This study focuses on the construction of a dimensional framework for international students' literary comprehension and interpretation abilities. Based on an analysis of the current state of literary pedagogy research in international Chinese education and the dissemination of contemporary Chinese literature, it draws upon Byram's model of cross-cultural communication competence, Deardorff's model of cross-cultural competence, as well as the "Outline for the Chinese Proficiency Test in International Chinese Education", the "Grading Standards for Chinese Reading in International Chinese Education" (Adults), and the "Reference Framework for Teaching Chinese Culture and National Conditions in International Chinese Education", this study proposes and substantiates a three-dimensional competency framework comprising the "Comprehension Layer—Processing Layer—Interpretation Layer." The Comprehension Layer focuses on the identification of culture-laden words and the activation of cultural schemas; the Processing Layer emphasizes the inference of literary themes and cross-cultural comparisons; and the Interpretation Layer aims at grasping deep cultural connotations and creative output. The study further clarifies the influence mechanisms of literary discourse feature variables (transparency of culture-laden words, explicitness of literary themes, and clarity of cultural connotations) and individual learner variables (ethnic background and cultural distance) on the three dimensions. Based on these findings, the study proposes a tiered text selection mechanism, a "three-stage" progressive instructional design, and multi-level assessment methods to facilitate a systematic shift in literary instruction within international Chinese language education from "language skills training" to "the cultivation of literary comprehension and interpretation abilities."
Research Article
Open Access