An Investigation into Thai University Students’ Recognition Ability of Chinese Character Forms

Abstract

A systematic investigation of 67 Thai university students, via a paper-based writing test, revealed significant difficulties in their recognition of Chinese character forms. Participants demonstrated marked deficiencies in distinguishing subtle stroke variations, identifying component variants, and comprehending complex structural configurations. We argue that these challenges stem primarily from a curriculum that overemphasizes the historical origin and evolution of Chinese characters, while neglecting systematic instruction in the principles of character configuration. To address these issues, this study advocates for a pedagogical shift towards fostering learners' metalinguistic awareness of strokes and components and establishing an integrated instructional framework that progresses systematically from strokes to components and then to overall structure. Embedding the application of Chinese character configuration theory is expected to significantly enhance students' character recognition and writing performance.