Processing morphemic elements is one of the most difficult parts of second language acquisition (DeKeyser, 2005;Larsen-Freeman, 2010). This difficulty gains prominence when second language (L2) learners must perform under time pressure, and difficulties arise in using grammatical knowledge. To solve the problem, the current study used the tenets of multimedia learning theory (Mayer, 2005) to help L2 learners' reconstruct multiclausal sentences. This theory assumes that limitations in cognitive capacity are reduced when information is given to learners both visually and aurally. Given this assumption, the current study examined whether pictorial information helps L2 learners process morphemic elements in multiclausal sentences presented aurally. Thirty-two learners of Japanese engaged in elicited imitation both with and without pictorial support. The results revealed that the learners performed significantly better with pictorial support, lending support to multimedia learning theory for L2 learners' processing of morphemic elements. However, a limited effect of pictorial support was found for the processing of an element that the L2 learners had learned recently, and that was in sentence-final position, suggesting that these types of items are difficult to automatize regardless of cognitive support.
This study explores whether emphasizing the phonetic components of kanji, Chinese characters used in Japanese, facilitates second language (L2) learners' novel character learning. Previous L2 studies on Chinese characters indicate that phonology plays a major part in word identification. However, this view remains controversial, because the role of phonetic radicals has not been closely examined. In this study, 70 learners of Japanese, whose first language (L1) is alphabetic, were divided into 3 learning condition groups: pronunciation-hearing and read aloud, pronunciation-hearing, and no pronunciationhearing. All learners were repeatedly exposed to unfamiliar kanji, some of which included visually emphasized phonetic radicals to help the learners identify characters. Learning was measured by the ability to select the target kanji from visually similar alternatives and to write their meanings in English. The results revealed no significant difference in learning kanji, either in terms of meaning production or selection of the correct orthographic representation across groups. The pronunciation-hearing group successfully related phonetic radicals with the sounds represented by the radical, but this skill did not contribute to better learning of novel kanji. The results support the direct route view, suggesting that logography is learned by extracting meaning directly from orthography regardless of phonological mediation.
The main objective of the current study is to investigate L2 Japanese learners' ability to segment complex sentences from aural input. Elementary-and early intermediate-level L2 learners in general have not developed the ability to use syntactic cues to interpret the meaning of sentences they hear. In the case of Japanese, recognition of inflectional morphemes is crucial for the accurate segmentation of complex sentences, as they signal the end of each clause. However, recognition of inflectional morphemes was found to be challenging for low-proficiency learners because they are often fused in natural speech; thus, they are low in salience.To assist L2 learners in finding meaningful chunks, namely clauses within a complex sentence, the current study attempted to focus their attention on inflectional morphemes in aural input. During the experiment, learners were asked to repeat complex sentences as accurately as possible. Half of the stimuli were accompanied by pictures that corresponded to the activities described in the complex sentences. The study hypothesized that visualized chunks would reduce L2 learners' cognitive load and enable them to pay closer attention to syntactic elements; thus, learners would reconstruct complex sentences better with pictorial information support. It was also hypothesized that the ability to reconstruct elements that are low in salience would account for L2 learners' receptive proficiency.The results revealed that L2 learners' reconstruction of complex sentences improved significantly with the support of visualized chunks. However, it became evident that learners' reconstruction of an inflectional morpheme to which they had not been fully exposed in class did not improve with the pictorial support. Such a tendency was particularly obvious when the inflectional morpheme was located in a sentenceinternal position. Additionally, the study found that L2 learners' ability to reconstruct an inflectional morpheme declined when it was devoid of communicative value. In terms of 2 receptive proficiency, the results indicate that L2 learners' ability to reconstruct syntactic elements that are low in salience is a reliable predictor of their receptive proficiency. Abstract Approved: ___________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ___________________________________ Since hearing Dr. Makino of Princeton University lecture about the OPI during a course in the MA program at Columbia University, I was fascinated with the idea of measuring learners' proficiency based on their oral communication abilities. I always felt that there was a great discrepancy between what language learners know and their ability to communicate, and wondered why such discrepancies occur. Since then, I have tried to teach students in a way that enables them to perform well on the OPI, which Dr. Makino suggested during his lecture. I obtained the OPI tester certification in 2001 while I was teaching Japanese at Michigan State University. My desire to investigate learners' ability in terms of their perception and produ...
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