HICCS 2025

This panel explores the evolution and cross-cultural exchange of Chinese performing arts.

Hongyan Hao
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney, Ph.D Researcher

Title:
Inheritance and Innovation: A Study of Jingju Master Li

Abstract:
Li Weikang is one of the most famous performing artists of Jingju which is Peking Opera, in contemporary China. She is
deeply loved by the audience and her fans come from all walks of life. Li Weikang has outstanding talents, she has solid fundamentals and innovative spirit. She adheres to the artistic concept of inheritance and innovation. Her vocal style, performing, make up, costumes, stage arts and lighting sets during the performance are all unique. This paper will focus on two questions that why Jingju Master Li Weikang has a large number of fans and whether she can form a new school. From the three aspects, which including her acting career, the characteristics of her vocal style and performing arts and the conditions required for forming a new school, this paper analyses and discusses Li Weikang’s inheritance and innovation of Jingju arts, as well as her contribution to the development of Jingju.

This paper will analyse and discuss Li Weikang’s singing skills, vocal style, performance, makeup, costumes, stage scenery, lighting sets and other aspects in combination with the analysis of her signature repertories. Based on the above analysis, this paper will compare and contrast the subjective and objective conditions of forming Jingju schools, from the literatures on the development of Jingju, to evaluate and analyse whether Li Weikang meets the conditions of forming an independent school. Meanwhile, in light of the social environment of contemporary China, the dynamics and resistance of forming of a new Jingju school are further evaluated. This paper concludes with answers to the two questions raised at the beginning, based on the above analytical conclusions.

Xinying Zhong
School of Communication, Shenzhen University, Ph.D student

Title:
The Most Beautiful Harmony: A New Path for International Communication of Chinese Stories: An Examination of International Student Choirs

Abstracts:
In the context of globalization, the shaping and dissemination of national image is the key to measuring the soft power of a country and an important aspect of international exchange. With the increase of international exchanges, the traditional way of national image communication is developing towards diversification and innovation. Taking the “Cloud” choir as an example, this study explores how the choir spreads China's story through music and Chinese singing, and becomes a new platform for cross-cultural exchanges and national image dissemination. Using case studies and content analysis, the study combines theories of communication, cross-cultural communication and social identity to analyze how the choir presents Chinese stories to the international community visually and emotionally through music. The study finds that the choir, as a platform for cross-cultural communication, promotes the cultural adaptation and identity of international students and enhances their understanding of China through musical art and emotional expression. By utilizing the “music + Chinese” model, the choir successfully portrayed the image of China and aroused emotional resonance through original stories and multimodal narratives. The study also points out that choirs should adjust their performance strategies according to different cultural environments, and utilize VR, AR, AI and other technologies to enhance the effect of cultural communication. In the era of globalization, international student choirs not only promote cross-cultural exchanges, but also contribute to the building of a community of human destiny and the international recognition of the national image, demonstrating the innovative and diversified nature of China's national image communication.

Yukiyo Hoshino
Nagoya University, Professor

Title:
Performing Arts Exchange in the Absence of Sino-Japanese Diplomatic Relations: Focusing on the Reaction of The White-Haired Girl in the Japanese Workers' Journal

Abstract:
Even though Japan and China did not have formal diplomatic ties from the 1950s to 1972, there were many instances of cultural exchange. How were these exchanges conducted, and what kind of cultural production and exchange of ideas took place? With this question in mind, this study takes up the Matsuyama Ballet Company's The White-Haired Girl, an adaptation of the Chinese opera, as a case study to examine how Japanese laborers evaluated The White-Haired Girl (WHG)” at the time. We are highlighting the ballet WHG because it represents the Japanese's affinity for China and Chinese literature and art during no formal diplomatic relations. Japan's achievement in adapting the opera WHG into a ballet is noteworthy, as it later became one of the Model Operas during the Cultural Revolution.
This paper utilizes the magazines of the Laborers' Music Council as the new material. Since Ro-On had branches throughout Japan at the time, we'll concentrate on the branches in the capital, Tokyo and Nagoya, the largest city in central Japan. The Laborers' Music Council, or Ro-On for short, was an organization formed voluntarily by Japanese workers in the 1949-60s to organize stage performances and to make them available to laborers at low cost. Tokyo Ro-On was founded in 1953, one of the first Ro-Ons in Japan, and its journal was called Hibiki(which means “echo”). Founded in 1955, Nagoya Ro-On's journal was known as Harmony. According to the articles in these journals, Nagoya Ro-On organized a WHG performance in 1959, and Tokyo organized one in 1961.
In summarizing the audience response to WHG, it is evident that although there are regional differences, labor members are impressed by the story and also appreciate its value in responding to their workers' needs for expression. Tokyo Ro-On members had stronger demands for performers, which echoed Mao Zedong's Talks at the Yan'an Conference on Literature and Art. It is said that Tokyo Ro-On's policy around 1960 was based on the Talks at the Yan'an Conference on Literature and Art. For instance, the article about WHG in Hibiki referred to Lu Xun Institute's Academy of Arts in Yan’an, which created the opera WHG, which is not covered by Harmony. Therefore, it can be said that Hibiki was able to accurately portray the role of WHG in the ideology of the People's Republic of China more clearly than Harmony. It should be noted that not only the creators, but also many Japanese laborers at the time understood that the ballet WHG was not just expressing a simple desire for the liberation of oppressed people, but rather conveying Mao's ideology.

This panel explores contemporary issues in China, focusing on the mapping of Islam in the country, digital solutions for elder care within China’s smart aging policies, and the implications of mapping wilderness areas for the management of wilderness travel.

Chao Wang
Shaanxi Normal University, University of Guelph, Associate Professor

Title:
Review and Outlook: a proposal for mapping Islam in China

Abstract:
The digital religion is an important trend in contemporary web-based background. The Electronic Information Technology and the geography of religion are combined to analyze how religions undergo change and spread, and describe the processes and conditions of the diffusion of religious believers. According to a review on digitalization and mapping religions in China, Author tries to outlook and make proposal for mapping Islam in China. The author believes that the amount of the religious sites are important metrics on analyzing distribution and change of religions in China. Meanwhile, the study on the digital Islam in China should include in other variable factors, such as the sects, site scales, demographics, ethnic groups, and all necessary factors to show the changing process of Islam in China.

Huiyang Zhang
University of Sheffield, Ph.D Student

Title:
Digital Solutions for Elder Care: China's Smart Ageing Policies and Practices

Abstract:
The convergence of digitalisation and demographic ageing presents profound opportunities and challenges for societies worldwide. On the one hand, digital technology has significantly enhanced the lives of older people, bringing numerous conveniences to their daily activities, such as personalised shopping services tailored to individual preferences, remote healthcare that reduces time wastage, and smart homes that facilitate ageing-in-place. Digital technologies are increasingly used as communication platforms, as vehicles of care provision (e.g., care robots), and as monitoring devices. On the other hand, the socio-economic development status of different countries affects the extent to which older people receiving care benefit from these technologies. Expensive use costs, varying levels of digital literacy, cultural resistance, and lack of adequate digital care provision pose challenges to the widespread integration of digital technology in the elder care sector.

Although interdisciplinary ageing research is extensive in developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, such studies are still in their infancy in developing countries like PR China. Due to increased life expectancy and rapidly declining fertility rates, the Chinese government, operating within a special socio-economic context of “growing old before getting rich”, is actively promoting and guiding “Smart Health Elderly Care” initiatives.

Then how does the Chinese government integrate digital technologies into elder care services, which care processes have been digitalised and by whom? How does the use of smart elder care at the local level compare to the policy expectations set by the central government? This study aims to answer these questions by combining a thematic and content analysis of official Chinese documents (policies, laws, press releases, etc.) and semi-structured qualitative interviews. These interviews were conducted in care institutions that involved managers and care workers, and in the government from the central to the local level with government officials. By doing so, this study analyses the practice of digital elder care in China from both policy and practical perspectives, offering insights into industry trends and examining how technological empowerment in the elder care industry potentially exacerbates pre-existing socio-economic imbalances.

Yue Cao
Tsinghua University, Associate Professor

Title:
Mapping Wilderness Areas and Its Implication for Managing Wilderness Travel in China

Abstract:
The concept of wilderness is gaining traction in China, driven by the need to conserve biodiversity and provide authentic outdoor experiences. This study presents an integrated approach to mapping wilderness areas across China, employing both Boolean overlay and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methods. The Boolean method identifies discrete wilderness patches based on land use, distance from settlements and roads, while the WLC model evaluates the relative wilderness quality within these patches using indicators such as biophysical naturalness and remoteness. The resultant wilderness map reveals over 86,000 patches covering approximately 42% of China's terrestrial area, with significant portions lying outside existing protected areas, highlighting conservation gaps. This research underscores the importance of wilderness mapping for planning wilderness travel that aligns with conservation objectives. Balancing wilderness protection with the growing demand for wilderness travel requires strategic planning, informed by the spatial data provided by this mapping effort. The study also calls for case studies to demonstrate effective wilderness travel management, ensuring sustainable practices that do not compromise the integrity of these pristine areas. By integrating spatial data with on-the-ground management strategies, this research aims to contribute to the sustainable development of wilderness travel in China, while preserving the ecological and experiential values of its wild landscapes.

本双语论坛探讨中国古代文学与社会的多个层面。
This panel explores various aspects of Chinese literature and society.

Yu Hsuan Yeh
University of Tokyo, Ph.D Candidate

题目：
虛構的對談者：六朝之際「主客問答體」的衰退與「駢體議論文」的興起

摘要：
本研究旨在以「主客問答體的衰退」這一現象為起點，探討魏晉六朝時期《文心雕龍》等文論中存在的「駢體議論文」之出現，進一步思考此時期議論文作法的轉變，在漢文史上具有何種意義。
漢代的議論性文章多採用「主客問答體」展開，而六朝期的議論性文章則以「獨白式」為特點，即虛構的對談者「客」從文章中消失，議論文成為「作者／敘述者」的獨自演繹。從文章學的角度來看，客（提問者）在銜接、引導同一文章之複數論點、主題上，起著重要的作用。而一旦「客」從議論性文章中消失——或者客的位置外部化（「客」的位置與文章讀者重合）——則文章內部必須建立緊密一致的內在邏輯，才能構成連貫的議論文。這樣重大而深刻的變化，如何藉由一般被認為結構僵化、長於「描寫」與「讚頌」的「駢文」達成？正是本研究關心的主題。
在更廣泛的意義上，本研究將有助於理解漢文圈域內溝通與表達方式的變遷：透過對於駢體議論文的成立史考察與書寫構成分析，本文期望重審學界對於駢體的定見，進一步提供新的契機，促進吾人對於在19、20世紀東亞地區之「文明開化」過程中，扮演了重要角色的議論文的理解。

Bin Hu
Law School, Renmin University of China, Assistant Professor

题目：
略论宋代官用通语、方言的政治意义与社会功能

摘要：
宋代建立了在御前奏对、接待外宾等公务场合应当使用通语而不宜使用方言的习惯性规则。使用官用通语成为官僚必备的行政素养。这一规则得以建立，主要缘于保障政务信息沟通效率和准确性的必要。除了将语言视为沟通交流的工具，宋人认为选择使用何种语言表现了身份认同。从朝廷的角度看，宋人认为朝廷应以近畿方言为正音通语。故有宋一代以汴洛之音为官用通语，象征着本朝定鼎中原的正统地位。靖康南渡后朝野仍然强调汴落之音为“正音”，正是为了强化本朝绍继北宋正统的政治认同。从官僚个人的角度看，官僚在应当使用通语的场合故意操用方言常被视为个人身份认同的表达。由此看来，宋人眼中的语言不是随机生成的符号系统，而是具有政治意义、发挥社会功能的象征体系。宋人对于官用通语（“正音”）和方言的理解，构成了近代乃至当代国人展开语言问题争论的“前史”和传统脉络。

Han Chen
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Graduate Student

Title:
Human and Nature in Xie Lingyun and Wang Wei’s Poetry

Abstract:
The thesis will use the global ecology method to analyze the Chinese traditional natural poetry of Xie Lingyun and Wang Wei. This thesis focuses on how natural ecosystems and imagery relate to Chinese philosophy, politics, and reclusion. The thesis will compare natural elements in Xie Lingyun and Wang Wei’s poems, indicating the transformation from environmental politics to environmental reclusion. It will mainly argue Xie Lingyun uses Confucius in environmental politics and uses Daoism as a regimen to live longer. On the other hand, Wang Wei uses Daoism as a metaphysical cultivation and Confucius as moral cultivation. With the introduction mainly presenting the intellectual background and historical facts, there will be three chapters in my thesis. Chapter 1 will analyze the actions (you wei有为) and non-actions (wu wei无为) of the two poets. Chapter 2 is about the physical and metaphysical in the two poets’ reclusion. Chapter 3 mentions how the poets transform from environmental politics to environmental reclusion.

Chenxin Guo
Department of Chinese Language and Literature, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Masters of Philosophy Student

题目：
观看的隐匿与感知的分歧 ——唐宋闺情词中屏风书写之差异的性别动因

摘要：
词体文学写闺情的传统历来受到学界关注。但既有研究忽略了男性词人与女性词人所作的闺情词在意象选择方面的差异性。屏风书写是分析此种差异性的合理入径。作为闺阁中常见而重要的家具，屏风高频出现于男性词人的作品，却几乎不见于女性词人写就的闺情词中。这种差异背后关键的性别动因未得到充分探讨。本文以屏风书写为中心，围绕文本写作视角与对闺阁空间的感知两方面分别剖析不同性别作者的作品。
本文论述分为以下三部分。首先，以男性词人作品集《花间集》中的闺情词为文本依据，揭示男性词人将闺阁中屏内空间视为不完满存在的预设。这些合围的屏风内是等待并邀请爱人注入意义的封闭空间。男性叙述的空间逻辑也流露出男性作者近似“窥视”的视角。其次，依据《花间集》后男性词人的闺情词文本，着重分析“屏-镜”的共现所象征的“窥视-自视”双重观看结构，并结合宋代闺阁题材绘画中“屏-镜”结构的高频出现，探讨这种结构背后男性词人与画家的创作动因。最后，依据女性词人为数不多的屏风书写，论述这种书写背后关注物的实用性而非艳情投射的视角。同时，以女性词中最常见的具备空间划分功能的器物帘幕为对照，探讨了女性词人笔下另一种向外的互动式空间感知。

This panel examines the intersections of heritage, identity, and literature.

Timothy Thurston
University of Leeds, Associate Professor in the Study of Contemporary China

Title:
From Bards to Bearers: How the inspired tellers of the Gesar epic experience heritage recognition in China

Abstract:
The Tibetan Gesar epic, sometimes promoted as the longest epic in the world, was inscribed on the UNESCO list of the representative ICH of humanity’ in 2009. Since then, a tremendous amount of human and financial capital has been devoted to ‘safeguarding’ the tradition with particular emphasis on the divinely inspired bards who perform it. A significant part of this is the official identification of ‘authentic’ bards. In the process, these men—and they are almost all men—have changed from being drungken ‘bards’ to jyundzinpa ‘bearers’ or ‘inheritors’ (Ch. Chuanchengren 传承人). The identification comes with new responsibilities, restrictions, expectations, and benefits. Based on conversations and interviews conducted in Qinghai Province’s Yushu (玉树) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture collected between 2018 and 2024, this paper examines efforts to “safeguard” (保护) the epic of King Gesar. Using inspiration narratives of bards, and the personal narratives of government workers tasked with identifying “authentic” bards, this paper examines the process used to identify the divinely inspired bards in Yushu, and the consequences and effects of recognizing them as “bearers” or “inheritors” of the world’s longest epic. I begin by introducing the inspiration narratives that these bards tell about how they came to perform the epic. These narratives are based in traditional Tibetan ways of understanding human interactions with a world inhabited by a variety of natural and supernatural beings. With careful use of quoted speech and intertextual links with other narratives of supernatural encounters, these narratives become the basis for their reputation as a bab drung, an inspired bard, and help to attest to a bard’s authenticity to a Tibetan audience. Next, I examine how these same narratives are used as part of the process of recognizing bards as ‘bearers.’ I show how this seemingly minor discursive shift bringing these bards into ontact with competing ways of understanding authenticity, and with new discourses of preservation and transmission. Some bards have gained government jobs and stipends and have been able to reach new audiences. But the focus on inspiration also limits the sorts of interventions that government workers have sought to implement. Together these discourses, and interventions, shape the presents and futures of these bards individually, the communities that traditionally formed their audiences, and their epic itself.

Jue Liang
Case Western Reserve University, Assistant Professor of Religious Studiesn and Severance Professor in the History of Religion

Title:
Diasporic Dilemmas: Conflicting Ideals and Identities in the Writings of Baimanazhen

Abstract:
Contemporary Tibetan literature was forced to engage with the themes of movements and diaspora, after a significant percentage of Tibetans left their homeland to seek freedom in exile. Nevertheless, the majority of Tibetans remain in the People’s Republic of China, and have experienced alienation from their own culture in a land to which they claim heritage, effectively creating a diaspora in situ.
This complexity in place and displacement gave rise to a new generation of Tibetan writers who alternately utilize and trouble, play and mock, the notion of diaspora. This essay focuses on the writings of Baimanazhen (1967-), a Tibetan writer who was educated in Chinese schools and writes in Chinese about Tibetan subjects. Her essay, “Dekyi, Who Left Home,” negotiates a set of conflicting ideals and identities between the “modern” Han Chinese and the “traditional” Tibetan culture, as well as the “secular” identity of the writer herself and the Buddhist faith of her female monastic friends to which she (sometimes) aspires. In this paper, I juxtapose Baimanazhen with the writings of two other prominent women writers who write in Tibetan, Nyimatso (1985-), who writes in exile in India, and Tsering Yangkyi, in Tibet proper in PRC. The comparison reveals a complex sense of ironic reverence in Baimanazhen’s writings that complicates the direct expressions of displacement and nostalgia by Nyimatso and Tsering Yangkyi and resists the dichotomy of “good” and “bad” diasporic identities.

Bou-Chin Tan
National Cheng Kung University, Assistant Professor

Title:
Taiwanese Literature from the 1950s to the 1960s —with Books in Romanized Taiwanese as the Scope

Abstract:
‘Romanized Taiwanese’ (Pe̍h-ōe-jī) is the written language of Taiwanese (Tâi-gí). From 1885 to 1969, it was mainly promoted by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan in churches, and a large number of rich and precious documents, including religious, linguistic, literary, historical, medical and other documents were left. In May 2020, the Bureau of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture Taiwan registered "Romanized Taiwanese" in the second Memory of the World Programme National Registry of Taiwan. As a result, the historical position and cultural value of Romanized Taiwanese in carrying the memory of Taiwanese people was officially affirmed. The purpose of this study is to explore the development, achievements and characteristic content of Taiwanese literature in the post-war period. The setting for the research is the period between 1950s and 1960s, since this period of time was when a large number of Romanized Taiwanese periodicals and books were published, and also the end of the period when Romanized Taiwanese was banned by the government in 1969. The research scope focuses on books in Romanized Taiwanese, and explores Romanized Taiwanese literary works in collections, the background of their publication, writers' works and literary features. The purpose of this study is to re-examine the significance of ‘Romanized Taiwanese’ to the history of Taiwanese literature from the 1950s to the 1960s after the war through the historical materials of Romanized Taiwanese during this period.

This panel explores various aspects of Chinese language learning.

Dexin Dai
Coastal Carolina University, Lecturer

Title:
Enhancing Novice Chinese Learners' Cultural Awareness and Language Proficiency through Collaborative Writing

Abstract:
The increasing integration of technology in language education has provided novel opportunities to enhance both linguistic proficiency and cultural awareness among language learners. This action research investigates the use of Google Docs in facilitating collaborative writing (CW) activities to improve not only writing skills but also the cultural understanding of novice Chinese language learners. While much research has focused on the linguistic benefits of CW, this study explores its potential to deepen students' cultural insights alongside language acquisition.
This study offers practical insights for educators on how to effectively integrate cultural content into CW activities using digital tools like Google Docs. It also highlights the potential of CW to serve as a bridge between language proficiency and cultural competence, suggesting that future research should continue to explore the intersection of these domains.
(Refer to the speaker's personal profile for full abstract)

Meixing Yi
University of Mississippi, Ph.D. Student

Title:
Cross-Linguistic Influence in Answering Tag Questions: The Influence of L1 on L2 among Chinese ESL Learners in the US

Abstract:
Tag questions commonly appear not only in daily conversations but also in educational contexts (Wei, Leung and Sun, 2023). The way of answering the tag question in Chinese and English is different. In Chinese, answers to tag questions target the semantic meaning of the sentence, while, in English, answers to tag questions are conformed to the fact itself. So, when verbally answering English tag questions, Chinese English-as-a-second-language (ESL) learners may often provide confusing responses due to the influence of their first language (L1). This type of L1 influence in answering English tag questions happens to most Chinese ESL learners, even to those who have studied or lived in an English-speaking country for some time. This study aims at investigating whether the duration of studying or living in the US helps Chinese ESL learners reduce L1 influence when answering English tag questions.
This study does not only contribute to the near absence of comparative research on how Chinese L1 speakers respond to English tag questions in ESL contexts, but also sets a foundation for future research on verbal responses to English tag questions. In addition, this study highlights the importance how instructors and university staff working with international students need to be mindful of the use of tag questions in their communication, hence improving the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication.
(Refer to the speaker's personal profile for full abstract)

Gloria Gabbianelli
University of Urbino, Assistant Professor

Title:
The effectiveness of CLIL approach in enhancing vocabulary acquisition and cultural awareness of CFL learners

Abstract:
For over a decade now, CLIL has proved to be one of the most innovative methodologies to raise awareness on the benefits of integrating a dual focus on non-linguistic disciplines and second language acquisition. Statistics show how its adoption positively affects students’ outcomes in terms of cognitive skills and language communication competence in a lifelong-learning perspective. Although a teaching design based on CLIL methodology has been proposed in the Teaching Chinese ad Second Language (TCSL) area (Orton & Cui, 2016), still little to no attention has been paid to the teaching of Chinese as second language (SL) through said approach.
With these premises in mind, we decided to embrace the CLIL methodology in the delivery of six 120-minute-lessons of Chinese culture to a group of 15 second-year Italian university students with an intermediate level Chinese proficiency.
The research was guided by two questions: (1) to what extent may CLIL based teaching enhance Chinese SL learners’ vocabulary and cultural awareness? (2) What are students’ perceptions of Chinese CLIL based teaching methodology?
Data, collected through pre- and post-test focusing on learners’ cultural and linguistic knowledge of Chinese dining manners and etiquette rules, as well as a perception survey administrated at the end of the course, seem to back up our initial hypothesis of CLIL providing students with the necessary skills to study and work in a globalized environment thanks to their constant exposure to more authentic materials and the instructor’s focus on the scaffolding of cultural awareness and understanding.

Sun Hee Lee
Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Professor

Title:
The Auditory response to acoustic information of different Focus positions in Chinese sentence-experimental result of Korean learner of Chinese language

Abstract:
When understanding the context in an entire conversation, it's not just about accurately hearing individual sounds of vowels, consonants, or tones, it's more important to understand the overall sound, such as the focus or rhythm of an entire sentence. In particular, "focus perception" is very important for the listener to grasp the meaning of the speaker in the context. Even within the same sentence, physical sound information, such as the intensity or length of speech, may vary according to the psychologically expressed semantic importance, yet how learners distinguish such phonetic information inside Chinese sentences has not been researched a lot. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the native language of the listeners influences their judgment when identifying the focal position in the sentence. To conduct the auditory discrimination experiment, we first recorded the sentence '猫咪吃西瓜' with Chinese native speakers. And then we adjusted the acoustic cues such as duration, pitch (F0), and intensity of each word position in three ways. ST1 is the sentence that the acoustic cues of the Subject position were adjusted, ST2 is the cues of the Verb position were adjusted, ST3 is the cues of Object position were adjusted and ST4 is an original sound. 12 Chinese natives and 12 Korean Chinese learners listened to those stimuli and chose the focus position of the sentence which they just heard. They heard the sentence using PsychoPi experiment program. Figure 1 shows the screen of the PsychoPi experiment.The results are below: 1) Both listener groups failed to correctly judge the focus position when the acoustic information was manipulated to bring focus to the subject. 2) Both groups judged the focus position more accurately when all three acoustic information were manipulated. 3) In the case of ST1, the acoustic information had to be increased by three steps to be able to judge it more accurately. The result of ST1 identification is a lot different from the result of our previous study which was using natural speech sound. (In the previous study, we gave the speake contexts to let him have different focuses on specific positions such as subject, verb, and object, and the syllables with focus are longer in length and higher in pitch.) To know why the listeners are not good at distinguishing the focus position when the acoustic cue of the subject position was manipulated, we need to compare the acoustic information of ST1's focus and the other three sentences' focus.

This Trans-East Asia panel is organized by BK21 FOUR Chinese & Japanese Education Research Group at Korea University, examining the cultural, linguistic, and strategic dynamics of East Asia from a trans-regional perspective. Please see the paper abstracts on each speaker's personal profile page.

Sumin Seo