translation with near equivalents and omission, as well as transliteration combined with literal translation and explicitation, occurred at equal rates. Transliteration and renaming also appeared with the same frequency, while cultural substitution in the target language was the least used strategy. The study recommends that food name translation should ensure linguistic accuracy and cultural appropriateness in the target language. Brand name translation should consider meaning, phonetic equivalence, and consumer familiarity, while food identity and ingredients should accurately reflect cultural origins and actual components. Overall, commercial food name translation should prioritize linguistic accuracy, cultural suitability, and consistency to enhance understanding and trust among Chinese consumers.

A STUDY ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A THAI TOURISM CHINESE VOCABULARY LIST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CHINESE FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

Nattanon Teerapanyawatt — 2026-06-18

In recent years, Chinese young tourists have increasingly shown a preference for independent travel, a mode that grants travelers greater autonomy. When planning independent trips, Chinese tourists frequently consult travel guideposts on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu. To gain a systematic understanding of Thai tourism-related Chinese vocabulary, this study conducts an in-depth analysis of tourism-related character and word lists, with the aim of refining the lexical system of Thai Tourism Chinese and proposing classification criteria for Thai tourism proper nouns This study collects Thai travel guide posts published on the Xiaohongshu platform between 16 February 2023 and 3 November 2025 to construct a Thai Tourism Chinese corpus. The corpus is processed through word segmentation, manual verification, and statistical analysis. Based on the corpus, a Thai Tourism Chinese character list, word list, specialized vocabulary list, and idiom list are compiled. Lexical analysis shows that the corpus contains 9,679 word types. The five most frequently used words are “的”, “泰国”, “是”, “不”, and “了”. After vocabulary level annotation, specialized tourism vocabulary accounts for the largest proportion, followed by Level 7 to Level 9 vocabulary. Within specialized tourism vocabulary, the most frequent items are “泰国” (Thailand), “曼谷” (Bangkok), “攻略” (travel guide), “普吉岛” (Phuket), and “泰铢” (Thai Baht). Furthermore, a systematic analysis of proper nouns indicates that they are mainly categorized into human geography, customs, and tourist attractions. Thai-specific proper nouns are primarily formed through transliteration or by adding “Thai-style” or“Thai”to general lexical items.

RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE “BELT AND ROAD” INITIATIVE

Bei Lu — 2026-06-18

The Belt and Road Initiative has created an urgent need for versatile multilingual professionals, exposing a misalignment between this strategic demand and the current foreign language education planning in Chinese universities. This gap presents a critical issue for national capacity building. This study aimed to diagnose the systemic deficiencies in foreign language education planning within the BRI context and to propose a coherent framework for reform, thereby addressing the disconnect between educational output and strategic national needs. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature with field research including surveys and interviews conducted at several tertiary institutions. The investigation identified four core structural problems: inflexible student recruitment mechanisms, an overly narrow curriculum scope, a shortage of qualified instructors, and a significant disconnect of pedagogical content from practical application, collectively failing to meet BRI talent demands. The study concludes that synergistic reforms across policy, curriculum, teacher development, and pedagogy are essential. These reforms are vital to realigning educational outcomes with national strategic objectives and to cultivating a competent multilingual workforce for Belt and Road cooperation.

ACCURACY OF CHINESE PINYIN USING GOOGLE TRANSLATE, BAIDU TRANSLATE, AND CHATGPT TRANSLATION TOOLS

Preeyada Aisamee — 2026-06-18

The increasing use of AI-based translation tools in Chinese language learning has raised concerns regarding the accuracy of Hanyu Pinyin transcription, which plays a crucial role in pronunciation and literacy development. This study aims to analyze transcription errors in Chinese Pinyin generated by Google Translate, Baidu Translate, and ChatGPT, and to compare the accuracy of Pinyin transcription among these tools. The data were drawn from Hanyu Jiaocheng Textbook 1A (汉语教程第一册上; 14 lessons) and Textbook 1B (汉语教程第一册下; 10 lessons), and Pinyin accuracy was evaluated with reference to the Basic Rules of Hanyu Pinyin Orthography (GB/T 16159-2012). The findings revealed a total of 120 transcription errors: 36 errors (30%) from Google Translate, 73 errors (60.83%) from Baidu Translate, and 11 errors (9.17%) from ChatGPT. By category, 12 instances (10%) involved two- or three-syllable lexical compounds, 34 instances (28.33%) involved retroflex finals, 3 instances (2.50%) involved verb usage, 16 instances (13.33%) concerned place names, 25 instances (20.83%) involved sentence-initial capitalization, 22 instances (18.33%) involved the use of Roman letters, and 8 instances (6.67%) involved punctuation marks. The results indicate that AI-based translation tools differ substantially in both accuracy and error patterns. ChatGPT produced the most accurate transcriptions and preserved the original meaning most closely, followed by Google Translate, while Baidu Translate exhibited the highest rate of inaccuracy, particularly in Pinyin word segmentation and sentence-initial capitalization. These findings suggest that ChatGPT is currently the most suitable tool for Chinese phonetic transcription in language learning contexts and provide insights for improving AI-based translation technologies to better align with established linguistic standards.

LEARNING AND TEACHING THE CHINESE PARTICLE “啊” IN NON-INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

Mongkhon Chaiarram — 2026-06-18

The acquisition of the Chinese sentence-final particle “啊” in non-interrogative contexts remains challenging for foreigners. However, thorough research on Thai university learners is still lacking. This study analyzes Thai learners’ acquisition patterns and error types when employing “啊” and evaluates the effectiveness of explicit instruction designed to address these challenges. Using an embedded mixed-methods approach, learner oral data were first analyzed to discover the functional distribution of “啊” and common systematic errors. A controlled experiment with a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test then compared explicit function-focused instruction to normal instruction. Results revealed a clear acquisition gradient among Thai learners: exclamation was acquired most easily, followed by reminder, explanation and mitigation. Significant and long-lasting gains in pragmatic appropriateness and functional correctness were made by learners who received explicit instruction. The study contributes to interlanguage pragmatics and provides empirically grounded pedagogical recommendations for teaching the non-interrogative sentence-final particle “啊” to Thai learners.

EXPLORING THE CURRENT TEACHING SITUATION AND DEVELOPMENT PATHS OF CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN THAI SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Jiraya Ho Wongyai — 2026-06-18

With the rapid development of digital education, Chinese language teaching in Thai secondary schools faces growing pressure in both pedagogy and technology integration. This study examines the current situation of Chinese language teaching in the digital era by analyzing teachers’ instructional practices, use of digital tools, and the challenges they encounter. Fifteen teachers from different schools were grouped by teaching experience, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic qualitative methods. The findings show that although most teachers possess basic technological skills, they still struggle with limited digital literacy, rigid teaching models, inadequate preparation of digital teaching materials, and insufficient support for students’ self-directed learning. To address these issues, the study proposes four development pathways: personalized technology training, innovation in teaching models, improved preparation of instructional resources, and strengthened cultivation of learner autonomy. The results provide useful references for enhancing digital-era Chinese language teaching in Thai secondary schools and offer insights for teacher development and educational policy planning

FROM MYTHIC COGNITION TO AESTHETIC FORM: A STUDY OF DONGBA PAINTING

Jiao Lu — 2026-06-18

Dongba paintings are not simply “folk” decorations but operative ritual images in the Naxi Dongba religion, used to guide action, instruction, and shared memory in ceremonial settings. Although their histories and media forms have been described, the concrete pathway through which mythic cognition organizes visual language and sustains ritual efficacy has not been articulated with sufficient analytical clarity. This study therefore aims to explain how mythic cognition shapes Dongba pictorial representation and to identify the recurrent visual traits that make these images workable in ritual practice, while offering a compact analytic that can support heritage communication and design-oriented interpretation. Using an aesthetic-anthropology approach, we examine a controlled corpus across five media categories—pictographs, wooden/plank paintings, cardboard/bamboo-pen works, scrolls, and scripture-page paintings—and interpret them in relation to three recurring ritual contexts (purification, funerary guidance, and agricultural invocation). Analysis is conducted with a shared codebook (form reduction; symmetry/axis; movement cues; compositional scaffolds; and color–material accents), supported by an intercoder check to stabilize category boundaries. Five traits recur across media and rites: ritual-driven non-intentional production, nature–human interpenetration, calibrated exaggeration that indexes hierarchy and potency, iconic concreteness that prioritizes legibility, and durable stylization formed through long-term ritual transmission. From these traits, the article derives a three-part design grammar—legibility rules, operativity rules, and sequencing rules—that accounts for how Dongba images remain readable and actionable across formats. Conceptually, the study treats mythic cognition as an operative driver linking visual form to ritual work, interpretable through symbolic-form analysis (Cassirer), mythic participation (Lévy-Bruhl), and structural relations in myth (Lévi-Strauss). This framing supports more context-sensitive safeguarding—especially the procedural coupling of medium, function, and layout—and offers practical guidance for exhibition, bilingual interpretation, and community co-design under shared constraints of readability and respect for sacral content.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO CHINESE WRITING ANXIETY, SELF-EFFICACY, AND PERFORMANCE AMONG CHINESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (CFL) STUDENTS AT A THAI UNIVERSITY

Fang Yuan — 2026-06-18

Writing in Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) represents a multifaceted cognitive endeavor that is frequently obstructed by significant affective factors. Because the mastery of Chinese characters and grammar requires intense mental processing, understanding the complex interplay between psychological barriers and learner confidence is essential for improving writing outcomes. However, the specific mechanisms linking affective barriers to CFL learner confidence in the Thai context remain underexplored. To address this gap, this study investigated the correlations among writing anxiety, self-efficacy, and actual writing performance to identify primary anxiety sources and determine how distinct efficacy constructs correlate with exam results. A quantitative research design was employed involving 90 undergraduate students at a Thai university. The study assessed levels of writing anxiety, multidimensional self-efficacy (performance, language, and self-regulated), and writing performance through statistical correlation analysis. The findings revealed that participants experienced moderate to high levels of anxiety, with somatic symptoms presenting as the most severe manifestation. Primary triggers included the fear of character errors, vocabulary limitations, and pressure regarding grammatical perfectionism. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant negative correlations between writing anxiety and both exam scores and self-efficacy, whereas writing performance showed strong positive associations with all efficacy constructs, particularly language efficacy. These findings highlight the detrimental impact of anxiety on writing outcomes. Beyond these correlations, results indicated a critical paradox where high self-regulatory efficacy coexisted with high somatic anxiety, suggesting that the cognitive load of character retrieval under time constraints overrides the protective effects of self-regulation. The study concludes by proposing a 'Cognitive-Affective Scaffolding Framework' to mitigate these specific stressors.

A SEMANTIC COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CHINESE ADVERB “才” AND THE THAI “PHUENG” ADVERB

Thidarat Kaewpluk — 2026-06-18

Adverbs are important grammatical components in both Chinese and Thai. The Chinese adverb “Cai” has a relatively complex semantics and usage, which can easily confuse non-native speakers. Therefore, this study compares the semantics of the Chinese adverb “Cai” and the Thai adverb “Phueng”, analyzing their characteristics and differences. This study employs literature review, corpus analysis, and comparative analysis. The analysis reveals that the Chinese “Cai” is semantically more complex and richer than the Thai “Phueng”. Furthermore, when the Chinese adverb “Cai” expresses quantity, conjunction, and tone, Thai often requires the use of other words (such as “Tueng(ja),” “Jueng,” and “Mai mi wan”) to correspond with it. The research results indicate that to accurately grasp the usage of the Chinese adverb “Cai” learners must break free from the limitations of their native language thinking. At the same time, due to the differences in cultural background between Chinese and Thai, language learning not only requires mastering the language structure itself but also should pay attention to the examination of “external linguistic factors.” The differences in external linguistic influences between Thai and Chinese are one of the important reasons for the differences in vocabulary composition and grammatical usage between the two languages.