Chinese Character Quotient

A Chinese character quotient, or in the abbreviation form of CCQ, is a set of quotients derived from several different standardized test models designed to assess the ability of Chinese characters.

Definition 1:

The Chinese character quotient is:

CCQ(p, m, L, t, z)={CCQi| 1≦i≦d }, where p is the tester,

m is the native language of p, such as English, L is the set of Chinese characters,

t is the date of the test, and

z is a positive integer and the number of tests for each test model. In addition, target Chinese characters are selected randomly from L by using the uniform distribution random function,

CCQi is the quotient of the number of correct answers divided by z of some specific test model i about Chinese characters in L,

and d is the number of different test models and a positive integer.

Definition 1 can be applied to any languages. Both L1L1 and L1L2 are suitable.

Different languages have different number of test models. CCQ is time-variable for individual. The parameter z is larger; the accuracy of CCQ is higher. Testers will spend more time to accomplish tests, however.

For Chinese as a Second language (CSL), twelve basic test models (d = 12) are proposed. They are described in Table 1.

For reading easily and accurately, some symbols are defined in advance as follows.

Ct: the target Chinese character;

Ct1: is a good collocation character of Ct;

Ci, Cj, and Ck: other Chinese characters, where t≠i≠j≠k;

St: Simplified Chinese for the target character;

Si, Sj, and Sk: other simplified Chinese characters, where t≠i≠j≠k;

Ep(Ct): English meaning of Ct;

Eq, Er, and Es: other English meanings, where p≠q≠r≠s;

Ew(Ct): English vocabulary which matches the target Chinese character;

Ex, Ey, and Ez: other English vocabularies, where w≠x≠y≠z;

Bt: the Bopomofo phonetic transcription for the target Character;

Bi, Bj, and Bk: other Bopomofo phonetic transcription for any character, where t≠i≠j

≠k;

V(Ct): the pronunciation of Ct. Tester can hear the pronunciation from the speaker of the testing tool;

V(Ci), V(Cj), and V(Ck): the pronunciation of Ci, Cj, and Ck, respectively, where t≠i≠

j≠k;

Pt: the pin-yin phonetic transcription for the target Character;

Pi, Pj, and Pk: other pin-yin phonetic transcription for any character, where t≠i≠j≠

k;

Table 1. Twelve basic test models of Chinese characters

Model Description

Test model 1 Given Ep(Ct) with or without V(Ct).

Tester is asked to key-in or write the target Chinese character Ct. Test model 2 Given Ct and 4 options Ep(Ct), Eq, Erand Es in random sequence.

Ep(Ct) is the best option, and Eq, Erand Esare wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 3 Given C_t and 4 options E_w(C_t), E_x, E_y and E_z in random sequence.

E_w(C_t) is the best option which matches the given Chinese character, and E_x(C_t), E_y(C_t) and E_z(C_t) are wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 4 Given V(C_t) and 4 options E_p(C_t), E_q, E_r and E_s in random sequence. E_p(C_t) is the best option which matches the sound of the given Chinese character, and E_q(C_t), E_r(C_t) and E_s(C_t) are wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 5 Given Ep(Ct) and 4 options Ct, Ci, Cj and Ck in random sequence.

Ct is the correct option; and Ci, Cj and Ck are wrong options; and Ci, Cjand Ckare similar to Ct.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 6 This is a cloze test. Given Ct and a space in the question, and 4 options Ct1, Ci, Cj and Ck in random sequence. Ct1 is a good collocation character of Ct, and Ci, Cj and Ck are inappropriate options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 7 Given C_t and 4 options S_t, S_i, S_j and S_k in random sequence. S_t is the correct option; and S_i, S_j and S_k are wrong options; and S_i, S_j and S_kare similar to S_t.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 8 Given V(C_t) and 4 options B_t, B_i, B_jand B_k in random sequence. B_t is the best option; B_i, B_jand B_k are wrong options; and B_i, B_jand B_k are similar to B_t.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 9 Given Ep(Ct) and 4 options V(Ct), V(Ci), V(Cj) and V(Ck) in random sequence. V(Ct) is the correct option, and V(Ci), V(Cj) and V(Ck) are wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 10 Given Ew(Ct) and 4 options Pt, Pi, Pjand Pkin random sequence. Pt

is the correct option, and Pi, Pjand Pkare wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 11 Given V(Ct) and 4 options Pt, Pi, Pjand Pk in random sequence. Pt

is the correct option, and Pi, Pjand Pkare wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

Test model 12 Given V(C_t) and 4 options E_w(C_t), E_x(C_t), E_y(C_t) and E_z(C_t) in random sequence. E_w(C_t) is the correct option, and E_x(C_t), E_y(C_t) and E_z(C_t) are wrong options.

Tester is asked to choose one option.

The aim of these aforementioned test models is to find out different perspectives of the ability of Chinese character recognition for non-native Chinese speakers. The purpose of Test model 1 is to find out if tester can write the word correctly with or without pronunciation. Test model 2 is to find out whether tester understands the meaning of the target Chinese character or not. Test model 3 is to test if tester can use a proper English word instead of the target Chinese character. Test model 4 is to examine the ability of listening and comprehension of the target Chinese character.

Test model 5 with the auxiliary of English meaning is to find out if learner recognizes Chinese characters. The ability of correct usage of Chinese characters can be judged by using Test model 6. Test model 7 is to examine if learner has understood the difference between Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. The purpose of Test model 8 with auxiliary pronunciation is to examine the understanding and usage of the phonetic alphabet of Bopomofo and the listening ability. Test model 9 with the auxiliary of English meaning and pronunciation is to examine the listening ability.

Test model 10 with the auxiliary of English word is to examine the understanding and usage of pin-yin. Test model 11 with auxiliary pronunciation is to examine the understanding and usage of pin-yin. The listening level and the translation ability from Chinese to English are examined by Test model 12 with the auxiliary pronunciation.

It is obvious that studying Chinese is a difficult work even if there are the auxiliaries of pronunciation and phonetic alphabets. In this study, learner’s native language m is English; however, m can also be Japanese, Korean, and others.

For learners whose native language is not Chinese, CCQ is a twelve-tuple function in this study.

CCQ(p, m, L, t, z)=<CCQ₁, CCQ₂, CCQ₃, ... , CCQ₁₂>, (1)

where m is English or others, but not Chinese; L is Chinese character set; suppose |L|

is 5500; z is 100; and d = 12 in this study. The original score of every test model can be obtained by z multiplied by CCQi. That is, Original score of a test model = z * CCQi.