从《当代中文》韩语版看全球化教材的本土化问题

Abstract

The Office of Chinese Language International or Hanban and Confucius Institute Headquarters released a set of Mandarin textbook, Dangdai Zhongwen. It was edited by Zhongwei Wu and published by Sinolingua, Beijing. It aimed to be used by many learners at the Confucius Institutes all over the world so has been translated in as many as 44 different languages. This article attempts to examine its Korean edition, named Hyeondae Junggugeo. It was translated by Yiyun An and published by Sinolingua in 2009. This article attempts to examine how the Korean version of Dangdai Zhongwen is suitable for the Korean learners of elementary Mandarin. It analyses this textbook from three perspectives: principles of compiling second language textbooks, format, and contents. The most crucial problem of this global textbook is insufficient localization that led to be less attractive to the learners, unrealistic and artificial dialogues, and discrepant and awkward background settings. This article points out that the success of a Mandarin textbook designed for global use depends on the success of translation which is expected to fulfill local needs and expectation. Without sufficient localization of the textbook in format and contents, a textbook for global use can hardly be acceptable by local learners. Accordingly, this article proposes Hanban, the Office of Chinese Language International and Confucius Institute Headquarters to publish an independent textbook specifically for the Korean learners or at least four to five totally independent basic textbooks, one for each continent in the world, to be translated into different languages in each continent. In addition, it proposes Hanban to revise those problems that are pointed out in this article very thoroughly and to publish the second edition of Korean version of Dangdai Zhongwen.