As key elements in Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) textbooks, toponyms not only reflect geographic information across time and space but also carry rich historical and cultural connotations in learning Chinese communication. However, current research on CFL teaching curriculum lacks systematic studies on the translation of toponyms in textbooks to teach foreigners recognizing Chinese toponyms. This study, grounded in Peter Newmark's theory of semantic and communicative translation, conducts a comparative analysis of toponyms and their translation strategies in three representative CFL textbooks series: Developing Chinese, Hanyu Jiaocheng, and HSK Standard Course. The corpus encompasses 22 textbooks spanning elementary, intermediate, and advanced Chinese proficiency levels. The findings reveal that: (1) The frequency and distribution of toponyms in the three textbooks show significant heterogeneity, with Developing Chinese exhibiting the highest density of place names, reflecting it emphasizes on cultural introduction to toponym; (2) The textbooks employ diverse strategies for translating place names, including phonetic translation, semantic translation, a combination of phonetic and semantic methods, and annotation technique. However, there are differences in strategy preferences across the textbooks, indicating the editors' varying considerations of the cognitive needs of the target readers; and (3) The accuracy and cultural resonance of place name translations are positively correlated with the textbooks' instructional objectives and the language proficiency level of the target audience. By systematically analyzing toponyms and its translation in CFL textbooks, this study provides valuable insights for CFL instruction and textbook development, while also contributing to the broader discourse on cultural transmission in learning.

Authors:
Zhou Yin, University of Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Wong Ling Yann, University of Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Hazlina binti Abdul Halim, University of Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
ZZ is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication at Universiti Putra Malaysia.

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