Comparative Analysis of Chinese and Thai Dietary Action Verbs and CFLT Teaching Guidance Scheme

Abstract

        Eating and drinking are essential human activities, and linguistic expressions derived from eating-related actions have long permeated everyday communication. Both Chinese and Thai exhibit similarities as well as distinctive features in their lexical expressions of eating-related actions. From the perspective of Chinese as a Foreign Language Teaching (CFLT), this study employs a sentence-completion task to systematically examine the similarities and differences in the selection of eating-action verbs among 50 native speakers of Chinese and Thai. Prior to analysis, the study draws on sociocultural linguistics and pragmatics to categorize the factors influencing verb choice into two dimensions: physiological needs and sociocultural factors. Based on this framework, the collected data were analyzed. The results reveal significant cross-linguistic differences in basic verb selection strategies, the expression of subtle eating actions, and culturally specific usages involving politeness and social relations. In response to these findings, the study proposes pedagogical suggestions for CFLT vocabulary instruction and further develops a four-stage teaching practice model specifically designed for local Thai Chinese-language teachers. This model provides readily applicable classroom procedures that guide learners to understand and acquire the multiple functions of Chinese eating-action verbs by drawing on their existing life experiences. The proposed instructional approach facilitates learners’ effective transfer of linguistic knowledge, enhances their intercultural pragmatic competence, and better equips them to meet authentic communicative needs.