Comparing Computer-based Instructional Methods for Chinese Character Learning

The present project aims to design a computer-based tutor that promotes the robust learning of Chinese characters for Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners. While much previous research has focused on the teaching of Chinese characters based on semantic radicals and phonetic components, these instructional methods can only be applied to a limited subset of characters. In this project, we aim to determine which general methods are effective in teaching all Chinese characters. Two experiments were designed to compare different methods for teaching Chinese characters. In the first experiment, I compared the effectiveness of rote memorization tasks vs. handwriting/pinyin-typing tasks for learning Chinese characters. In the second experiment, I compared the effectiveness of learning Chinese characters without context vs. within the context of a meaningful sentence. The results suggest that rote memorization exercises are more effective than handwriting/pinyin-typing exercises, and introducing characters without context is more effective than introducing characters within the context of a sentence. CHINESE CHARACTER LEARNING 3 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge all the help I received for this thesis project. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Brian MacWhinney, for his unwavering support during this project. Dr. MacWhinney has continuously encouraged me to challenge myself by setting ambitious goals and has always helped me to find the resources I need to accomplish these goals. I have learned so much from his knowledgeable insights, and I feel so blessed to have had such a brilliant and supportive advisor. I am also grateful to the sources of financial support for this project. This project was completed with funding from the National Science Foundation through the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center (PSLC) and a Small Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) from the Undergraduate Research Office (URO) at Carnegie Mellon University. I would like to express my appreciation for the support and contributions of the Elementary Chinese teachers and students at Carnegie Mellon University who helped to make this project possible. I would also like to thank John Kowalski, the research programmer for this project, who provided valuable suggestions for the design of the tutor and who worked tirelessly to prepare the experiment code. This project could not have been implemented without his help. Finally, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my family and friends, who have never failed to provide me with care and support throughout my work on this project. Their patience, understanding, and encouragement were what helped me through the long hours of work. I am so grateful to be surrounded by such a caring group of people. CHINESE CHARACTER LEARNING 4 Table of