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An investigation of cognitive, linguistic and reading correlates in children learning Chinese and English as a first and second language. / CUHK electronic theses & dissertations collection

在過去的兩個世紀, 一系列廣泛的研究已經著眼於中國兒童以中文為母語和英文為二語的閱讀和寫字方面的探索。 研究發現母語為中文的兒童在認讀中文和英文詞語過程中,一些基本的認知,元認知,以及語言方面的能力和技巧對他們的中文和英文閱讀有相似且不同的作用。同閱讀英文相比,閱讀中文似乎運用不同的認知,語言和正字法能力。然而,極少有研究從以字母語言為母語的兒童學習中文二語的角度探索這個中文閱讀。现在还不明确譬如這些兒童是否像以中文為母語的兒童一樣在閱讀中文的過程中經歷相似的認知和語言加工。問題在于和中文為母語兒童相比,以字母語言為母語的兒童在學習閱讀中文方面有哪些的相似和不同處。這項研究關注這些研究問題,測試一群在香港環境中學習中文為二語的兒童。 / 在香港眾多國際學校中,大多數學校每天有一節40分鐘的中文課。這些學校將中文作為一門外語學習。少數學校採用英中文雙語課程,這些學校的學生在校有至少40的中文學習時間。這項研究一部分採樣來自一所採用英中雙語課程的學校(共102名8-9歲兒童,62名母语为中文的儿童,40名母语为非中文的儿童),另一部分數據採樣來自兩所以中文為外語(一天一节40分钟中文课)和英文为主要语言的學校(共88名8-9歲兒童,47名母语为中文的儿童,41名母语为非中文的儿童)。大多數以中文為二語的儿童在英文为母语的环境中成长,这些儿童中少数以其他字母语言为母语,例如荷兰语,德语,西班牙语或是韩语。 / 在这项研究对儿童语言背景调查中,所有兒童的家長們對其子女的英文和中文語言能力,語言環境和學習態度的評估為這項研究提供了詳盡的兒童語言背景資料。我們对这些儿童进行 了一系列中文及英文閱讀相關的任務测试。在數據分析時,我們以這些兒童母親匯報的第一語言為標准,將這些兒童分為中文為母語和中文為非母語的兩組。 / 因為課程設置不同對語言習得的影響,我分開處理分析兩類採樣學校的數據。在英文閱讀相關的任務上,兩類學校的中文母語兒童和非中文母語兒童表現相當。但是無論是雙語學校還是英文學校中的中文母語兒童都在中文閱讀相關任務上較非母語兒童表現出顯著的優勢。兩類學校的兩組兒童在視覺能力上表現相同,但是在中文正字法相關的視覺能力上,中文母語兒童優於非母語兒童。結構方差分析表示中文母語兒童在認讀中文字詞中大量運用正字法相關的視覺能力和拼音知識,而非母語兒童依賴語音意識能力和視覺能力認讀中文字詞。 / 理論上,這項研究肯定了閱讀中文運用較閱讀英文不同的認知和語言能力。這項研究對中文二語教學有深刻的影響。非中文母語特別是以字母語言為母語的兒童在學習中文時會依賴其母語的經驗。今后的研究需要更進一步的研究這個特殊群體。 / For the last two decades, an extensive line of research has focused on how Chinese children learn to read and write Chinese as a first language and English as a second language. Researchers identified a number of basic cognitive, metalinguistic and linguistic skills making contributions to the reading of Chinese and English words by native Chinese-speaking children, with some differences between the two languages. It appears that learning to read Chinese taps different cognitive, linguistic and orthographic skills than learning to read English. / Only very limited research has so far addressed the phenomenon from the angle of children with a non-Chinese language background, i.e. those learning alphabetic languages. It is not known, for example, if children learning Chinese as a second language might also go through similar cognitive and linguistic processes in learning to read Chinese as native Chinese-speaking children. The question is, how similar or dissimilar learning to read Chinese is for children with an alphabetic language background compared to native-speaking Chinese children. This research project addresses these questions by examining a group of children learning Chinese as a second language in a Hong Kong context. / A majority of Hong Kong international schools offer Chinese classes of at least 40 minutes each day, with Chinese being taught as a foreign language. A minority offers an English-Chinese bilingual curriculum, with at least 40% of all teaching done in Chinese. For this research, 102 8-9 year olds (62 native and 40 non-native Chinese-speaking children) from a bilingual school were assessed, and 88 8-9 year olds (47 native and 41 non-native Chinese-speaking children) from two schools teaching Chinese as a foreign language, i.e. one lesson each day. Most of the non-native Chinese-speaking children grew up with English as their first language (L1). Other children speak other alphabetic language such as Dutch, German, Spanish, or Korean as their L1. / For this research, parental evaluations of the children’s English and Chinese language proficiency, exposure and learning attitudes were collected to obtain data on the children’s language background. The children were tested on a range of cognitive, language, metalinguistic and literacy skills in both Chinese and English. In analyzing the data, the children were separated into a native and a non-native Chinese-speaking group based on the reported first language of each child’s mother. / Data from the two types of schools were analyzed separately. In both types of schools, native Chinese-speaking children performed similarly to non-native Chinese-speaking children on English language related tasks, but outperformed them in Chinese language related tasks. However, the two groups were similar in pure visual skill tasks, although native Chinese-speaking children outperformed the non-native children on visual-orthographic skills. Regression analyses showed that native Chinese-speaking children rely heavily on visual-orthographic skills and on their knowledge of Pinyin in Chinese word reading, while children speaking alphabetic languages rely on phonological awareness skills and pure visual skills in learning to read Chinese. / This research has confirmed the theory that learning to read Chinese exercises a somewhat different set of cognitive and linguistic skills than learning to read English. This research has strong implications for teaching Chinese as a second language. Children with an alphabetic language background rely on their first language experience in learning to read Chinese. Further research is needed to study this group of children. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Zhou, Yanling. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-122). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.iii / 摘要 --- p.v / Acknowledgements --- p.vii / Table of Contents --- p.viii / List of Tables --- p.xi / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / What is reading? --- p.2 / Second language reading and biliteracy development --- p.4 / Chinese and English language and orthography --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature review --- p.9 / L1 reading acquisition --- p.9 / Oral language development in L1 English and Chinese reading development --- p.9 / Morphological awareness in L1 English and Chinese literacy development --- p.12 / Phonological processing skills in L1 literacy acquisition --- p.14 / Phonological awareness skills in L1 word reading --- p.15 / Phonological awareness and Pinyin knowledge for L1 Chinese word reading --- p.18 / RAN in L1 reading development --- p.20 / Phonological working memory --- p.20 / Working memory skills in literacy learning --- p.21 / Visual and visual-orthographic skills in literacy acquisition --- p.25 / L2 reading acquisition --- p.30 / Oral language in L2 reading development --- p.31 / Morphological awareness skills in L1 Chinese learning to read English as an L2 --- p.33 / Phonological awareness skills in L1 Chinese learning to read English as an L2 --- p.34 / Orthographic awareness skills in L1 Chinese learning to read English as L2 --- p.36 / Reading Chinese as L2 --- p.38 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methodology --- p.44 / Participants --- p.44 / Procedures --- p.47 / Measures --- p.48 / Raven’s non-verbal intelligence --- p.48 / Chinese Phonological awareness --- p.48 / English Phonological awareness --- p.49 / Chinese Pinyin Knowledge --- p.49 / Tone detection task --- p.49 / Chinese morphological awareness --- p.50 / English morphological awareness --- p.51 / Chinese Vocabulary knowledge --- p.51 / English Vocabulary knowledge --- p.52 / Chinese word reading --- p.52 / English word reading --- p.53 / Chinese word dictation --- p.53 / English real and pseudo-word dictation --- p.54 / Chinese delayed copy tasks --- p.54 / Speed of copying Chinese characters --- p.54 / Speed of visual processing --- p.55 / Visual spatial relations --- p.55 / Visual orthographic configuration --- p.55 / Visual orthographic memory --- p.56 / Chinese and English working memory tasks --- p.56 / Rapid number naming in Chinese and English --- p.57 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Results --- p.58 / Results for the bilingual School --- p.58 / Group comparisons on Chinese and English reading related skills for the bilingual school --- p.59 / Chinese word reading in native and non-native Chinese-speaking children at the bilingual school --- p.65 / English word reading in native and non-native Chinese-speaking children at the bilingual school --- p.69 / Cross language transfer on English word reading for the bilingual school --- p.72 / Cross-language transfer on Chinese word reading for the bilingual school --- p.75 / Chapter Result For The Monolingual English-Speaking School --- p.77 / Group Comparison On Chinese And English Reading Related Skills For Children From The Monolingual English-Speaking Schools --- p.78 / Chinese Word Reading In Native And Non-Native Chinese-Speaking Children At The Monolingual English-Speaking Schools --- p.83 / English Word Reading In Native And Non-Native Chinese-Speaking Children At The Monolingual English-Speaking School --- p.87 / Cross Language Transfer On English Word Reading ForMonolingual English-Speaking Schools --- p.90 / Cross-Language Transfer On Chinese Word Reading For Monolingual English-Speaking Schools --- p.93 / Chapter Chapter5. --- Discussion --- p.95 / About Language Group Differences --- p.95 / Chinese Reading Related Skills On Chinese Word Reading For The Two Language Groups --- p.101 / English Reading Related Skills In Relation To English Word Reading For The Two Language Groups --- p.103 / Cross-Language Transfer Between Chinese And English --- p.104 / Vocabulary Development In Chinese --- p.104 / Chapter Chapter6. --- Conclusion --- p.109 / References --- p.113

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:cuhk.edu.hk/oai:cuhk-dr:cuhk_328109
Date January 2012
ContributorsZhou, Yanling, Chinese University of Hong Kong Graduate School. Division of Psychology.
Source SetsThe Chinese University of Hong Kong
LanguageEnglish, Chinese
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, bibliography
Formatelectronic resource, electronic resource, remote, 1 online resource (xi, 122 leaves)
CoverageChina, Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong
RightsUse of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons “Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International” License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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