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Article published In:
Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 56:1 (2021) ► pp.21–48

The influence of L1 translation familiarity on the acquisition of L2 Chinese antonyms

| Johns Hopkins University

As a partial replication of Tagashira, Kida, and Hoshino (2010), the present study examined first language (L1) translation familiarity effect on second language (L2) antonym acquisition among English-speaking intermediate-level Chinese learners. Fifteen students learned 15 antonymous pairs with familiar or unfamiliar L1 translations and completed two multiple-choice posttests. Their learning strategies were also collected. Results showed (a) a delayed L1 familiarity effect, (b) better retention and lower interference of L2 pairs with familiar L1 translations, (c) low retention of L2 pairs with unfamiliar L1 translations for both words, and (d) more orthographic elaboration strategies employed. The findings suggest that L2 instructors present antonyms in pairs, avoid providing a single, unfamiliar L1 translation, and encourage the use of orthographic elaboration strategies.

Keywords: semantic-set vocabulary presentation, L1 translation familiarity, L2 antonym acquisition, interference, vocabulary learning strategies
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Literature review
    • Presenting vocabulary in semantic sets
    • Role of L1 translation in L2 vocabulary learning
    • L2 vocabulary learning strategy
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Instruments
    • Procedures
    • Data analysis
  • Results
    • L1 translation familiarity effect on retention and interference
    • Strategies for learning L2 antonyms
  • Discussion
    • L1 familiarity effect on retention
    • L1 familiarity effect on interference
    • Strategies for learning L2 antonyms
  • Conclusions and implications
  • References
Published online: 1 October 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.20003.yan
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