STUDY ON COLLOCATION RULES AND TEACHING SYSTEM OF CHINESE NOMINAL CLASSIFERS

Abstract

Chinese  nominal  classifers  show  different  collocational restrictions in  collocation  with different words. In order to explore the specific collocational restrictions between them, this paper uses the "substitution " analysis method, a classic analysis method of structuralist linguistics, to analyze the paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations of Chinese nominal classifers. The analysis of corpus data shows that individual classifers and indivisible collective classifers can only be modified by deictic words, but can not co-appear with "de（的）", "adjective" and plural marker"们". While indivisible collective  classifers,  indefinite  classifers,  quasi  classifers,  and   temporary  classifers  can  be combined with these words.  According to this, the Chinese nominal classifers can be divided into two subcategories: “classification word” and “measure word”, and the teaching system should be adjusted accordingly. Classification words include traditional individual classifers and indivisible collective classifers, while measure words include separable collective classifers, traditional measure words, indefinite classifers and quasi- classifers.

At present, the classification system of "special classifers - borrowed classifers " is mostly used in the chinese teaching system as a second language, which mainly considers the collocation relationship between nominal classifers and nouns,but the collocation relationship between subclass classifers of  "special classifers - borrowed classifers " and other words are complicated and not unified. The classification method of "classification word-measure words" is mainly based on the linguistic expression of nominal classifers. Using this classification method can not only help students to use nominal classifers more accurately in language communication, but also facilitate the simplification of Chinese nominal classifers teaching system.