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L2 reading by learners of Japanese: a comparison of different L1s

Sawasaki, Koichi
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1166738614

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, East Asian Languages and Literatures.
This study investigates the processing strategies learners of Japanese employ while reading Japanese. Language researchers theorize that native speakers process sentences incrementally. However, little is known about processing in a second language when the first and second languages are typologically different. For example, English and Chinese take an SVO word order with little or no overt Case marking while Japanese and Korean take an SOV word order with overt Case marking. In SVO languages, verb information may provide upcoming postverbal information, and in SOV languages, preverbal information (Case information) may provide upcoming information for argument and verb. Based on these assumptions, this study examines how groups of Japanese language learners with different L1s process sentences in reading. Of special interest is whether learners process arguments and adjuncts differently before reaching a verb. Equally, of another piece of interest is how each learner group reads each phrase of a sentence. Experiments with self-paced reading tasks were conducted with two intermediate and one advanced Japanese level of English groups, an advanced Japanese level of Chinese group, an advanced Japanese level of Korean group, and a control native speaking group. Results of the experiments revealed that advanced learners as well as the control group showed some sensitivity to the arguments/adjuncts differentiation. English-speaking intermediate groups failed to demonstrate the distinction, but all learner groups provided some indication that they tried to employ incremental processing in a way that seemed most appropriate for their ability level. When reading times at each phrase are examined, advanced learner groups showed similar reading patterns regardless of their L1s, but groups of a different proficiency level exhibited reading patterns distinctive to each group in terms of where the reading times were elevated. We argue that distinctive patterns occur because learners experience cognitive limitations due to lacking linguistic experiences and knowledge in the target language. From these results we argue that while learners and native speakers may differ in how they utilize specific processing strategies to compensate for their cognitive limitations, both learners and native speakers share some fundamental features of processing, i.e., incremental processing while reading.
Mineharu Nakayama (Advisor)
240 p.
Language, Linguistics
Japanese; Sentence Processing; Second Language Acquisition; Linguistics; Psycholinguistics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sawasaki, K. (2007). L2 reading by learners of Japanese: a comparison of different L1s [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1166738614

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sawasaki, Koichi. L2 reading by learners of Japanese: a comparison of different L1s. 2007. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1166738614.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sawasaki, Koichi. "L2 reading by learners of Japanese: a comparison of different L1s." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1166738614

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1166738614
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.