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The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language
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The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2020) | Viewed by 40301

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Xiaohong Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chinese Studies Program, University of Houston, 3553 Cullen Blvd., Houston, TX 77204-3006, USA
Interests: Chinese language acquisiton; language learning motivation; L2 Chinese pragmatic development; psycholinguistics; heritage speakers; research-based instruction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting you to submit manuscripts for the special issue: Acquisition of Chinese as a First and a Second Language. This issue is a highly selective collection of studies adopting quantitative and qualitative paradigms on issues related to the learning of Chinese as a first and a second language. This issue represents cutting-edge research that is theoretically motivated with empirical data and diverse research methods to yield findings that provide a broader understanding of Chinese language acquisition. In addition, we envision that the studies in this special issue will provide insightful findings that further our understanding of the complexities of Chinese language learning and instruction.

The special issue, Acquisition of Chinese as a First and a Second Language, welcomes studies from a broad range of contexts. We are interested in both studies that critically examine issues related to Chinese language acquisition and empirical studies that provide findings through solid data and research design. We encourage the submission of papers based on high-quality graduate theses/dissertations.  Possible topics include but are not limited to: cognitive aspects of Chinese L1 and L2 acquisition, psychological and social-contextual aspects of Chinese acquisition, L2 Chinese motivation, literacy development, heritage language learners, and classroom-based research.

The deadline for abstract submissions is September 15, 2019. The length of abstracts should be around 500 words. Abstracts can be sent to the Guest Editor of this volume ([email protected]) or to Languages editorial office ([email protected]). Once the abstract is approved, we expect to receive a full version of the manuscript by February 15, 2020.

All submitted manuscripts will be anonymously reviewed. The assessment criteria include originality and significance of research, theoretically-driven literature review and currency of references, validity and reliability of research designs and methods. As to the projected length of the Special Issue and articles, the overall target length of this Special Issue would be 90,000 to 135,000 words with manuscripts that are between 8000 and 10,000 words in length.

The tentative completion schedule is as follows:

  • Abstract submission deadline: September 15, 2019 (2 pages maximum)
  • Notification of abstract acceptance: October 15, 2019
  • Full manuscript deadline: February 15, 2020 (targeted)

We look forward to your submissions!

Prof. Xiaohong Wen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Cognitive aspects of Chinese L1 and L2 acquisition
  • Psychological and social-contextual aspects of Chinese language acquisition
  • Chinese heritage language learners
  • Classroom-based acquisition research

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

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11 pages, 491 KiB  
Editorial
The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language
by Xiaohong Wen
Languages 2020, 5(3), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5030032 - 3 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5096
Abstract
The last two decades have witnessed a surge of interest in learning Chinese as a second language (L2 Chinese) [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

21 pages, 1609 KiB  
Article
Syntactic and Discourse Features in Chinese Heritage Grammars: A Case of Acquiring Features in the Chinese Sentence-Final Particle ba
by Shanshan Yan
Languages 2020, 5(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020026 - 22 Jun 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4166
Abstract
This study investigates how syntactic and discourse features of Chinese sentence-final particles (the question particle ba and the suggestion particle ba) are reconfigured in Chinese heritage grammars. It has been argued that features of the Chinese particles ba are present in English [...] Read more.
This study investigates how syntactic and discourse features of Chinese sentence-final particles (the question particle ba and the suggestion particle ba) are reconfigured in Chinese heritage grammars. It has been argued that features of the Chinese particles ba are present in English but are configured differently. An acceptability judgment task, a discourse completion task, and a translation task were adopted in this study. In total, 35 Chinese heritage speakers and 18 Chinese native speakers took part in this study. The results show that none of the heritage speaker groups had any problem in configuring the discourse feature of the suggestion particle ba and the syntactic features of the question particle ba. However, none of them could successfully reconfigure the discourse feature of the question particle ba. It seems that the effects of dominant language transfer, reduced Chinese input, and limited processing resources play roles in the reconfiguration of discourse features in heritage grammars. As compared to previous L2 studies regarding the same phenomenon, heritage speakers with more and early Chinese input seem to have advantages over L2 learners in terms of syntactic features. L2 learners are found to be slightly better than heritage speakers in terms of reconfiguring some discourse properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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21 pages, 712 KiB  
Article
Metadiscourse, Cohesion, and Engagement in L2 Written Discourse
by Jianling Liao
Languages 2020, 5(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020025 - 5 Jun 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4384
Abstract
The current study examines how L2 Chinese writers at different proficiencies employed various metadiscourse devices to shape their written descriptive discourse and also whether various metadiscourse features may distinguish levels of writing proficiency. The study also looks at how L2 learners’ use of [...] Read more.
The current study examines how L2 Chinese writers at different proficiencies employed various metadiscourse devices to shape their written descriptive discourse and also whether various metadiscourse features may distinguish levels of writing proficiency. The study also looks at how L2 learners’ use of metadiscourse devices is related to their linguistic performances in descriptive writing. The findings revealed differential metadiscourse use by learners at different proficiencies on local, global, and textual organizational dimensions. For instance, compared to low-proficiency writers, more proficient writers used significantly more conditional/hypothetical markers, frame markers, and engagement markers. Multiple metadiscourse features also demonstrated significant positive and negative correlations with each other, suggesting patterns of decreases and increases in the use of particular organizational features. Several metadiscourse features characteristic of more advanced writers also displayed positive relationships with linguistic features. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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17 pages, 1887 KiB  
Article
A Longitudinal Study of the Acquisition of the Polysemous Verb 打 dǎ in Mandarin Chinese
by Jidong Chen and Xinchun Wang
Languages 2020, 5(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020023 - 18 May 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3325
Abstract
Lexical ambiguity abounds in languages and multiple one-to-many form-function mappings create challenges for language learners. This study extends the theoretical approaches to the acquisition of polysemy to the Mandarin verb 打 dǎ, which is highly polysemous and among the earliest verbs in [...] Read more.
Lexical ambiguity abounds in languages and multiple one-to-many form-function mappings create challenges for language learners. This study extends the theoretical approaches to the acquisition of polysemy to the Mandarin verb 打 dǎ, which is highly polysemous and among the earliest verbs in child speech. It analyzes longitudinal naturalistic data of nine children (1;05–3;10) from two Mandarin child speech corpora to explore the developmental trajectory of different senses of 打 dǎ and the role of input. The results support a continuous derivational and restricted monosemy approach: children initially extract a core feature of 打 dǎ, but only apply it in a restricted way, reflected in a small number of senses in a limited set of semantic domains and syntactic frames, revealing an early preference for initial unambiguous form-meaning mappings. Mandarin-speaking children’s production mirrors the semantic and syntactic distribution of the input, supporting the usage-based approach to the acquisition of polysemy that meaning is derived from the confluence of lexical and syntactic cues in the usage patterns in the input. Our research is the first longitudinal study of the emergence and development of polysemous verbs in Mandarin and has pedagogical implications for teaching Mandarin as a second language. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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21 pages, 578 KiB  
Article
Effects of Metacognitive Strategy Training on Chinese Listening Comprehension
by Yanmei Liu
Languages 2020, 5(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020021 - 15 May 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5464
Abstract
In an exploration of solutions to improve Chinese second language learners’ listening comprehension, this quantitative quasi-experimental study examines the effects of metacognitive strategy training (MST) on learners’ metacognitive awareness, listening performance, and proficiency in an intensive language training program. In contrast with the [...] Read more.
In an exploration of solutions to improve Chinese second language learners’ listening comprehension, this quantitative quasi-experimental study examines the effects of metacognitive strategy training (MST) on learners’ metacognitive awareness, listening performance, and proficiency in an intensive language training program. In contrast with the extant research, this study designed a metacognitive learning cycle model, including self-diagnosis, planning, monitoring, evaluation, regulation, and reflection strategies, as the content of the MST. Six classes, comprised of a total of 80 participants, were assigned into three groups: Self-directed, teacher-led, and control groups. The Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire and a listening comprehension test were administered as pre- and post-tests, in addition to a proficiency test as a post-test only. Results demonstrate no significant differences in metacognitive awareness development, listening performance gains, and proficiency test results among the three groups. The results do indicate that the self-directed MST better enhances development of students’ planning and evaluation awareness, and teacher-led MST workshops with special emphasis on the area of monitoring strategy will help students raise awareness. The findings of this study reveal that insufficient training time and MST without the integration of cognitive strategies do not yield significant effects. It is suggested that future MSTs should involve sufficient training time and effective follow-ups to ensure its positive effects. This study proposes that the effectiveness of MST could be improved by combining it with cognitive strategies training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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15 pages, 743 KiB  
Article
The Acquisition of Mandarin Consonants by English Learners: The Relationship between Perception and Production
by Xinchun Wang and Jidong Chen
Languages 2020, 5(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020020 - 13 May 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5039
Abstract
This study investigates native English CFL (Chinese as a Foreign Language) learners’ difficulties with Mandarin consonants at the initial stage of learning and explores the relationship between second language (L2) speech perception and production. Twenty-five native English CFL learners read the eight Mandarin [...] Read more.
This study investigates native English CFL (Chinese as a Foreign Language) learners’ difficulties with Mandarin consonants at the initial stage of learning and explores the relationship between second language (L2) speech perception and production. Twenty-five native English CFL learners read the eight Mandarin consonants (j/tɕ/, q /tɕʰ/, x /ɕ/, zh /tʂ/, ch /tʂʰ/, sh /ʂ/, z /ts/, and c /tsʰ/) in sentences and identified the target sounds in a forced-choice identification task. Native Mandarin listeners identified the consonants produced by the learners and rated the quality of each sound they identified along a scale of 1 (poor) to 7 (good). The learners’ mean percentage accuracy scores ranged from 29% to 80% for perception and 25% to 88% for production. Moderate correlations between the perception and production scores were found for two of the eight target sounds. The Mandarin retroflex, palatal, and dental fricatives and affricates, though all lack counterparts in English, pose different problems to the English CFL learners. The misperceived retroflex and palatal sounds were substituted with each other in perception but mis-produced palatal sounds were substituted with each other, not with retroflex sounds. The relationship between perception and production of L2 consonants is not straightforward. The findings are discussed in terms of current speech learning models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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22 pages, 754 KiB  
Article
Perfective -le Use and Consciousness-Raising among Beginner-Level Chinese Learners
by Yi Xu
Languages 2020, 5(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020016 - 17 Apr 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3258
Abstract
Within the framework of explicit learning and consciousness-raising, this study investigates patterns in the use of -le in authentic classroom tasks by beginner-level learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). It also explores the role and the processes of student-centered consciousness-raising [...] Read more.
Within the framework of explicit learning and consciousness-raising, this study investigates patterns in the use of -le in authentic classroom tasks by beginner-level learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). It also explores the role and the processes of student-centered consciousness-raising in explicit knowledge building. Twenty-five participants completed a grammaticality judgment task, an interactive role-play task, and a written editing task. The experiment group received role-play sheets with explicit forms of -le provided, and participants engaged in rule induction of -le in forbidden context in the role-play session. Results showed that beginner-level learners’ difficulty with -le use manifested in different ways in these tasks, and -le underuse occurred more than overuse in the control group’s oral role-play task. Consciousness-raising through unguided small group rule induction supported participants’ learning of -le usage constraints, shown by differences between the control and experiment groups’ performances in the posttest. Through a qualitative analysis of participants’ analytical talk transcripts, the processes and outcomes of small group rule induction are examined and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
13 pages, 2482 KiB  
Article
Information Structure and Word Order Preference in Child and Adult Speech of Mandarin Chinese
by Jidong Chen, Bhuvana Narasimhan, Angel Chan, Wenchun Yang and Shu Yang
Languages 2020, 5(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020014 - 14 Apr 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3451
Abstract
The acquisition of appropriate linguistic markers of information structure (IS), e.g., word order and specific lexical and syntactic constructions, is a rather late development. This study revisits the debate on language-general preferred word order in IS and examines the use of language-specific means [...] Read more.
The acquisition of appropriate linguistic markers of information structure (IS), e.g., word order and specific lexical and syntactic constructions, is a rather late development. This study revisits the debate on language-general preferred word order in IS and examines the use of language-specific means to encode IS in Mandarin Chinese. An elicited production study of conjunct noun phrases (NPs) of new and old referents was conducted with native Mandarin-speaking children (N = 24, mean age 4;6) and adults (N = 25, mean age 26). (The age of children is conventionally notated as years;months). The result shows that adults differ significantly from children in preferring the “old-before-new” word order. This corroborates prior findings in other languages (e.g., German, English, Arabic) that adults prefer a language-general “old-before-new” IS, whereas children disprefer or show no preference for that order. Despite different word order preferences, Mandarin-speaking children and adults resemble each other in the lexical and syntactic forms to encode old and new referents: bare NPs dominate the conjunct NPs, and indefinite classifier NPs are used for both the old and the new referents, but when only one classifier phrase is produced, it is predominantly used to refer to the new referents, which suggests children’s early sensitivity to language-specific syntactic devices to mark IS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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15 pages, 823 KiB  
Article
Relating Lexical Access and Second Language Speaking Performance
by Yu Liu
Languages 2020, 5(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages5020013 - 13 Apr 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3581
Abstract
Vocabulary plays a key role in speech production, affecting multiple stages of language processing. This pilot study investigates the relationships between second language (L2) learners’ lexical access and their speaking fluency, speaking accuracy, and speaking complexity. Fifteen L2 learners of Chinese participated in [...] Read more.
Vocabulary plays a key role in speech production, affecting multiple stages of language processing. This pilot study investigates the relationships between second language (L2) learners’ lexical access and their speaking fluency, speaking accuracy, and speaking complexity. Fifteen L2 learners of Chinese participated in the experiment. A task-specific, native-referenced vocabulary test was used to measure learners’ vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed. Learners’ speaking performance was measured by thirteen variables. The results showed that lexical access was significantly correlated with learners’ speech rate, lexical accuracy, syntactic accuracy, and lexical complexity. Vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed were significant predictors of speech rate. However, vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed each affected learners’ speaking performance differently. Learners’ speaking fluency, accuracy, and complexity were all affected by vocabulary size. No significant correlation was found between lexical retrieval speed and syntactic complexity. Findings in this study support the Model of Bilingual Speech Production, revealing the significant role lexical access plays in L2 speech production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Acquisition of Chinese as a First and Second Language)
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