Investigating Semantic Alignment in Character Learning of Chinese as a Foreign Language

258 Pages·2017·2.1 MB·English

by  Carol Xiang Lam

University of Portland
Pilot Scholars
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
2016
Investigating Semantic Alignment in Character
Learning of Chinese as a Foreign Language: The
Use and Effect of the Imagery Based Encoding
Strategy
Carol Xiang Lam
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Xiang Lam, Carol, "Investigating Semantic Alignment in Character Learning of Chinese as a Foreign Language: The Use and Effect of
the Imagery Based Encoding Strategy" (2016).Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1.
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Investigating Semantic Alignment in Character Learning
of Chinese as a Foreign Language:
The Use and Effect of the Imagery Based Encoding Strategy
by
Carol Xiang Lam
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education
in
Learning and Leading
University of Portland
School of Education
2016
iii

Abstract

For learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL), character learning is
frustrating. This research postulated that this difficulty may mainly come from a
lack of semantic understanding of character-denoted meanings. Language theories
support that when a learner’s semantic meaning increases, the orthographic
structures that represent the underlying meanings also improve.
This study aimed to reveal CFL learners’ cognitive abilities and processes in
visual-semantic learning of Chinese characters. Particularly, this study investigated
the process by which English-speaking adolescent CFL learners, at the beginning
to intermediate level, made mental images of character-denoted meanings to
visually encode and retrieve character forms. Quantitative and qualitative data
were gathered from image making questionnaires, writing, and reading tests, after
learning characters in three commonly-used teaching methods (i.e., English,
pictorial, and verbal). The data were analyzed based on a triangulation of the
literature from Neuro-Semantic Language Learning Theory, scientific findings in
cognitive psychology, and neuroscience.
The study found that participants’ semantic abilities to understand
character-denoted meanings emerged, but were still restricted in familiar
orthographic forms. The use of the imagery strategy as a semantic ability predicted
better performances, most evidently in writing; however, the ability in using the
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imagery strategy to learn characters was still underdeveloped, and needed to be
supported with sufficient contextual information. Implications and further research
in visual-semantic learning and teaching characters were suggested.
v

Acknowledgements

I owe a great deal of gratitude to Dr. Ellyn Arwood, the chair of my
dissertation committee and a professor for the core courses of my doctoral program.
Her profound thinking in human development and cognition has deepened and
refined my thinking. Her expertise in guiding adult learners has elevated me to be a
scholar and educator toward a new direction – neuroeducation – that deserves a
whole life to work for.
I would like to thank Dr. John Watzke and Dr. Kimberly Ilosvay, my
committee members and professors, who offered many invaluable suggestions and
assistance to strengthen the experiment design and language use in this dissertation.
Special thanks also go to Dr. Nichole Ralston who helped to modify some of the
instruments used in this study.
My heartfelt gratitude would surely go to many professors and cohort peers in
this program. The warm and intellectual ambiance they have created in the
program brought forth growing efficacy and intellectual thoughts in me.
Last but not least, I would like to deliver my sincere thanks to the teachers
and students who participated in this study. Mr. Hongsheng Fang and Ms. Liye
Zhou offered their precious time in and outside of their classes, and helped all the
way to collect data and evaluate student performances in writing. Without these
teachers and their sweetest students, this study would not be possible.
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Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, James. I herein express my
deepest love and appreciation to his strongest support and sacrifice for me in this
graduate program. I also appreciate his belief in me to reach what I am searching
and working for.
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Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………..………...……………...iii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………...………...…… v
Dedication……………………………………………………………….……..… vi
List of Tables…………………………………………………………….…….…...x
List of Figures………………………………………………………………..……xi

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………...1
1.1 Overview………………………………………………………………….1
1.2 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………6
1.3 Purposes of the Study……………………………………………………..9
1.4 Research Questions………………………………………...…………....10
1.5 Summary of the Chapters……………………………………………..…11

2. Literature Review………………………………………………………...…….13
2.1 The Chinese Language and Character……………………………...……15
2.1.1 An Alphabetic Language vs. a Logographic Language…….…….15
2.1.2 The Chinese Character………………………………….………...20
2.1.3 Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) in the US..….….24
2.2 Deep and Surface Structures in Chinese Character Acquisition………...27
2.2.1 Deep and Surface Structures in Semiotics………………………...29
2.2.2 Structures vs. Semantics in Language Learning…………………..34
2.2.3 Levels of Deep Structures: Concrete vs. Abstract Meanings….....37
2.3 Neuro-Semantic Language Learning……………………………...……..40
2.3.1 The Neuro-Semantic Language Learning Theory……………...…40
2.3.2 The Viconic Language Methods……………………...…………..43
2.3.3 The Brain Mechanisms of Semantics………………………..…...45
2.3.4 Semantic Knowledge and Semantic Features…………………….50
2.3.5 Semantic Memory………………………………………………...54
2.4 Writing as a Visual-Semantic Encoding Process……………………....58
2.4.1 Writing at an Early Learning Stage……………………………….59
2.4.2 Visual Imagery and Perception in Reading and Writing………....63
2.4.3 The Dual Visual Pathways for Semantic and Perceptual
Writing………………………………………………………...67
2.5 Chinese Character Acquisition and Strategy Use……………………....73
viii

2.5.1 Universal Neural Networks and Specificities……………………..73
2.5.2 Native Chinese Speakers and Their Challenges…………...……...78
2.5.3 Character Acquisition by CFL Learners…………………......…... 85
2.5.4 The Imagery-Based Encoding Strategy(IBES)
by CFL Learners……………………………………………....90
2.5.5 Challenges of Using IBES for Semantic Encoding in CFL
Learning………………………………………………..……….94

3. Methodology……………………………………………………………………99
3.1 Research Design…………………………………………………….....100
3.2 Participants………………………………………………………...…..101
3.3 Role of the Researcher…………………………………………..……..102
3.4 Materials…………………………………………………………….....103
3.4.1 Character Database………………………………………………..103
3.4.2 The Learning Material……………………………………......…...105
3.4.3 Character Writing Sample……………………………………...…106
3.5 Methods…………………………………………………………......…106
3.5.1 Character Writing Evaluation…………………………………..…106
3.5.2 Measures and Instruments…………………………………...……109
3.5.3 The Sample Study……………………………………………...….114
3.6 Procedures………………………………………...……………………115
3.7 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………..121

4. Results……………………………………………………………...…………123
4.1 Demographic Information and Chinese Learning Strategies……….....124
4.2 The Use of IBES in the Teacher-Select and Student-Select Sessions
in the Main Study …………………………………………...……..127
4.3 Performance of Writing and Reading Tests by Method
across Studies………………………………………...……...……..137
4.4 Factor Analyses of the Use of the Imagery-Based
Encoding Strategy ……………………………………...……….....144
4.5 Summary……………………………………………………………….151

5. Conclusion and Discussion……………………………………………………153
5.1 A Neuro-Educational Model in CFL Learning and Research………....154
5.2 The Use of IBES in Character Semantic Encoding……………………158
5.2.1 The Use of IBES in the Baseline Data……………………...…….158
5.2.2 The Use of IBES in the Main Study……………………………....161
5.2.3 The Use of IBES by Chinese Proficiency………………………...166
5.2.4 The Use of IBES by Character Type…………………………...…167
5.3 The Effects of IBES on Character Semantic Encoding…………….....169
5.3.1 The Effects of IBES on Writing Performance……………...……..169
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5.3.2 The Effects of IBES on Reading Performance……………......…. 175
5.4 Summary of the Hypotheses…………………………………………...180
5.6 Implications of the Research……………………………………....…..181
5.7 Limitations……………………………………………………………..185

References…………………………………………………………...……….….189

Appendices………………………………………………………………...…….226
Appendix A: Examples of the Character Database………………..…...…..226
Appendix B: Baseline Character Writing Samples……………………..….228
Appendix C: Demographic and Strategy Use Questionnaire….…………..230
Appendix D: Character Proficiency Test…………………..…………...….233
Appendix E: Image Making by Teaching Method Questionnaire……….…235
Appendix F: Image Making by Character Questionnaire……….....……….238
Appendix G: Character Writing Sheet………………………..……………240
Appendix H: Semantic Test…….………………………………...…….…..242
Appendix I: Old-New Character Identification Test……………...…...…...244
Appendix J: IMC Questionnaire: Example Comments in Category…..…...246
x

List of Tables

Table 2.1 Xushen’s Six Types of Character Formation Methods
in Shuowen Jiezi……………………………………………………...….21

Table 2.2 Nine Basic Strokes, Stroke directions, and Examples
of Character Structure and Stroke order…………………………..23

Table 3.1 Grading Scheme for Character Writing by Component…………….107

Table 3.2 Spearman’s rho Correlation Analysis of Inter-rater Reliability of
Character Writing Evaluation Based on Character Writing by
Component Scheme …………………………………....………..108

Table 3.3 Summary Chart of the Research Questions and Measures
for Data Collection …………………..……………………..…...110

Table 4. 1 Summary of the Participants’ Demographic and Strategy Use……..125

Table 4.2 Summary of Means, Standard Deviations, p-Value,
and Percentages for the Participants’ Perceived Use of
IBES by Teaching Method………………………………......…128

Table 4.3 Repeated Measures ANOVA and Bonferroni Pairwise
Comparisons of the Effect of Method on the Writing
Performance across Three Study Phases ………………..……....139

Table 4.4 Repeated Measures ANOVA and Bonferroni Pairwise
Comparisons of the Effect of Method on the Reading
Scores across Three Study Phases ………………………….….142

Table 4.5 Spearman’s rho Correlation Coefficients of the Strengths between
IBES Perception and Writing/Reading Performance…………..146

Table 4.6 Chi-square Values of IBES Perception Related to
Gender, Proficiency and Character Type…………………...…..147