Analysis and Categorization of Phonetic Similarity of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Sino-Korean Words in Beginner Korean Vocabulary : Focusing on Noun Vocabulary in Levels 1 and 2 of the International Standard Curriculum for Korean Language

要旨

This study quantitatively analyzed and categorized the surface phonetic similarity of Sino-Korean nouns among Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, focusing on levels 1 and 2 of the International Standard Curriculum for Korean Language. The objective of this research is to propose vocabulary teaching priorities for learners from the Sinosphere and to enhance the efficiency of vocabulary learning at the beginner level. A total of 385 Sino-Korean nouns (153 from Level 1 and 232 from Level 2) were selected as the final subjects of analysis. Similarity was measured based on Korean phonetic transcriptions, with scores assigned according to the correspondence of segments and syllable counts, which were then converted into percentages for statistical analysis. The results indicated that the average similarity between Korean and Chinese was 59.97% for Level 1 and 63.24% for Level 2. The average similarity between Korean and Japanese was 49.36% for Level 1 and 57.06% for Level 2, showing a trend where similarity increases as the proficiency level progresses. Based on a similarity threshold of 67%, the vocabulary was classified into four groups: ‘Low Korean-Chinese-Japanese Similarity’ (47.0%), ‘Korean-Chinese Similarity’ (28.6%), ‘Korean-Japanese Similarity’ (13.8%), and ‘High Korean-Chinese-Japanese Similarity’ (10.6%). This research holds educational significance as it quantitatively demonstrates the cognitive influence of learners' native language knowledge on Korean language acquisition. Furthermore, it establishes a practical classification system for strategic ‘selection and focus’ in vocabulary instruction for learners within the Chinese character culture area.

主題