The Dilemma and Outlet of Chinese Calligraphy in International Chinese Language Education

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 416 4th International Conference on Culture, Education and Economic Development of Modern Society (ICCESE 2020)

Hulin Liu Art School Sichuan University Chengdu, China

Abstract—The international identity of Chinese calligraphy still has a long way to go from construction to identification. As II. THE PARTICULARITY OF CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY a carrier of Chinese culture, calligraphy should be cherished in CULTURE AND ITS DILEMMA IN INTERNATIONAL CHINESE the field of international Chinese language education. Chinese LANGUAGE EDUCATION calligraphy teaching in international Chinese language education has entered the classroom at both the Confucius A. The particularity of Chinese calligraphy culture Institute and domestic institutions. Due to the differences in Mr. Zong Baihua pointed out in the article "aesthetic cultural background and thinking mode, such factors as "accepting and rejecting", incomplete theory and practice thought in Chinese calligraphy" that "there are two main system, incomplete professional quality of teachers, and factors that Chinese characters can become works of art: one insufficient understanding of Chinese traditional culture, is that the beginning of Chinese characters is pictograph, and calligraphy teaching fails to reach the ideal state. Therefore, the other is the pen used by Chinese people." [3] The starting from the particularity of Chinese calligraphy culture, fundamental difference between Chinese characters and this paper focuses on the issues that restrict Chinese other Pinyin characters is that they are not only used as a calligraphy in international Chinese language education, and phonetic symbol. The relationship among the construction, probes into the strategies to promote Chinese calligraphy in stroke, structure, form, sound and meaning of Chinese international Chinese language education, which can lead the characters implies the unique thinking of Chinese people. international education of Chinese calligraphy to a wider and Some people compare Chinese characters to the "living deeper dimension. fossil" of Chinese culture. In addition, the tool brush of calligraphy has the characteristics of softness. Cai Yong Keywords: Chinese calligraphy, international Chinese pointed out in "nine postures" that "the posture can't be language education, dilemma, promotion strategy stopped, but the soft brush is strange." It is because of the softness of the brush that the diversity of the brushwork and I. INTRODUCTION the richness of the lines, as well as the change of the ink In 2009, Chinese calligraphy and related traditional color (such as Huang Binhong's opinion of "dividing ink into Chinese seal cutting and rice paper production techniques five colors") provide a rich image contrast relationship for were selected into the "list of representative works of the aesthetic system of calligraphy. These contrast intangible cultural heritage of mankind", and the relationships become the elements of the calligraphy art, international identity of Chinese calligraphy was which can only be called "writing". It is the uniqueness of reconstructed. According to Xiong Bingming, a French Chinese calligraphy and its culture that makes it difficult for Chinese, "calligraphy is the core of Chinese culture and the Chinese calligraphy to be accepted internationally. This unique garden of Chinese soul." It shows the importance of paper takes calligraphy teaching and acceptance in calligraphy in Chinese culture. However, the international international Chinese language education as an example. identity of Chinese calligraphy has a long way to go from Chinese calligraphy is an important part of international construction to identification. As the carrier of Chinese Chinese language education. The spread of calligraphy lays a culture, calligraphy should be cherished in the field of cultural foundation for international Chinese language international Chinese language education. Based on the education. "Words can help people read. However, when current situation of Chinese calligraphy in international people are familiar with it, they can remember." [2] Chinese language education, combined with the inherent Therefore, the main purpose of setting up Chinese cultural characteristics of Chinese calligraphy, the author calligraphy course in the major of international Chinese discusses the way in which Chinese calligraphy can be language education is to correct the writing errors of Chinese deeply accepted in international Chinese language education. characters, cultivate correct writing habits, and finally master the skills of Chinese calligraphy, so as to understand Chinese culture. The promotion of Chinese calligraphy among foreign learners is conducive to the exchange of different cultures.

Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 823 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 416

B. The dilemma of calligraphy teaching in international (English-Chinese comparison) by Mr. Jiang Yi: "what Chinese language education interests us particularly is the similarity between the Chinese calligraphy teaching in international Chinese aesthetics of Chinese calligraphy and the aesthetics of language education has entered the classroom in Confucius modern abstract art." Some western artists try to acquire two Institute and domestic colleges and universities. However, basic elements from excellent calligraphy works by the calligraphy teaching has not reached the ideal state, understanding the principles of Chinese calligraphy: which is mainly manifested in several aspects: first, different "learning from nature" and "motion in quiescence". This also cultural backgrounds and different thinking patterns cause shows that it is not accidental that the abstract characteristics "acceptance exclusion". Chinese characters are the of Chinese calligraphy art are recognized by western artists. combination of form, sound and meaning. After the long- [4] Another example is that calligraphers "use the flying term evolution of history, their strokes are linear and brush to compose the poetry of the universe." This standardized. It has become a relatively abstract symbol expression embodies the artistic commonality of calligraphy system. The abstractness and complexity of this symbol and music. With this commonality, students are guided to make it difficult for foreign students to recognize, write and have a spiritual understanding of Chinese calligraphy, and memorize Chinese characters, which increase the difficulty they can feel the beauty of calligraphy, thus reducing the for foreign students in the initial stage of accepting difficulty caused by the complex symbols and abstractions. calligraphy. Secondly, there is no complete system of theory Therefore, aesthetic education should be introduced in the and practice, and the theory and practice are separated. initial stage of learning, so that the aesthetic and appreciation Students' interest in learning is not widely mobilized, and the of calligraphy throughout. In addition, it is required to pay characteristics and advantages of Chinese calligraphy are not attention to combine the calligraphy teaching with the actual highlighted, such as unclear position of curriculum situation, realize the true teaching according to students' positioning, lack of standardization of the teaching materials. aptitude, pay attention to the differences between Chinese Many colleges and universities do not pay enough attention and Western cultures, make reasonable choices for the to the calligraphy course, the definition of its type is not clear, learning habits of Chinese calligraphy, respect and accept the there is a lack of a special base and platform for international learning methods of students from different nationalities, communication of calligraphy, and the teaching objectives of cultural backgrounds and living habits, such as Chinese art calligraphy teachers are not clear. Thirdly, the professional learning is quiet; foreign classrooms are more active; and quality of teachers needs to be improved, and the calligraphy many foreign students are active and talkative, which require teachers in the international teaching of Chinese language reasonable guidance in the process of teaching. show a lack of comprehensive skills and cultural self- cultivation. The understanding of Chinese and Western B. Improving the teaching curriculum system and enriching culture is not deep enough, which makes it difficult to teach the teaching content at different levels the culture with national characteristics to foreign students One is to combine the reading of characters and aesthetic clearly. However, the quality of calligraphy teachers in feeling in teaching by elaborating various forms of China and foreign countries who have the ability of cross- calligraphy textbooks. In the compilation of teaching cultural communication is greatly lacking, and materials, students' interest in learning Chinese characters comprehensive teachers are lacking. Fourth, the current should be emphasized, the memory of the order of Chinese teaching is still at the writing level of simple fonts, and the characters' strokes should be deepened, and the depth of traditional Chinese culture is not enough. For understanding of the rules of Chinese characters' formation example, regular script is the most commonly used type of should be deepened. The Chinese characters in the table of calligraphy. Overseas students only know that most of modern Chinese characters can be used as the source of people write regular script, have no deep understanding of calligraphy class, and the appropriate model characters can the origin and evolution of various calligraphy styles, have be selected from the ancient inscriptions, focusing on the no overall balanced connection with various calligraphy literacy and artistry of Chinese characters. The teachers can styles, and still stay at a relatively shallow level of aesthetic guide the students to appreciate and feel the changes of appreciation of Chinese characters, which is determined by strokes in Chinese writing and the symmetry of spatial the level of understanding of Chinese culture. structure, and transform the boring and monotonous Chinese language class into an artistic experience class with rich III. STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE EFFECT OF aesthetic pleasure and full of fun. The second is to teach CALLIGRAPHY TEACHING IN INTERNATIONAL CHINESE students according to their aptitude and implement classified LANGUAGE EDUCATION teaching according to different cultural backgrounds. For overseas students in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, A. Paying attention to the differences between China and Vietnam, East Asia, Southeast Asia and other countries and the West and reducing the difficulty in the initial stage of regions that belong to the "Chinese character culture circle", learning in cultural comparison they are relatively easy to learn Chinese characters and Chinese language, and they are also easier to understand and The spread of culture and cross-cultural dialogue is a accept Chinese culture. They can take learning calligraphy science. Herbert Reid, chairman of the British aesthetic skills and imparting relevant cultural knowledge as the main association, wrote in the preface of Chinese calligraphy content of teaching. For students from "non-Chinese culture

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circle", teachers should recognize the differences between scenic spots and historic sites, or go to some museums to students from two different cultural backgrounds, and pay visit ancient inscriptions, Han slips, treasures of calligraphers attention to arouse the enthusiasm of overseas students to of past dynasties. These extracurricular experience activities learn Chinese language and stimulate their interest in can cultivate students' aesthetic sentiment. Students can learning Chinese characters. [5] The third is to carry out experience the unique charm and national cultural classified teaching. For the students and beginners who psychology of Chinese culture in typical cultural forms. seldom contact with Chinese, calligraphy class should belong There are many famous calligraphers, such as "Wang Xizhi", to the teaching of Chinese characters, with the students' "Wang Xianzhi", "Yan Zhenqing", "Xu Su", "Su Shi, Huang recognition and literacy as the main purpose, calligraphy Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang" of Song dynasty, Zhao teaching as the auxiliary teaching principle. And the teaching Mengfu, Wang Duo, Deng Shiru, Wu Changshuo and so on. of writing skills training should focus on the writing of basic These classics, which have gone through the wind and rain strokes and radicals of Chinese characters. For the learners of the times, are the main objects of learning calligraphy in who have reached the middle and advanced level of Chinese the western world. [8] language, they can guide the students to understand and feel the aesthetic factors of Chinese calligraphy. Learning E. Paying attention to the achievements in the field of calligraphy can promote the students to follow the principle foreign calligraphy research and expanding the of "learning from simple to complex, from less to more, from theoretical system of calligraphy research and learning easy to difficult, step by step". First, they should learn the Major international cultural exchanges in history have basic strokes, then the changes of strokes, and the simple provided materials for westerners to study Chinese pictographs, monosyllabic characters, and finally complex calligraphy, such as Chinese Notes by Matteo Ricci (1552- compound characters. 1610), Chinese-English dictionary by Morrison (1782-1834) (published in 1815), Correct Handwriting (The book is C. Improving the quality of teachers actually the translation of the ninety-two laws on the To strengthen the teaching and explanation of the structure of Chinese character form) by Davis (1795-1890), a background knowledge of Chinese calligraphy culture, it is British diplomat, and Grass Vocabulary [9] by Millot. necessary to have the corresponding institutions and According to these works, people can see the westerners' specialized talents of international communication of understanding of Chinese calligraphy under different cultural Chinese calligraphy. These specialized talents should be able backgrounds in different periods. Learners and researchers to skillfully use foreign languages to explain Chinese can follow this vein to deepen. For the academic research of calligraphy and the Chinese aesthetic values behind Chinese calligraphy in the international art career, it is required to pay calligraphy, which is a very high requirement. [6] It is more attention to its sustainability. Starting from the necessary to adopt various ways in a planned way, establish advantages of western research on Chinese calligraphy, it is a perfect and reasonable training mechanism, and train high- necessary to give full play to the advantages of cross-cultural quality teachers with the ability of calligraphy education. and interdisciplinary research background. For example, Calligraphy teachers should have a variety of comprehensive German sinologist Lothar Ledderose studied the qualities, master the knowledge of pedagogy and psychology, "modularization" of Chinese calligraphy from the be familiar with foreign culture, and have certain cross- perspective of socialization, and his research perspective is cultural communication ability. In order to enhance the novel. At the same time, it is necessary to probe into the attraction of calligraphy class, it is necessary to try the best tradition of Sinology and pay more attention to the to use intuitive, vivid and interesting teaching methods. noumenon of calligraphy. Italian scholar Billroth studied the interest and charm of Chinese calligraphy in the vision of D. In-depth understanding of Chinese traditional culture China. through calligraphy carrier People's attitude towards calligraphy changed from IV. CONCLUSION focusing on simple techniques to systematic perception and The problems faced by Chinese calligraphy in participation in calligraphy. Calligraphy works have become international Chinese language education are caused by the the materialized form of calligraphers' emotion, morality, particularity of Chinese calligraphy culture, the cultural thinking, character, temperament, will, ideal and other differences between China and the west, the teaching spiritual characters, which embody the philosophy, universe curriculum system of Chinese calligraphy, the quality of and life views of thousands of excellent ancient Chinese teachers and other factors. In order to realize the construction intellectuals. In particular, the philosophy, aesthetic concept of international identity, Chinese calligraphy needs to probe and personality realm contained in the Chinese calligraphy into the current problems, pay attention to the differences art are the concentrated embodiment of the national spirit of between China and the west, and reduce the difficulty in the the Chinese nation, which people urgently need to carry initial stage of learning in cultural comparison, improve the forward and spread. [7] It's known that calligraphy is not teaching curriculum system, and enrich the teaching content only a kind of writing skill, but also a kind of cultural and at different levels, and improve the overall quality of artistic form that needs a lot of skills. Therefore, the students teachers. Gradually, the students can get improvement from can visit some famous calligraphy and painting exhibitions, the external configuration of the font which is the appreciate some calligraphy inscriptions and literati songs in

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representation of calligraphy learning to the aesthetic of calligraphy art. Through the carrier of calligraphy, the students can understand the spirit of traditional Chinese culture, attach importance to the existing achievements in the field of foreign calligraphy research, and expand the theoretical system of calligraphy research and learning, so as to make Chinese calligraphy obtain good results in international Chinese language education.

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