A study on the classification of types of writing of Chinese language text-book writers

Abstract

Secondary school students in Hong Kong have to identify and to learn to write six types of writing in Chinese (The Chinese Language Syllabus for Secondary Schools, 1990; Hong Kong School Certificate Exam. Regulation and Syllabus, 1994). The traditional sixfold division of writing has been a major factor in determining the writing curriculum of the Chinese Language. The present researchers have studied the classification system of types of writing in Chinese Language text books. It was found that the writers of ten series of text books have different classification system of types of prescribed text. Out of 128 pieces of writing, only four pieces are classified in the same category. The discrepancy of classification is very great (the mean difference is 3.8 per text). This causes a lot of confusion in learning and teaching. It is high time for curriculum developers of Chinese Language to devise a more satisfactory and relevant way of looking at types of writing.

中學中國語文科課程綱要指定香港中學生要學六種文體，並要辨認不同文章體裁。寫作課程也清楚列明不同文體的練習比例。在公開試方面，會考亦要求學生能辨別和寫作不同體裁的文章。可見文體分類與課程及考試有密切的關係。本研究希望探究香港中學中國語文科課本的文體分類情況。研究對象是10個出版社的編寫組。結果顯示每一篇文平均有3.8個編寫組有不同的分類。在128篇範文裏，只有4篇有一致的分類。這些均顯示現時文體分類的標準並不統一，也不穩定，對學生學習構成一定的困難。中國語文科課程和會考建基於文體架構的有關部份，應要重新檢討和改善。