Folk Elements Compilation in Chinese Textbooks for Thai Elementary Schools

Abstract

Background and Aim: Folk customs are an important part of culture, studying Chinese folk culture not only enhances Chinese learners’ language proficiency but also promotes their cultural exchange and fosters cross-cultural understanding. This research focuses on the folk elements in Chinese textbooks for Thai elementary schools, aiming to analyze the compilation of folk elements in terms of quantity, proportion, content, and difficulty level. Materials and Methods: A combination of literature review, comparative analysis, and interview methods is employed in this article to analyze the folk elements in six representative sets of Chinese teaching materials used in Thai elementary schools. Results: It was found that 1) The six representative sets of Chinese textbooks for Thai primary schools have rich and diverse folk elements, totaling over 4500. 2) Material folk elements are the most prominent, accounting for about 40.1%. They are followed by linguistic folk elements, comprising about 33.1%. Social folk elements comprise approximately 20.8%, while spiritual folk elements are the least represented, making up about 6.0%. 3) The folk elements are related to various social life topics and the associated Chinese vocabularies and expressions. 4) The difficulty levels of folk elements can be divided into elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Among them, elementary-level elements constitute the majority, comprising about 82.8%. Conclusion: Most of the representative Chinese textbooks in Thai primary schools have various types of folk elements. These folk elements may help Thai children grasp elementary Chinese vocabulary, social rules, and customs, and cultivate their awareness and ability for cross-cultural communication.