中文的同音字特別多。常用漢字字數約有三千多個，其中有許多不同字形、字義的同音字，對於母語非中文的外籍學習者來說，是產生辨認及識寫困難的主要原因之一。自古以來漢語藉著同音字多的語言特性為基礎，就發展出豐富的諧音文化，影響廣大且深遠。諧音漢字運用同音和近音字的特性，使字義產生兩種以上的指涉，具有顯性和隱性語義，能創造語言應用的妙趣。然而，對於尚未清楚掌握漢字形音義連結關係的外籍學習者來說，可能對生活中的諧音真實語料習以為常而不曾察覺異狀，因而容易混淆而寫出同音或近音錯別字。許多漢語口語程度遠高於漢字程度的二語學習者在漢字偏誤中有許多同音別字。在漢字學習的中介過程中，隨著識字量增加，別字偏誤在中高級程度學習者的整體偏誤比例中逐漸增多。本研究透過先導研究瞭解此現象的概況，接著以ADDIE系統化教學設計模式，結合相關之理論為基礎，嘗試設計並發展同音字趣味教學課程，成為漢字閱讀課程之教學媒材，希望增進學習者的同音字辨識意識，也更瞭解漢字的形音義連結關係，增進漢字辨認與識寫的學習成效，並能於日常生活中解讀諧音真實語料的語言遊戲，減少別字偏誤。研究結果指出，同音字趣味教學經學習者、教學者、觀課者三方檢證，得出學習者的漢字認讀與識寫成效有顯著進步，且其漢字認知能力可進入長期記憶，並因集中識字而有效歸納。漢字教學應兼顧多元學習策略，善用豐富趣味且循序漸進的活動，使學習者在活動與練習後，自我建構漢字形音義認知關係。
There are about three thousand characters that are most commonly used in Chinese; many of them are homophones of different graphic forms and meanings. This is one of the main reasons non-native speakers of Chinese have difficulty and confusion in visual word recognition of and learning to write in Chinese. In addition, Chinese character has built many of its language characteristics on the abundance of its homophones and has developed a deep and profound culture of homophones used since ancient times. The unique characteristic of Chinese homophones is that they may have explicit and implicit meaning, which can lead to interesting configurations and word play; however, for a Chinese character learner who is not yet familiar with the Chinese language, it could be difficult for them to grasp the innuendo and intricacies of the homophones—especially if they are not characters encountered often in daily life. Even many second language learners with proficient oral communication skills make many homophonic errors. As the number of characters learned increases, the percentage of making errors in homophones also increases. After reviewing previous studies on language learning, employing the ADDIE instructional system design model, and applying innovative homophonic character instructional curriculum in Chinese character reading materials, we hope to improve learners' recognition and ability to distinguish homophonic words; realize the connections of Chinese characters with their graphic and phonological forms, and meanings, improve the learning effects of the visual word recognition and writing system, understand the homophonic puns in daily life; and reduce other Chinese character recognition errors. As evinced by students, teachers and observers, the research indicates that our innovative homophonic character instructional curriculum helped learners significantly improve their visual word recognition and writing abilities of Chinese characters. Research further illustrated that it is possible for the cognition of Chinese characters to become imbedded in long-term memory and generalized effectively due to collective word-recognition. Chinese character instruction and education should employ multiple learning strategies by using various innovative and step-by-step activities. Consequently, after doing the activities and exercises, we hope that the learners are able to build recognition and connections of graphic forms, phonological forms and meanings independently.
