Abstract
This study used an eye-tracking method to examine whether Chinese translation equivalents activated by English prime words can continue to activate their Chinese homophones. With 30 English prime words, and 60 Chinese target words as materials, the experiment used a Tobii eye-tracking device to collect data from 30 university students while completing an English-Chinese lexical semantic-judgment task, aimed at investigating whether (1) when Chinese English learners see the English words, they can activate the homophones of Chinese translation equivalents; and (2) there is a word frequency effect in cross-language lexical activation, i.e., Chinese translation equivalents with different word frequencies have different effects on the activation speed. Compared with low-frequency Chinese translation equivalents, high-frequency Chinese equivalents can facilitate the activation faster and easier. The two research hypotheses were confirmed on several eye movement indicators, supporting the cross-language lexical activation as well as word-frequency effect of Chinese translation equivalents. This is also the first verification of cross-language dual-link lexical activation which engage both semantics and phonology, indicating that L2-L1 semantic activation has strong stability for further phonological activation.
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Funding
The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Ren Jiaxin and Luo Chuanwei. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ren Jiaxin and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All data and materials have been made publicly available at the [Can Translation Equivalents in L1 Activated by L2 Produce Homophonic Interference] and can be accessed at [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/MFC7Q]. This study was not preregistered.
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Appendices
Appendix A
Stimuli Used in Experiment and Practice
No | English prime words | Chinese translation equivalents (not presented) | Target homophones | Target non-homophones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stimuli used in experiment | ||||
High-frequency group | ||||
1 | Profit | 利益(li4 yi4) | 立意(li yi4) | 奴隶 (nu2 li4) |
2 | Century | 世纪(shi4 ji4) | 事迹 (shi4 ji4) | 皮肤 (pi2 fu1) |
3 | Tragedy | 悲剧 (bei1 ju4) | 杯具 (bei4 ju4) | 语言 (yu3 yan2) |
4 | Banana | 香蕉 (xiang1 jiao1) | 相交 (xiang1 jiao1) | 迹象(ji4 xiang4) |
5 | Purpose | 目的 (mu4 di4) | 墓地 (mu4 di4) | 苹果(ping2 guo3) |
6 | Knight | 骑士(qi2 shi4) | 奇事(qi2 shi4) | 小说(xiao3 shuo1) |
7 | Plant | 植物(zhi2 wu4) | 职务(zhi2 wu4) | 区别(qu1 bie2) |
8 | Scenery | 景物(jing3 wu4) | 警务(jing3 wu4) | 文章(wen2 zhang1) |
9 | Case | 案件(an4 jian4) | 暗箭(an4 jian4) | 奇迹(qi2 ji4) |
10 | Experiment | 实验(shi2 yan4) | 石砚(shi2 yan4) | 手套(shou3 tao4) |
11 | Potential | 潜力(qian3 li4) | 前例(qian3 li4) | 重点(zhong4 dian3) |
12 | Gentleman | 绅士(shen1 shi4) | 身世(shen1 shi4) | 对话(dui4 hua4) |
13 | Medicine | 药物(yao4 wu4) | 要务(yao4 wu4) | 英里(ying1 li3) |
14 | Ceremony | 仪式(yi2 shi4) | 遗事(yi2 shi4) | 南方(nan2 fang1) |
15 | Factor | 因素(yin1 su4) | 音速(yin1 su4) | 细节(xi4 jie2) |
Low-frequency group | ||||
16 | Tree | 树木(shu4 mu4) | 数目(shu 4 mu4) | 突变(tu1 bian4) |
17 | Palm | 手掌(shou3 zhang3) | 首长(shou3 zhang3) | 参数(can1 shu4) |
18 | Equation | 公式(gong1 shi4) | 攻势(gong1 shi4) | 目录(mu4 lu4) |
19 | Ratio | 比例(bi3 li4) | 笔力(bi3 li4) | 合影(he2 ying3) |
20 | Mist | 薄雾(bo3 wu4) | 博物(bo3 wu4) | 珍珠(zhen1 zhu1) |
21 | Silk | 丝绸(si1 chou2) | 私仇(si1 chou2) | 动态(dong4 tai4) |
22 | Intention | 意图(yi4 tu2) | 异途(yi4 tu2) | 院长(yuan4zhang3) |
23 | Element | 元素(yuan2 su4) | 原宿(yuan2 su4) | 乐团(yue4 tuan2) |
24 | Welfare | 福利(fu2 li4) | 浮力(fu2 li4) | 强项(qiang2 xiang4) |
25 | Honeycomb | 蜂巢(feng1 chao2) | 风潮(feng1 chao2) | 染料(ran3 liao4) |
26 | Forearm | 前臂(qian2 bi4) | 钱币(qian2 bi4) | 协定(xie2 ding4) |
27 | Reputation | 名誉(ming2 yu4) | 明喻(ming2 yu4) | 亮光(liang4 guang1) |
28 | Track | 轨迹(gui3 ji4) | 诡计(gui3 ji4) | 烟花(yan1 hua1) |
29 | Cornerstone | 基石(ji1 shi2) | 积食(ji1 shi2) | 启示(qi3 shi4) |
30 | Stretcher | 担架(dan1 jia4) | 单价(dan1 jia4) | 试剂(shi4 ji4) |
Stimuli used in practice | ||||
31 | Warrior | 勇士(yong3 shi4) | 永世(yong3 shi4) | 素食(su4 shi3) |
32 | Moment | 时刻(shi2 ke4) | 食客(shi2 ke4) | 形式(xing2 shi4) |
33 | Attack | 攻击(gong1 ji1) | 公鸡(gong1 ji1) | 过渡(guo4 du4) |
34 | Willpower | 毅力(yi4 li4) | 义利(yi4 li4) | 运河(yun4 he2) |
35 | City | 城市(cheng2 shi4) | 程式(cheng2 shi4) | 暖阳(nuan3 yang2) |
According to the word frequency of Chinese translation equivalents, two levels of high frequency and low frequency were set, and the experimental materials were accordingly divided into high-frequency group and low-frequency group.
Appendix B
The Degree of Agreement between English Prime Words and Chinese Translation Equivalents
Please write down the Chinese translation equivalent of each English word which came to your mind first.
Example 1 The English word is “fruit”, and the first response word of it is “水果” (shui[3] guo[3], meaning fruit).
Note The words you write down must be two-character nouns.
Thanks for your participation and contribution to the study!
No | English prime words | The first response Chinese word |
|---|---|---|
Example 1 | Fruit | 水果(shui3 guo3) |
Example 2 | Experience | 经验(jing 1 yan4) |
Example 3 | Button | 纽扣(niu3 kou4) |
1 | Profit | |
2 | Century | |
3 | Tragedy | |
4 | Banana | |
5 | Purpose | |
6 | Knight | |
7 | Plant | |
8 | Scenery | |
9 | Case | |
10 | Experiment | |
11 | Potential | |
12 | Gentleman | |
13 | Medicine | |
14 | Ceremony | |
15 | Factor | |
16 | Tree | |
17 | Palm | |
18 | Equation | |
19 | Ratio | |
20 | Mist | |
21 | Silk | |
22 | Intention | |
23 | Element | |
24 | Welfare | |
25 | Honeycomb | |
26 | Forearm | |
27 | Reputation | |
28 | Track | |
29 | Cornerstone | |
30 | Stretcher |
Appendix C
Familiarity Rating Scale
Please complete the 5-point scale for familiarity with the following Chinese words (1 very unfamiliar to 5 very familiar). Thank you.
Chinese words | Familiarity | Chinese words | Familiarity |
|---|---|---|---|
Example 1: 太阳(tai4 yang2) | 5 | Example 2: 花蛤(hua1 ge3) | 2 |
奴隶(nu1 li4) | 立意(li4 yi4) | ||
皮肤(pi2 fu1) | 事迹(shi4 ji4) | ||
语言(yu3 yan2) | 杯具(bei4 ju4) | ||
迹象(ji4 xiang4) | 相交(xiang1 jiao1) | ||
苹果(ping1 guo3) | 墓地(mu4 di4) | ||
小说(xiao3 shuo1) | 奇事(qi2 shi4) | ||
区别(qu1 bie2) | 职务(zhi2 wu4) | ||
文章(wen2 zhang1) | 警务(jing3 wu4) | ||
奇迹(qi1 ji4) | 暗箭(an4 jian4) | ||
手套(shou3 tao4) | 石砚(shi2 yan4) | ||
重点(zhong4 dian3) | 前例(qian3 li4) | ||
对话(dui4 hua4) | 身世(shen1 shi4) | ||
英里(ying1 li3) | 要务(yao4 wu4) | ||
南方(nan1 fang1) | 遗事(yi2 shi4) | ||
细节(xi4 jie2) | 音速(yin1 su4) | ||
突变(tu1 bian4) | 数目(shu 4 mu4) | ||
参数(can1 shu4) | 首长(shou3 zhang3) | ||
目录(mu4 lu4) | 攻势(gong1 shi4) | ||
合影(he2 ying3) | 笔力(bi3 li4) | ||
珍珠(zhen1 zhu1) | 博物(bo3 wu4) | ||
动态(dong4 tai4) | 私仇(si1 chou2) | ||
院长(yuan4 zhang3) | 异途(yi4 tu2) | ||
乐团(yue4 tuan1) | 原宿(yuan2 su4) | ||
强项(qiang2 xiang4) | 浮力(fu2 li4) | ||
染料(ran3 liao4) | 风潮(feng1 chao2) | ||
协定(xie2 ding4) | 钱币(qian2 bi4) | ||
亮光(liang4 guang1) | 明喻(ming2 yu4) | ||
烟花(yan1 hua1) | 诡计(gui3 ji4) | ||
启示(qi3 shi4) | 积食(ji1 shi2) | ||
试剂(shi4 ji4) | 单价(dan1 jia4) |
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Ren, J., Luo, C., Yang, Y. et al. Can Translation Equivalents in L1 Activated by L2 Produce Homophonic Interference: An Eye Movement Study of Cross-Language Lexical Activation in Chinese English Learners. J Psycholinguist Res 52, 743–761 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-023-09936-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-023-09936-5