The process of language development is quite complex, it occurs under the interactions between diachronic derivation and synchronic derivation. This paper examines the development of Chinese language through the scope of disposal construction to provide evidence that diachronic and synchronic derivations could affect the development of a language simultaneously. From the progression of disposal prepositions in Mandarin based on historical documents, we can observe how diachronic derivation took place. Also, through diachronic derivation, it is safe to say that the earlier sentence structures can have an impact on later sentence structures. By comparing the disposal constructions between Mandarin and Min dialect, the syntactic characteristics and limitations present the possibility of synchronic derivation, which is the result of language contact. The findings of this paper demonstrates the features of language contact through the borrowing of disposal prepositions, and the similarities and differences between the syntax of disposal sentence structure of Mandarin and Min dialect.

In recent years, using dialects in Chinese films has become more and more popular. By observing this phenomenon and investigating its history, I find out three functions that dialect has in cinema: severing as fun maker, indicating the identity of the speaker, helping to describe the speaker’s characteristics. In order to understand why dialects have these functions in cinema, semiotic analysis and discourse analysis are employed in finding the reasons.

The use of Multimedia materials has been widely accepted as an useful and effective tool in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). Many studies and researchers have examined multimedia material’s effectiveness from a number of aspects, including four skills of language learning: listening, speaking, reading (including vocabulary comprehension) and writing. However, the effectiveness of multimedia material from the aspect of L2 grammar comprehension hasn’t been well explored. This study examines the effectiveness of multimedia material in teaching second language grammar comprehension among beginning and intermediate-level Chinese learners. In particular, it investigates the relative efficacy of three different modes used in teaching an important Chinese grammar, directional complements: text alone, text with a still picture and text with video clips. The study’s focal issue is to determine which mode or modes — text alone, text with still picture or text with dynamic video clip — is most effective in aiding grammar acquisition in both short-term and long-term. The study employed an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. The participants were 53 college students, beginning level Chinese language learners who had studied Chinese for a half year, and were naturally assigned to one of the three parallel groups. The three groups differed as to the use of the different mode used to present the teaching material: text-only, text-picture, and text-video. Analysis of the collected data yielded three main findings. First, learners who received text-video material outperformed those who received text-picture; and learners who received text-picture material outperformed those who received text-only. Secondly, learners who received text-video had significantly better long-term comprehension than the other two groups. Finally, the performance advantage of text-video treatment was particularly significant with more complex target forms. The results demonstrate that multimedia material can help L2 learners’ grammar comprehension. Text-picture and text-video were more effective than text-only, and text-video material was more effective than text-picture.

China is one of the largest and most promising markets for new global business ventures. This exploratory research investigates the current news-related themes regarding business in China by comparing news originating from eastern countries to western countries. This study applied agenda-setting and framing theoretical frameworks. A mixed-method approach of both qualitative and quantitative content analyses was used to generate key themes and their related concepts. The results indicate some thematic similarities as well as differences in agenda and news framing between eastern and western news samples. This exploratory study contributes to agenda-setting and framing literature as well as by creating a media agenda benchmark for future agenda-setting studies focused doing business in China.

With the single exception of a survey of Chinese history in the Western United States written by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, there exists no other documented history of the Chinese experience in Utah.This paper offers an overview of Pioneer Chinese life in Utah territory from the Chinese railroad laborers in Box Elder County to the Chinatown settlement in Silver Reef mining camp in Washington County. Old Chinese customs, individual Chinese personalities and communities are rediscovered through the use of census data, newspaper editorials, and oral interviews. Chinese religion is analyzed from available data about pioneer Chinese funeral customs. Emphasis is placed on majority attitudes and the corresponding effects they had on this minority group, as reflected in local nineteenth century newspapers. Of particular interest is the Chinese exclusion bill which was followed by a period of expulsion affecting Chinese in many Pacific states and territories including Utah. This study is a foundation for a significant but mostly unknown area of Utah minority history.

In the last thirty years, Chinese Christianity has experienced severe persecution. Communism actively sought its subjugation. Despite this, Chinese Christians maintained their faith. When their church organizations became puppets of the state, Christians went underground and continued to worship in house churches. The recently li eralized political climate in China has allowed Christians to more openly practice their faith. The official Protestant and Catholic churches have been rehabilitated. House churches have come out of the closet. Capitalizing on an acute spiritual malaise in China, Christians are experiencing a major and sustained revival. There are ample opportunities for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to benefit from China's Christian revival. However, any missionary work will require considerable preparation by Latter-day Saints.

As a novel on contemporary issues (shishi xiaoshuo 时事小说), the unfinished novel The Stone of Goddess Nüwa (Nüwa shi 女娲石; 1904-1905) recounts a story about new women’s attempts to save the nation, which is a reflection of late-Qing China. From a historical perspective, I aim to provide a study of the Nüwa stone and characterization of new women in the novel with the help of multiple intertexts. My thesis explores how the stone and the characterization elaborate the theme and design of the novel: new women saving the nation, which includes radical ideas for women and national salvation in the late Qing. Against the socio-cultural context of The Stone of Goddess Nüwa, I argue that through the characterization and narrative designs of the stone, the novel presents its explorations to solve social and political problems for national salvation, in which female power plays a central and crucial role. This thesis endeavors to both enrich the understanding and value of The Stone of Goddess Nüwa from a historical perspective and call critical attention to its meaning in the decades’ exploration of improving both China and Chinese women in literary works from the late Qing.

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has attracted a great deal of interest since its inception, as reflected in a large body of relevant literature; most of the literature deals with TBLT in in-person (IP) settings and a small number of TBLT applications in online settings. The shift from the traditional IP mode to the virtual classroom caused by COVID-19 has made the effective application of TBLT a concern. However, most of the past studies have been conducted from the researcher’s perspective, which cannot meet the urgent needs of language teachers from a practical standpoint. This study examined TBLT in virtual Chinese classroom from the perspectives of teachers and students. The action research was conducted to observe the challenges students encountered in online TBLT sessions. Surveys and interviews were conducted to collect data from participants to understand the students’ viewpoints towards online TBLT. The data were analyzed to determine how teachers made actions to improve the TBLT learning and whether these actions were effective. After six weeks of research, the data from the participants revealed that students encountered many problems in online TBLT session, such as difficulties of applying online TBLT including student’s lack of media literacy and the limitedness of Zoom affordance; the challenges of designing tasks for online L2 TBLT class such as teacher’s lack of attention on taking students’ task preferences, grouping methods and targeted prompts into consideration; as well as the challenges of peer collaboration in virtual TBLT for example the dis-connectivity, peer communication, and response distribution issues. In response to challenges that I observed in my study, I integrated and analyzed the following teacher actions to help improve students’ performance and the effectiveness of online TBLT sessions. I rewrote the prompts to provide students with multiple perspectives on the context and appropriate vocabulary in terms of the pre-task materials. Also, I selected relevant grouping patterns for each task type and grouped them appropriately. Moreover, I reduced the power imbalance between the teacher and students, intervened in the in-task discussions appropriately, provided students with guidance on specific Zoom classroom functions, and effectively managed the time spent on each cycle of the TBLT. Last but not least, I enhanced student meta-cognition, provided students with complete information about the TBLT process, explained the benefits and purpose of the assignment, encouraged interaction and collaboration among the students, and attempted to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for students. To conclude, both students and teachers encounter challenges in this new online learning model environment; thus, we all need to adapt and learn how to learn and teach in this new situation. In this study, I tried different approaches to improve the observed problems and promote the effectiveness of teaching and the learning experience of students through a teacher action research approach. Feedback from participants indicated that the actions were effective. The study revealed that teacher should take the students’ needs into consideration when designing and implementing online TBLT in the future and make a difference through teacher actions. It is hoped that this study can offer some implications on applying TBLT in the virtual setting.

This paper will attempt to evaluate the agricultural production of China, Japan, and Asiatic Russia in the post-World War II period. The appraisal is based on the agricultural productions which are raised mainly for food consumption; however, such industrial crops as cotton, flax, and hemp are considered also. The claims of the Chinese First Five Year Plan, results of the Japanese Land reform, and the land development program in Asiatic Russian are all examined. A comparison is made between the pre-war and post-War periods in an effort to determine the amount of increase in production of agricultural goods, on both gross product and per capita basis. It concludes with en examination of the self-sufficiency of each country, its need for importing and/or exporting agricultural goods and their implication.

In the tradition of the Zen school, all of the monks are required to study what are called the "seven books of Zen. These books are chosen from the old Zen masters' collections, but the "seven books" are different according to each of the schools of Zen. Therefore, it is not possible to say which are "the seven books," but Lin-chi Lu is always listed as the first one of them in every school of Zen.