This study examines how the Korean particles i/gaand eun/neunare presented in Korean language textbooks published in China for Chinese-speaking learners, and how Chinese-speaking learners understand and judge the functional differences between the two...
This study examines how the Korean particles i/gaand eun/neunare presented in Korean language textbooks published in China for Chinese-speaking learners, and how Chinese-speaking learners understand and judge the functional differences between the two particles.
To achieve this purpose, the study first reviewed previous discussions on the syntactic and pragmatic functions of i/gaand eun/neun. Based on this theoretical framework, twelve beginning-level Korean language textbooks published in China were analyzed in terms of the units in which the two particles were introduced, grammatical explanations, example sentences, practice activities, and the presentation of syntactic and pragmatic functions. In addition, two rounds of learner comprehension surveys were conducted with 106 Chinese-speaking learners of Korean. The survey results were analyzed in terms of learners’ overall understanding, their judgment patterns before and after the functional explanation, and differences between syntactic and pragmatic function items.
The textbook analysis shows that Korean language textbooks published in China generally distinguish between i/gaand eun/neunand present some of their major functions. However, the explanations tend to focus mainly on syntactic functions. In the case of i/ga, the textbooks often emphasize its functions as a subject marker and a complement marker, while pragmatic functions such as focus, new information, and specification are presented only in a limited way. In the case of eun/neun, topic and contrast are mentioned in some textbooks, but these functions are not always sufficiently connected to example sentences and practice activities.
The learner comprehension survey results show that learners had difficulty clearly identifying the criteria for choosing between i/gaand eun/neun. Many learners tended to rely on intuition or a vague sense of naturalness rather than on clear functional distinctions. After the functional explanation was provided, the overall scores and accuracy rates in the second survey increased compared with those in the first survey. However, the degree of improvement differed depending on the function, and pragmatic functions remained relatively difficult for learners.
These findings suggest that Korean language textbooks for Chinese-speaking learners need to present the functional differences between i/ga and eun/neun more explicitly and systematically. In particular, the two particles should not be explained only as a subject marker and a topic marker. Instead, textbooks should include context-based explanations, contrastive examples, and practice activities that allow learners to compare the two particles within similar discourse contexts. By connecting textbook analysis with learner comprehension survey results, this study provides pedagogical implications for improving the presentation of Korean particles in Korean language textbooks for Chinese-speaking learners.
Keywords: Korean language textbooks, Chinese-speaking learners, i/ga, eun/neun, syntactic function, pragmatic function, textbook analysis