A Hanzi Radical Ontology Based Approach towards Teaching Chinese Characters

Abstract

AbstractGiven the current popularity of learning Chinese language globally, design and creation of Chinese teaching materials is gaining recognition and has great impact. The preparation of teaching materials for reading and writing is particularly challenging because of the use of Chinese characters in the writing system. The aim of this study is to adopt an ontology-based description of the knowledge system of Chinese characters and to propose a knowledge-system based approach to the teaching of Chinese writing. In addition, we integrate Generative Lexicon Theory by [1] as bases of the concepts of Chinese character for Chinese teaching. By adopting this approach, Chinese learners can recognize and write Chinese words and then understand their lexical senses. In this study, we take Chinese radical representing“艸 (cao3, grass)”, and five sense faculties in ShuoWenJieZi ,“目 (mu4, eyes)”,“耳 (er3, ears)”,‘口 (kou3, mouth)”,“鼻 (bi2, nose)”,and “舌 (she2, tongue)” which all belongs to “body part” class in SUMO concepts as our research objects and explore their possible applications in Chinese teaching.KeywordscharacterOntologyChinese teachinglexical semantics