Entropy-based Sound–Character Mapping for Chinese Character Learning
Supplementary materials
Supplementary materials for the paper “Entropy-based Sound–Character Mapping for Chinese Character Learning,” International Journal of Chinese Language Teaching (2025, Vol. 6, Issue 2, pp. 63–89).
Overview
The paper applies information-theoretic methods to Chinese character acquisition. By quantifying the entropy of the sound-to-character mapping, the work identifies which characters have the most complex (high-uncertainty) phonetic relationships and proposes prioritizing those as learning targets — a data-driven strategy for mastering characters with irregular or high-variance pinyin mappings.
Paper
Supplementary Materials
The supplementary site provides the following downloadable resources:
- Presentation slides (演示文稿)
- Character dictation worksheet (汉字听写练习)
- Worksheet reference table (汉字听写练习参考表格)
- High-entropy, high-frequency pinyin character practice (熵高频高拼音汉字练习参考表格)
- Pleco flashcard file (Pleco 闪卡文件) — compatible with the Pleco mobile flashcard app
Materials are designed for both educators and self-learners who want an evidence-based approach to Chinese character study.