Doctoral Dissertation Research: Chinese Sentence Processing by First and Second Language Speakers

博士论文研究：第一语言和第二语言使用者的汉语句子处理

• 批准号: 1023660
• 负责人: Bonnie Schwartz
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1023660&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Chinese; Sentence

In real-time sentence processing, the human language processor draws on multiple sources of information and applies them in a rapid fashion. The time pressure of language processing requires highly efficient use of this information. Ideally, second language (L2) learners should also be able to employ all the sources of information as efficiently as first language (L1) speakers, but in reality, it is often difficult. Capitalizing on typological difference between Chinese, English, and Japanese, this dissertation research examines the extent to which L2 learners are able to use different sources of information in online sentence processing and what underlying mechanisms (e.g., L1 transfer, inadequate representation, or cognitive limitations) cause processing difficulties. This research focuses on lexical-semantic, contextual, and morphosyntactic sources of information, which are the major sources of information that the human language parser exploits in making parsing decisions. The project includes four main experiments with intermediate and advanced learners of Chinese, whose L1 is either English or Japanese, as well as native controls. Participants in each experiment complete one of two online tasks -- comprehension-focused self-paced reading or acceptability-judgment self-paced reading -- in addition to an associated offline task. This project is a pioneering study in (L2) Chinese sentence processing. Most of the current theories on L1 and L2 sentence processing have been formulated in the context of languages with inflectional morphology. As a language with virtually no inflectional morphology, Chinese plays a special role in resolving theoretical controversies about the interaction of semantics, context, and morphosyntax during sentence processing. Studying how L1 and L2 speakers process Chinese sentences will help researchers obtain a much richer picture of human sentence processing in general, and L2 sentence processing in particular.

在实时句子处理中，人类语言处理器利用多种信息源并快速应用它们。语言处理的时间压力要求高效地利用这些信息。理想情况下，第二语言 (L2) 学习者也应该能够像第一语言 (L1) 使用者一样有效地利用所有信息源，但实际上，这通常很困难。本论文研究利用中文、英语和日语之间的类型差异，探讨了第二语言学习者在在线句子处理中能够使用不同信息源的程度以及潜在的机制（例如第一语言迁移、表征不足或认知限制）。 ）造成加工困难。这项研究的重点是词汇语义、上下文和形态句法信息源，这些信息源是人类语言解析器在做出解析决策时利用的主要信息源。该项目包括四个主要实验，针对中级和高级汉语学习者（母语为英语或日语）以及母语对照。每个实验的参与者除了相关的离线任务外，还要完成两项在线任务之一——以理解为重点的自定进度阅读或可接受性判断自定进度阅读。该项目是（L2）中文句子处理的开创性研究。当前大多数关于 L1 和 L2 句子处理的理论都是在具有屈折形态的语言背景下制定的。作为一种几乎没有屈折形态的语言，汉语在解决句子处理过程中语义、上下文和形态句法相互作用的理论争议中发挥着特殊的作用。研究 L1 和 L2 说话者如何处理中文句子将有助于研究人员获得更丰富的人类句子处理总体情况，特别是 L2 句子处理。