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The Acquisition of Aspect in Chinese Based on Learners’ L1 Typology: An Analysis Based on the TUFS Co-referential Learner Corpora of Chinese and Japanese

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Learner Corpora: Construction and Explorations in Chinese and Related Languages

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Abstract

This chapter reports on a bi-directional study that investigated the second language acquisition of telic forms in Chinese and Japanese grammar based on TUFS (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) co- referential learner corpora of Chinese and Japanese. First, the TUFS Japanese Learner Corpus of Chinese shows that Japanese learners learning Chinese have difficulties acquiring resultative compound verbs expressing telicity and the atelic auxiliary verb “huì”. Second, the TUFS Chinese Learner Corpus of Japanese shows that Chinese learners learning Japanese have difficulties acquiring aspectual compound verbs (e.g., inchoative “V-kakeru/kakaru, - dasu”(start to ~ )and completive “V- ageru/-agaru”(complete to~), and overuse of resultative intransitive verbs in transitive/intransitive pairs in Japanese. We claim that these difficulties in learning telicity are due to a typological difference in cognition: Chinese is a “bounded-cognition prominent” type language while Japanese is an “unbounded-cognition prominent” type language. We also explore effective pedagogy based on learner’s native languages.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    As for the translation task from Chinese to Japanese, refer to the appendix in Chap. 4.

Abbreviations

ACC:

Accusative

ASP:

Aspect

CAU:

Causative suffix

DAT:

Dative

DES:

Desiderative form

GEN:

Genitive

INS:

Instrumental

ITS:

Intransitive suffix

NEG:

Negative

NML:

Nominalizer

NOM:

Nominative

NONPAST:

Nonpast

PAST:

Past

PP:

Pragmatic particle

PSS:

Passive suffix

POL:

Polite suffix

QT:

Quotative particle

SE:

Sentence extender

SFX:

Suffix

TOP:

Topic marking particle

TRS:

Transitive suffix

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Acknowledgements

This research received the following funding.

[1] Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JSPS KAKEN (JP16H01934) “Japanese Learner Corpus Development through International Collaboration and Applied Research into Language Acquisition and Education” (2016–2020, PI: Kumiko Sakoda).

[2] Tokyo University of Foreign Studies International Center for Japan Studies “Japanese Learner Corpus Project” (2016–2019, PI: Keiko Mochizuki).

[3] Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JSPS KEKEN (JP17H0235) “Research on cross-referential learners’ corpora of English, Chinese and Japanese though international educational collaboration at secondary and tertiary levels” (2017–2020, PI: Keiko Mochizuki).

[4] Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research JSPS KAKEN (JP 20H01278) “Research on cross-referential learners’ corpora of English, Chinese and Japanese though international educational collaboration at secondary and tertiary levels” (2020–2022, PI: Keiko Mochizuki).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 3-11-1 Asahicho, Fuchu City, Tokyo, Japan

    Keiko Mochizuki

  2. Department of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

    Yasuhiro Shirai

Authors
  1. Keiko Mochizuki
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  2. Yasuhiro Shirai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keiko Mochizuki .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Howard Hao-Jan Chen

  2. Graduate School of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, Japan

    Keiko Mochizuki

  3. Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Hongyin Tao

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Mochizuki, K., Shirai, Y. (2023). The Acquisition of Aspect in Chinese Based on Learners’ L1 Typology: An Analysis Based on the TUFS Co-referential Learner Corpora of Chinese and Japanese. In: Chen, H.HJ., Mochizuki, K., Tao, H. (eds) Learner Corpora: Construction and Explorations in Chinese and Related Languages. Chinese Language Learning Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5731-4_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5731-4_11

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