Acquisition of Chinese Quadra-Syllabic Idiomatic Expressions: Effects of Semantic Opacity and Structural Symmetry

Autor/inn/en	Li, Liu; Hin Tat, Cheung
Titel	Acquisition of Chinese Quadra-Syllabic Idiomatic Expressions: Effects of Semantic Opacity and Structural Symmetry
Quelle	In: First Language, 34 (2014) 4, S.336-353 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0142-7237
DOI	10.1177/0142723714544409
Schlagwörter	Semantics; Language Acquisition; Figurative Language; Chinese; Task Analysis; Sentences; Difficulty Level; Adults; Preadolescents; Linguistic Theory; Language Processing; Language Research; Native Speakers; Asians; Multiple Choice Tests; Language Tests; Undergraduate Students; Elementary School Students; Foreign Countries; China (Guangzhou) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Semantik; Sprachaneignung; Spracherwerb; China; Chinesen; Aufgabenanalyse; Sentence analysis; Satzanalyse; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Pre-adolescence; Präadoleszenz; Linguistische Theorie; Sprachverarbeitung; Sprachforschung; Muttersprachler; Asian; Asiat; Asiatin; Asiaten; Asiate; Multiple choice examinations; Multiple-choice tests, Multiple-choice examinations; Multiple-Choice-Verfahren; Language test; Sprachtest; Ausland
Abstract	Idiomatic expressions pose substantial learning difficulties for learners across languages and tend to be acquired later in the course of language development both in L1 and L2. A number of factors have been identified as contributing to this difficulty. However, cross-linguistic studies on figurative language acquisition are still rare. The present study investigated the effect of semantic opacity and syntactic symmetry during the learning of Chinese four-character idioms (or QIEs: "quadra-syllabic idiomatic expressions") with 11-year-olds and adult native speakers. Participants first completed a sentence production task and then a multiple choice comprehension test. Results showed that the degree of semantic opacity consistently influenced participants' performance in both tasks; syntactic symmetry played a significant role in the comprehension but not in the sentence production task. Participants were better at understanding than producing sentences with QIEs. But few could form correct sentences with the QIEs that they did not comprehend correctly. The results are discussed in light of Nippold's metasemantic hypothesis and the salient linguistic feature of QIEs. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01