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Article published In: Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 56:1 (2021) ► pp.21–48

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The influence of L1 translation familiarity on the acquisition of L2 Chinese antonyms

 | Johns Hopkins University
Published online: 1 October 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.20003.yan
Abstract
As a partial replication of Tagashira, K., Kida, S., & Hoshino, Y. (2010). Hot or gelid? The influence of L1 translation familiarity on the interference effects in foreign language vocabulary learning. System, 381, 412–421. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar, the present study examined first language (L1) translation familiarity effect on second language (L2) antonym acquisition among English-speaking intermediate-level Chinese learners. Fifteen students learned 15 antonymous pairs with familiar or unfamiliar L1 translations and completed two multiple-choice posttests. Their learning strategies were also collected. Results showed (a) a delayed L1 familiarity effect, (b) better retention and lower interference of L2 pairs with familiar L1 translations, (c) low retention of L2 pairs with unfamiliar L1 translations for both words, and (d) more orthographic elaboration strategies employed. The findings suggest that L2 instructors present antonyms in pairs, avoid providing a single, unfamiliar L1 translation, and encourage the use of orthographic elaboration strategies.
摘要
作为对Tagashira等人(2010)研究的部分重复研究，本研究以15名英语为母语的中级汉语学习者为被试，采取纸笔测验方式，考察母语对译词的熟悉度对二语反义词习得的影响。本研究采用15对反义词对作为实验材料，并提供高熟悉度和低熟悉度的母语对译词，要求被试学习反义词对。学习阶段结束后，被试完成即时和延时后测，后测形式为选择正确的词语释义，并提供选择特定选项的原因（学习策略）。研究结果显示，母语对译词的熟悉度对反义词对的习得效果有影响，但该影响只出现在延时后测中；配有高熟悉度母语对译词的反义词对习得效果更好，词对之间的干扰更小；配有低熟悉度母语对译词的反义词对习得效果最差；学习者更多采用词形精细加工的学习策略。本研究的结果提示我们，在汉语作为第二语言的反义词教学中，教师可以以词对形式呈现反义词，避免使用较低熟悉度的母语对译词，并鼓励词形精细加工学习策略的使用。
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
    • Presenting vocabulary in semantic sets
    • Role of L1 translation in L2 vocabulary learning
    • L2 vocabulary learning strategy
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Instruments
    • Procedures
    • Data analysis
  • Results
    • L1 translation familiarity effect on retention and interference
    • Strategies for learning L2 antonyms
  • Discussion
    • L1 familiarity effect on retention
    • L1 familiarity effect on interference
    • Strategies for learning L2 antonyms
  • Conclusions and implications
  • References
References (103)
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