Cover not available
Article published In:
Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 54:1 (2019) ► pp.31–50

Differentiating and teaching the Chinese near-synonyms kongpa and pa

| University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
| University of Pennsylvania

Previous research and data from learner corpora show that Chinese language learners have a hard time differentiating kǒngpà (恐怕) and pà (怕). However, there has been little research analyzing the differences between the two words. Therefore, this study aims to distinguish kǒngpà and pà when both words denote worry toward a probable event. Adopting the corpus-based analysis approach, the researchers explain the semantic and pragmatic differences between kǒngpà and pà. Based on the research findings, the researchers propose discovery-oriented activities and drill practice to guide students to use the two words correctly. The researchers further argue that research findings from corpora data should be included in textbooks and integrated into Chinese language instruction.

Keywords: near-synonyms, kongpa , pa , corpus-based research
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
  • 3.Research method and data collection
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Semantics
    • 4.2Pragmatic functions
  • 5.Pedagogical implications
    • Exercise 1.Debate competition
    • Exercise 2.Role play
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 17 September 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.17028.hua
References

References

Atkins, B. T., & Levin, B.
(1991) Admitting impediments. In U. Zernik (Eds.). Lexical acquisition: Exploiting on-line resources to build a lexicon (233–262). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Publishers.Google Scholar
Chan, S. S.
(2012) Consciousness-raising tasks for second language grammar instruction: effects on average ability secondary students. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Retrieved from DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chief, L. C., Huang, C. R., Chen, K. J., Tsai, M. C., & Chang, L. L.
(2000) What can near synonyms tell us? International Journal of Computational Linguistics and Chinese Language Processing, 5 (1), 47–60.Google Scholar
Eckerth, J.
(2008) Investigating consciousness-raising tasks: Pedagogically-targeted and non-targeted learning gains. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 18 (2), 119–145. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Firth, J. R.
(1957) Papers in linguistics. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gu, S.
(Ed.) (2004) Xiandai Hanyu changyongci yongfa cidian 現代漢語常用詞用法詞典 [A Dictionary of Modern Chinese Usage]. Beijing: China Book Press.Google Scholar
Hopper, P.
(1987) Emergent grammar. Berkeley Linguistics Society, (13), 139–157. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hsieh, C.
(2005) Modal verbs and modal adverbs in Chinese: An investigation into the semantic source. UST Working Papers in Linguistics, 1 1, 31–58.Google Scholar
Huang, N. & Sun, D.
(Ed.) (2000) HSK ciyu yongfa xiangjie HSK 詞語用法詳解 [A Guide to the Usage of HSK Vocabulary]. Beijing: Peking University Press.Google Scholar
Jing-Schmidt, Z., & Kapatsinski, V.
(2012) The apprehensive: Fear as endophoric evidence and its pragmatics in English, Mandarin, and Russian. Journal of Pragmatics, 44 (4), 346–373. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kongpa
n.d.). In Chinese wordnet. Retrieved from [URL]
n.d.). In Online Xinhua dictionary. Retrieved from [URL]
Lü, S.
(Ed.) (2015) Xiandai Hanyu ba bai ci 現代漢語八百詞 [Eight Hundred Words of the Contemporary Chinese]. Beijing: The Commercial Press.Google Scholar
Luo, Q.
(1997) Yingyu guojia xuesheng gaoji Hanyu cihui xuexi guocheng de xinli tezheng yu jiaoxue celue 英語國家學生高級漢語詞彙學習過程的心理特徵與教學策略 [The psychological features of the vocabulary learning process of and the teaching strategies for students from English-speaking countries at the advanced level]. In M. Hu (Eds.), Proceedings of the 5th international conference on Chinese language teaching (526–536). Beijing: Peking University Press.Google Scholar
Nassaji, H., & Fotos, S.
(2011) Teaching grammar in second language classrooms: Integrating form-focused instruction in communicative context. New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pa
n.d.). In Chinese wordnet. Retrieved from [URL]
n.d.). In Online Xinhua dictionary. Retrieved from [URL]
Sun, D. J.
(2006) Duiwai Hanyu cihuiji cihui jiaoxue yanjiu 對外漢語詞彙及詞彙教學研究 [Research on Vocabulary and Vocabulary Teaching in Chinese as a Foreign Language]. Beijing: The Commercial Press.Google Scholar
Teng, S.
(1996) Chinese synonyms usage dictionary. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press.Google Scholar
Tsai, M.
(2010) Preliminary study on strategies for learning near-synonyms in TCSL. Taiwan Journal of Chinese as a Second Language. 1 1, 57–79.Google Scholar
Wang, S., Lu, C., & Chen, Y.
(2011) Practical audio-visual Chinese 2 (2nd Ed.). Taipei: Zhengzhong Books.Google Scholar
Word Sketch Engine (Chinese)
Retrieved from [URL]
Yang, Y., & Yap, F.
(2015) “I am sure but I hedge”: Fear expression kǒngpà as an interactive rhetorical strategy in Mandarin broadcast talk. Journal of Pragmatics, 83 1, 41–56. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Yao, D., Yao, T., & Liu, Y.
(2008) Integrated Chinese: Simplified characters textbook, Level 1, Part 2 (3rd Ed.). Boston: Cheng & Tsui Co.Google Scholar
(2008) Integrated Chinese: Simplified characters textbook, Level 2, Part 1 (3rd Ed.). Boston: Cheng & Tsui Co.Google Scholar
Yap, F., Chor, W., & Wang, J.
(2012) On the development of epistemic ‘fear’ markers: An analysis of Mandarin kongpa and Cantonese taipaa. In W. Abraham & E. Leiss (Eds.), Covert patterns of modality (312–342). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.Google Scholar