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Article published In:
ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 117/118 (1997) ► pp.1–26

Acquisition of Chinese Aspect

An Analysis of the Interlanguage of Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language

| Department of Modern and Classical Languages University of Houston (U.S.A.)

This study investigates the acquisition of Chinese aspect markers of -le, -guo, and -zhe by English-speaking learners at the university level. The speech and written data produced by students at two different levels of proficiency were collected, compared and analyzed. The results show that English-speaking learners of Chinese acquire the perfective aspect marker -le and the past experience marker -guo before the durative aspect marker -zhe. The process by which learners acquire the aspect markers appears be meaning-based and can be summarized into: 1) looking for logical temporal sequences; 2) using time adverbials and conjunction for the time references; 3) using lexical aspects and word meanings; and 4) using pragmatic cues with the aspect markers of -le and -guo. Learners, especially at the lower level of proficiency, rely more on the time adverbial expressions and lexical aspects than learners at the more advanced level.

Published online: 1 January 1997
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.117-118.01wen
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