TDG – Chinese Language Teaching Development with Learning Objects Compatible with PC and Mobile Phone

Abstract

The Project’s objectives:
1. to develop the interactive Learning Objects (LO) in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, and
2. to use LO in assisting reading, writing and learning pronunciation and tones.

The team has put to the idea of “go mobile in learning Chinese” into a website under the name MOBILESE, as suggested by Dr. Meng and agreed by all team members. The web http//:mobilese. cite.hku.hk has been in use since September 2009.

Outcomes:
a. computer version
We have animated 180 very basic Chinese characters. Those with distinct origins have animation of history of how it evolved over thousands of years. Those with simplified versions are shown with their classical forms. All have pinyin in both Putonghua and Cantonese and have audio links. With all characters come a reference of simple words formed by the characters taught with audio links to Putonghua and Cantonese. The web demonstrates how the characters are written stroke by stroke and allow learners to practise with the mouse.

b. mobile phone version
Touch-screen phone: Characters come with pinyin but do not have audio links due to their huge consumption of space. The characters are animated for demonstration purposes and learners can practice by using a styler or their fingers.

c. special features
With the difficulties of westerns learning Chinese characters in mind, Mobilese targets at problems encountered by westerners and identifies exactly where the mistakes may occur. Mobilese also incorporates radicals with flashing the parts. So far, this function is distinctive from most existing Chinese character-learning tools found on line.

Deliverables