L2 acquisition of the progressive marker zai in Mandarin Chinese
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Feng-hsi Liu,
LIU Feng-hsi teaches Chinese and Chinese linguistics at the University of Arizona. She is the director of the Chinese language program. Her research interests include Chinese syntax and semantics, in particular, tense, aspect and event structure, and second language acquisition of semantic concepts.
Abstract
Two studies on L2 acquisition of the progressive marker zai in Mandarin Chinese by native English speakers were conducted to investigate the interaction between L1 influence and the congruence of lexical aspect and tense-aspect morphology, as formulated in the aspect hypothesis. The two factors make opposite predictions with respect to the early stage and the acquisition process. The findings from a judgment task and a production task show that the observed pattern is neither predicted by the aspect hypothesis alone nor entirely conditioned by L1 influence. Rather, it is the result of both forces at work. At the early stage zai is associated with activities and accomplishments involving goal or distance. In the acquisition process, both widening and narrowing of predicate types are observed. The findings also show that the L1 effect does not disappear at the same time, but proceeds in stages. In the case of zai marking, the L1 effect weakening process is governed by the strength of event ending that is part of the meaning of the predicates.
About the author
LIU Feng-hsi teaches Chinese and Chinese linguistics at the University of Arizona. She is the director of the Chinese language program. Her research interests include Chinese syntax and semantics, in particular, tense, aspect and event structure, and second language acquisition of semantic concepts.
©[2012] by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Masthead
- L2 acquisition of the progressive marker zai in Mandarin Chinese
- A study on Chinese-character learning strategies and character learning performance among American learners of Chinese
- When in China, do as the Chinese do? Learning compliment responding in a study abroad program
- Abstracts of the English papers in Chinese
- 汉语的主观情态和客观情态
- 加拿大大学生汉语语音成功习得策略—兼论语言习得关键期假说
- 汉语教材词语注解中文化因素的呈现
- Abstracts of the Chinese papers in English
- Contributors to this issue
Articles in the same Issue
- Masthead
- L2 acquisition of the progressive marker zai in Mandarin Chinese
- A study on Chinese-character learning strategies and character learning performance among American learners of Chinese
- When in China, do as the Chinese do? Learning compliment responding in a study abroad program
- Abstracts of the English papers in Chinese
- 汉语的主观情态和客观情态
- 加拿大大学生汉语语音成功习得策略—兼论语言习得关键期假说
- 汉语教材词语注解中文化因素的呈现
- Abstracts of the Chinese papers in English
- Contributors to this issue
