A Study on the Content and Pedagogical Application of Ancient Character Forms and Character Etymology in the 2022 Revised Classical Chinese Textbooks

With the implementation of the 2022 revised national curriculum, newly compiled Classical Chinese (Hanmun) textbooks require a systematic analysis of how philological knowledge is incorporated and utilized. In response to this need, the present study aims to examine the content related to ancient character forms and character etymology (ziyuan) included in the 2022 revised Classical Chinese textbooks, as well as the ways in which such content is pedagogically applied. The analysis is organized into three main parts. First, by examining how the formation of Chinese characters and the historical development of their forms are presented in the textbooks, it was confirmed that notable differences in interpretation exist across publishers. Second, with a focus on the learning element “Principles of Character Formation” introduced in the 2022 revised curriculum, the study analyzed how the application of the concepts of pictographs, indicatives, associative compounds, and phono-semantic compounds, as well as the patterns of creative learning activities derived from these concepts. Third, by examining the types of ancient character presented, methods of etymological explanation, and the ways in which visual images are linked to character forms, the study identified various instructional approaches newly adopted in the textbooks to enhance learning effectiveness. It is hoped that the findings of this study will serve as a useful reference for preventing learners’ misconceptions and for developing more systematic and effective teaching and learning practices concerning ancient character forms and etymological knowledge in the 2022 revised Classical Chinese textbooks.