Abstract: The "Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (hereinafter referred to as the Standards)" provides the most authoritative reference and guide for the four key aspects of learning, teaching, testing, and assessment of Chinese as a non-first language. It has multiple uses and wide applicability. This paper reviews the current research status of the Standards, explores the phased characteristics and development trends in this field, and aims to inject new perspectives and methodologies into the research on the Standards. Utilising visualisation software such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer, this study conducts a visual analysis of 726 documents from the CNKI database from 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2023. The research findings indicate that the overall research on the Standards is in a positive and steadily growing trend. The research themes primarily focus on the development of teaching resources, Chinese language teaching and education, language services, and the international dissemination of Chinese culture. Future research trends include vocational education exploration, integrated research methods combining theory and practice, and investigation into the driving forces of disciplinary development.

Keywords: "Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (the Standards)", knowledge map, research status, hot topic

Abstract: Classifiers have diverse expressions in the varieties of global Chinese and is an important part of speech in global Chinese research. Reference books are important academic products of applied Chinese language studies and have significant implications for the construction of the ecosystem of Chinese language. This article, based on the actual usage of Chinese classifiers, observes and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the most influential Chinese reference book – the Global Chinese Dictionary. It specifically analyses issues such as incomplete word collection, inadequate and inaccurate definitions, and insufficient and inaccurate examples. Finally, countermeasures and suggestions were proposed for dictionary revision and Chinese language teaching.

Keywords: Classifiers, the Global Chinese Dictionary, Chinese language, entry, annotation, examples

Abstract: Due to insufficient teaching experience, novice Chinese language teachers are more likely to exhibit various linguistic deviations during classroom instruction. Focusing on 30 Taiwanese novice Chinese language teachers who have less than two years of teaching experience and less than 900 hours of teaching, this study analyses teachers' deviations in their classroom instructional language. Three most frequent types of deviations are identified, categorised into pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, with a total of 3,265 instances. Each major category is further divided into several subcategories based on content. The findings reveal that among the three main categories, pronunciation deviations are the most common, followed by grammar and vocabulary. Among the subcategories, the most frequent deviation is the mispronunciation of final nasal sounds as initial nasal sounds in the pronunciation category, followed by "non-standard grammar" in the grammar category. The findings and training recommendations of this study can serve as a reference for Mandarin teaching institutions when training novice teachers.

Keywords: Taiwan, novice teachers, Mandarin Chinese teachers, classroom instructional language, linguistic deviations, suggestions of training

Abstract: Early childhood is a critical period for language development, and picture books play a significant role in fostering young children's language skills. However, there are certain limitations on traditional picture book teaching methods, such as rigid teaching models, unclear objectives, and lack of emphasis on children's active participation. Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) which emphasises learners' central role and learning through task completion helps stimulate children's learning motivation and enhances their autonomous learning skills. This study adopts the picture book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" as the teaching material and integrate it with TBLT to improve young children's listening and speaking skills. The teaching activities were conducted in a lower kindergarten class in Shenzhen, China. The participants included 12 students and one teacher. Data collection methods encompassed classroom observations, teaching activity records, and teacher feedback, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of task-based teaching approaches in enhancing young children's listening and speaking abilities.

Keywords: Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), picture book instruction, task design, kindergarten students, listening and speaking skills