Stylistic variation in L1 and L2 Chinese

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
Xiaoshi Li
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Stylistic Variation ◽  
Teacher Input ◽  
Variation Patterns ◽  
L2 Chinese ◽  
Subject Pronoun ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract This study examines stylistic variation patterns in L1 and L2 Chinese, focusing on two linguistic structures: morphosyntactic particle DE and subject pronoun. The data were from thirteen native speakers, four Chinese instructors, twenty-three L2 Chinese learners, and four Chinese textbooks. Results from variation analysis with frequency description show four general patterns. First, instructors used overt forms of stylistic variants in class significantly more frequently than native speakers did in conversations. Second, learners tended to overuse the overt forms compared with their native speaker peers. Third, learner patterns of stylistic variation aligned closely with those of their teachers. Finally, unlike teacher input, textbook input demonstrated mixed results compared with learner patterns. For DE use, learners’ patterns aligned significantly with those in textbooks, but did not for subject pronoun use. The implications for stylistic variation in conversational and written Chinese are discussed and suggestions are offered for Chinese and foreign language instruction.

scholarly journals THE MANDARIN ORAL MASTERY PROGRAMME AS PERCEIVED BY NON-NATIVE LEARNERS

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Nurul Ain Chua ◽  
Goh Ying Soon ◽  
Mohd Yusri Ibrahim ◽  
Che Hasniza Che Noh ◽  
Noor Rohana Mansor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
Oral Fluency ◽  
Part C ◽  
Strong Indicator ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Mandarin Conversation

Background and Purpose: Pinyin is required in learning Mandarin. The challenge of Romanised Pinyin is that learners must decipher the meaning of words based on the change of tone. Communication research is often conducted without accounting for the effects of the change of tone in learning a language. With the aim of avoiding miscommunication while strengthening awareness, Campus Buddies Programme was employed to provide tone practice for learners and consequently explores the effectiveness of the intervention.   Methodology: This quantitative classroom-based research gathered information through the administration of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 32 Mandarin Level 1 learners identified through purposive sampling. The students studied five topics from the syllabus. A total of 10 native speakers who scored A in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) mentored the learners during the programme. The participants were instructed to answer both pre- and post-tests. Part A consists of demographic details, whereas Part B focuses on the effectiveness of questions and Part C consists of 30 questions of content learned by the respondents. The data were then analysed using SPSS 26 software.   Findings: The respondents demonstrated a positive response towards the programme and suggested further improvement ideas such as prolonging the training session and adding more topics and oral activities. The results implicated the programme as a motivator for oral fluency. Many non-native speakers can benefit from conversation with Mandarin native speakers because it is a strong indicator and sound oral mastery strategy.   Contributions: This research provides insights into the effectiveness of the current programme in motivating students’ oral learning. The outcome is essential in determining the Mandarin conversation strategy. More studies adopting different variables are proposed to explore correlations from different perspectives in order to improve students’ oral learning.   Keywords: Tonal pronunciation, native speakers, non-native speakers, foreign language instruction, Mandarin conversation.   Cite as: Chua, N. A., Soon, G. Y., Ibrahim, M. Y., Che Noh, C. H., Mansor, N. R., Embong Eusoff, A. M., Abdul Rashid, R., & Shen, M. (2022). The Mandarin oral mastery programme as perceived by non-native learners.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(1), 1-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss1pp1-23

scholarly journals Investigation of Native Speaker and Second Language Learner Intuition of Collocation Frequency

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Siyanova ◽  
S Spina
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Very Low Frequency ◽  
Second Language Learner ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L1 And L2

© 2015 Language Learning Research Club, University of Michigan. Research into frequency intuition has focused primarily on native (L1) and, to a lesser degree, nonnative (L2) speaker intuitions about single word frequency. What remains a largely unexplored area is L1 and L2 intuitions about collocation (i.e., phrasal) frequency. To bridge this gap, the present study aimed to answer the following question: How do L2 learners and native speakers compare against each other and corpora in their subjective judgments of collocation frequency? Native speakers and learners of Italian were asked to judge 80 noun-adjective pairings as one of the following: high frequency, medium frequency, low frequency, very low frequency. Both L1 and L2 intuitions of high frequency collocations correlated strongly with corpus frequency. Neither of the two groups of participants exhibited accurate intuitions of medium and low frequency collocations. With regard to very low frequency pairings, L1 but not L2 intuitions were found to correlate with corpora for the majority of the items. Further, mixed-effects modeling revealed that L2 learners were comparable to native speakers in their judgments of the four frequency bands, although some differences did emerge. Taken together, the study provides new insights into the nature of L1 and L2 intuitions about phrasal frequency.

Tone and intonation in Mandarin babytalk to presyllabic infants: Comparison with registers of adult conversation and foreign language instruction

1991 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mechthild Papoušek ◽  
Shu-Fen C. Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction

ABSTRACTSix native speakers of Mandarin Chinese recorded 140 preselected utterances in three role-play contexts that differentially elicited registers of babytalk to presyllabic infants (BTP), foreign language instruction (FLI), and adult conversation (AC). Sound spectrograms were used to obtain 10 measures of fundamental frequency (Fo) patterns for comparisons among the three registers. In FLI, the speakers expanded Fo patterns in time and Fo range in comparison with AC. They clarified lexical tonal information and seemed to reduce suprasegmental information. In BTP, the speakers raised peak and minimum Fo, reduced the rate of Fo fluctuations, and increased the proportion of terminal rising contours. The speakers reduced, neglected, or modified lexical tonal information in favor of simplified and clarified intonation contours. The significance of the results is discussed in relation to tone acquisition in children and to a universal intuitive didactic competence in caretakers.

CONTACT, CONTEXT, AND COLLOCATION

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Kennedy Terry
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Phonological Variation ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Variation Patterns ◽  
Speech Data ◽  
Third Person ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Network Strength

This study uses a mixed-effects model to examine the acquisition of targetlike patterns of phonological variation by 17 English-speaking learners of French during study abroad in France. Naturalistic speech data provide evidence for the incipient acquisition of a phonological variable showing sociostylistic variation in native speaker speech: the elision of /l/ in third-person subject clitic pronouns (il vient [il vjɛ̃] ∼ [i vjɛ̃] “he is coming”). Speech data are compared and correlated with the results of a social network strength scale designed for the study abroad learning context. Results demonstrate that phonological variation patterns are acquired in a predictable order based on token type and collocation and that social networks with native speakers are statistically significant predictors of phonological variation patterns.

scholarly journals Investigation of Native Speaker and Second Language Learner Intuition of Collocation Frequency

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Siyanova ◽  
S Spina
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Very Low Frequency ◽  
Second Language Learner ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L1 And L2

© 2015 Language Learning Research Club, University of Michigan. Research into frequency intuition has focused primarily on native (L1) and, to a lesser degree, nonnative (L2) speaker intuitions about single word frequency. What remains a largely unexplored area is L1 and L2 intuitions about collocation (i.e., phrasal) frequency. To bridge this gap, the present study aimed to answer the following question: How do L2 learners and native speakers compare against each other and corpora in their subjective judgments of collocation frequency? Native speakers and learners of Italian were asked to judge 80 noun-adjective pairings as one of the following: high frequency, medium frequency, low frequency, very low frequency. Both L1 and L2 intuitions of high frequency collocations correlated strongly with corpus frequency. Neither of the two groups of participants exhibited accurate intuitions of medium and low frequency collocations. With regard to very low frequency pairings, L1 but not L2 intuitions were found to correlate with corpora for the majority of the items. Further, mixed-effects modeling revealed that L2 learners were comparable to native speakers in their judgments of the four frequency bands, although some differences did emerge. Taken together, the study provides new insights into the nature of L1 and L2 intuitions about phrasal frequency.

What immersion education still needs: Views from the Irish Year Abroad experience

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Regan
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Acquisition Process ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
Immersion Education ◽  
Variation Patterns ◽  
Sociolinguistic Competence ◽  
Immersion Classroom

Immersion education is justifiably acclaimed. This success is achieved in the classroom and relates to language structures. Recent research, however, demonstrates that one area of acquisition lags behind in immersion speakers’ speech; sociolinguistic competence. Quantitative studies show that acquisition of native speaker variation patterns is less successful in the classroom than in situations of contact with native speakers. This paper provides quantitative evidence on the production of Irish students on a year in France, whose rates and patterns of native variation approximate native speakers more closely than those of students whose access to input is restricted to immersion classroom. The paper presents data in French from secondary level speakers at Irish immersion schools and from Irish Year Abroad university learners, comparing them to Canadian immersion students and charts the effect of contact with native speakers. We conclude that an element of naturalistic learning might be incorporated into the acquisition process of immersion speakers at university.

scholarly journals A Comparative Analysis of Lexical Bundles Used by Native and Non-native Scholars

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Gungor ◽  
Hacer Hande Uysal
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Lexical Knowledge ◽  
Formulaic Sequences ◽  
Lexical Bundles ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Lexical Bundle ◽  
L1 And L2

<p>In the recent years, globalization prepared a ground for English to be the lingua franca of the academia. Thus, most highly prestigious international journals have defined their medium of publications as English. However, even advanced language learners have difficulties in writing their research articles due to the lack of appropriate lexical knowledge and discourse conventions of academia. Considering the fact that the underuse, overuse and misuse of formulaic sequences or lexical bundles are often characterized with non-native writers of English, lexical bundle studies have recently been on the top of the agenda of corpus studies. Although the related literature has represented specific genres or disciplines, no study has scrutinized lexical bundles in the research articles that are written in the educational sciences. Therefore, the current study compared the structural and functional characteristics of the lexical-bundle use in L1 and L2 research articles in English. The results revealed the deviation of the usages of lexical bundles by the non-native speakers of English from the native speaker norms. Furthermore, the results indicated the overuse of clausal or verb-phrase based lexical bundles in the research articles of Turkish scholars while their native counterparts used noun and prepositional phrase-based lexical bundles more than clausal bundles.</p>

LEARNER VERSUS NONLEARNER PATTERNS OF STYLISTIC VARIATION IN SYNCHRONOUS COMPUTER-MEDIATED FRENCH

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémi A. van Compernolle ◽  
Lawrence Williams
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
French Language ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Stylistic Variation ◽  
Person Plural ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Second Year ◽  
First Person Plural

This study analyzes stylistic variation among first-, second-, and third-year instructed learners of French engaged in synchronous French-language computer-mediated communication (CMC) and compares the results with data from nonlearner discourse in a public, noneducational synchronous CMC environment. We focus specifically on variability inyes/noquestion (YNQ) structures and the use of the pronounsnous“we” andon“one” or “we” for first-person plural reference. The results suggest that whereas first- and second-year learners rarely use informal variants, third-year students approximate—but do not actually reach—native-speaker norms. Contrary to expectations, however, no positive correlation was found between the increased use of the informal pronoun and the informal YNQ structure. Finally, we argue for more in-depth case studies that combine analyses of performance data, competence data, and individual learner histories to determine when, why, and how second language users begin to recognize and emulate native speakers’ sociolinguistic norms and variation.

scholarly journals A Study of Iranian EFL University Lecturers’ Practice of Code Switching in English as Foreign Language Instruction

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Gholamhossein Shabani ◽  
Ramin Asadi Jamnani ◽  
Davood Mashhadi Heidar
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Foreign Language Instruction ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
University Lecturers

<p>This study aimed at investigating where and the purposes for which code-switching is used by Iranian EFL lecturers in universities as foreign languageinstruction.The data of this study were gathered from two sources: six EFL university lecturers from three local universities where they taught English as EFL instruction.Theywere interviewed individually regarding the use of code-switching in their classrooms in order to reveal their purposes of using this strategy as well as their participants’ understandings of code-switching as a language teaching strategy. The interviews took 30-40 minutes each. The interviews were finally transcribed and the main themes were coded to answer the research questions; the second group of participants was students as native speakers of Persian. Ninety undergraduates from the three universities were randomly chosen from among those students majoring in TEFL. They were majoring in the first grade of the academic program. To this end, an eleven-item questionnaire was given to them to elicit their responses for the contexts and the reasons for which code-switching was preferred.The data from interview with EFL lecturers as well those of the students’ responses were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using SPSS, respectively, to determine where and for what purposes codes-switching were applied or practiced in EFL classrooms. The findings of the study indicated that their code-switching habits were connected to what was being taught. Their code-switching had to do with efficiency in their teaching and how to make it easier for the students to understand what they were teaching. <strong></strong></p>

What does and doesn’t affect L2 overt pronoun production

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Nagano
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Total Rate ◽  
Argument Position ◽  
Overt Pronouns ◽  
Overt Pronoun ◽  
Pronoun Use ◽  
Corpus Data ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract This study examined corpus data from learners of Japanese whose L1s are English, Korean, and Mandarin (as well as native-speaker Japanese controls), in order to investigate the effect of two separate (but sometimes conflated) potential influences on overt pronoun production in the L2: (i) whether or not the L1 is a topic-drop language (like Japanese), and (ii) the properties of overt pronouns in the L1 compared to those of Japanese. In order to investigate (i), the rate of overt pronoun use in topic/argument position for all three learner groups was tabulated and compared to that of native speakers. In order to investigate (ii), total rate of overt pronoun use in all positions was tabulated, as well as the type of case-/discourse-marking particles that accompanied overt pronouns in each learner group, compared to native speakers. Results show no influence of L1 topic-drop status, but some influence of L1 overt pronoun properties, in the form of (a) interactions between the morphosyntax of pronouns and broader DP/NP structure in the L1 and L2, and (b) shared discourse properties of the overt pronoun in the L1 and L2.

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