Chinas ABCs San Zi Jing and Its Application

China’s ABCs: San Zi Jing and Its Application in Chinese Language Education 中华蒙学经典： 三字经 A Presentation at the 8 th New York International Chinese Language Teaching Conference Phebe Xu Gray 徐秀丽 pgray@leeuniversity. edu

Introduction: “A classic is a book that doesn’t have to be written again. ” —W. E. B. Dubois (1868 -1963) • 人之初 • 性本善。。。 • 我和你 • 信连心。。。 http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Pf 1_xw. MHFq. A

The Origin and Development of San Zi Jing • Song dynasty: known for its economic development, achievements in the arts and literature, invention of printing, gun powder, and the compass. • The Imperial Examinations: The Three Character Classic as a literacy primer; significance was comparable to that of learning the alphabet in the West. • Authorship: Wang Yinglin (王应麟 1223— 1296)? a scholar’s work… national elementary textbook throughout China since Song Dynasty.

Notable Annotators • In addition to Wang Yinglin, various scholars in later generations also contributed to this book. Among them were two scholars in the Qing dynasty, 王相and He Xingsi 贺兴思, as well as Zhang Taiyan 章太炎, a Chinese studies intellectual in the beginning of the Republic of China. These scholars were noted for their compilation, annotation, and publication of this book. Therefore it has served as the literacy primer in China for over 700 years.

Influence to Westerners • • • Matteo Ricci (1552 -1610) Robert Morrison (1782 -1834) William Henry Medhurst (1796 -1857) H. A. Giles (1845 -1935) Friedrich Bischoff : 2005 Alexander. San tzu ching explicated: the classical initiation to classic Chinese couplet I to XI. Beiträge zur Kultur- und Geistesgeschichte Asiens; Nr. 45. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2005.

Matteo Ricci: (1552 -1610) : Ming Dynasty 利玛窦

Robert Morrison (1782 -1834)： Qing Dynasty • Horæ sinicæ: translations from the popular literature of the Chinese. Includes San tzu ching & Da xue. Translation by Robert Morrison. London: Printed for Black and Parry by C. Stower, 1812.

William Henry Medhurst (1796 -1857) • Christian San Zi Jing • http: //catalogue. nla. gov. au/Record/1935673

H. A. Giles (1845 -1935) • • • Chinese without a Teacher (1872; sixth edition, 1908; ninth edition, 1931) Chinese Sketches London: Trubner & Co. , 1876. Handbook of the Swatow Dialect (1877) Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (1880, London) from Pu Songling's Liaozhai Zhiyi. Elementary Chinese: San Zi Jing. Shanghai: Keylly & Welsh (1900) http: //books. google. com/books? id=h 4 du. AAAAIAAJ&printsec =frontcover&dq=Herbert+Allen+Giles+Elementary+Chinese&s ource=bl&ots=Qlt. Ge 6 Jwz&sig=z 9 d. QQ_Ntr. Nc. WPLKvr. SFDUu. YGpb 0&hl=en&ei=_Qbu. S-a Js. L 48 Abhuv. D 9 Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum= 1&ved=0 CBk. Q 6 AEw. AA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Manchurian and Chinese Version

Wang Xiang Version: Qing Dynasty

He Xingsi Version: Qing Dynasty

Zhang Taiyan Version: Min. Guo

Christian Evangelical Version 1: Qing Dynasty

Gong Nong Bing San Zi Jing: 1930

Criticize Sang Zi Jing: 1960 s

Zhu Yin San Zi Jing: before Pin. Yin

Ke Ji San Zi Jing: After Pinyin

Conclusion: Suggestions for TCSL Applications • Learn Chinese culture through San Zi Jing Stories • Learn San Zi Jing content as a Classic • Adapt Content to San Zi Jing Format