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Effects of Word Semantic Transparency, Context Length, and L1 Background on CSL Learners’ Incidental Learning of Word Meanings in Passage-Level Reading

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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of semantic transparency of Chinese disyllabic compound words on Chinese as a second language (CSL) learners’ incidental learning of word meanings in sentence-level reading and passage-level reading. The accuracy of the learners’ lexical inferencing was compared among various types of words (transparent, semi-transparent, and opaque words), different context lengths (sentence and passage contexts), and learners with different L1 backgrounds (with and without a Chinese character background in their L1s). In the study, ninety CSL adult learners were asked to infer the meanings of target words in the sentence context and the passage context. The results indicated that the effects of semantic transparency and context length on inferencing accuracy were significant, while the effect of L1 background was not. It was also found that there were significant interactions between transparency and context length as well as between transparency and L1 background.

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Notes

  1. There are a large number of Chinese characters used in the modern Japanese language. Similarly, secondary schools in South Korea offer a Chinese character course to all students as an elective. Thus, a common Korean high school student is supposed to learn around 1,800 Chinese characters by graduation (Luo, 2001).

  2. In The Syllabus of the Graded Vocabulary and Characters for Chinese Proficiency, the most frequently used 800 characters in the Chinese language are classified as A level while A level and B level jointly represent the most frequently used 1600 characters. CSL learners at the intermediate level are supposed to have learned these two levels of characters.

  3. Many words in the Korean language originated from Chinese. Although the writing systems of these two languages are different, the pronunciations of these words in Korean are similar to those in Chinese.

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Funding

This work was supported by High-level Talent Research Startup Fund at Huaqiao University [Grant Number 18SKBS207].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chinese Language and Culture College, Huaqiao University, No. 668 Jimei Avenue, E5-305, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian, China

    Ming Tang

  2. Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Shui Duen Chan

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  1. Ming Tang
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Correspondence to Ming Tang.

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Tang, M., Chan, S.D. Effects of Word Semantic Transparency, Context Length, and L1 Background on CSL Learners’ Incidental Learning of Word Meanings in Passage-Level Reading. J Psycholinguist Res 51, 33–53 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-021-09786-z

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