Cracking the Chinese character: radical sensitivity in learners of Chinese as a foreign language and its relationship to Chinese word reading

Tong, Xiuli; Yip, Joanna Hew Yan

doi:10.1007/s11145-014-9519-y

Cracking the Chinese character: radical sensitivity in learners of Chinese as a foreign language and its relationship to Chinese word reading

Published: 01 June 2014

Volume 28, pages 159–181, (2015)
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Xiuli Tong¹ &
Joanna Hew Yan Yip¹

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Abstract

Radicals are building blocks of Chinese complex characters and exhibit certain positional, phonological and semantic regularities. This study investigated whether adult non-native learners of Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) were aware of the positional (orthographic), phonological and semantic information of radicals, and whether such radical sensitivity was predictive to their Chinese word reading abilities. Eighty-four CFL learners were administered a picture-character mapping task in the no cue, phonetic cue and semantic cue conditions, along with two character reading aloud tasks. CFL learners tended to choose the options of correct radicals in correct positions more than the ones containing correct radicals in incorrect positions when no cue was provided. A semantic radical bias was observed in both the no cue and semantic cue conditions: CFL learners chose semantic radicals in correct positions more than phonetic radicals in correct positions. But the pattern was reversed when phonetic cue was provided. In addition, radical sensitivity uniquely predicted CFL learners’ word reading even after controlling for years of learning Mandarin Chinese. Results showed that CFL learners employed orthographic, phonological and semantic information of radicals in encoding novel characters in a manner largely similar to that of native Chinese readers.

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Radical sensitivity is the key to understanding Chinese character acquisition in children

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Meanings within meanings: skilled readers activate irrelevant meanings of radicals in Chinese

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Notes

The pronunciation of the characters is expressed by pinyin, a romanization system that is used to spell sound of the simplified characters. The diacritical marks ˉ (high level), ˊ (high rising), ˇ (falling-rising). ˋ (high falling) represent four different tones of Mandarin.
The reliability for the picture-character mapping task was .80 and .70 when it was coded in terms of semantic radicals and phonetic radicals, respectively.
Semantic radical sensitivity and phonetic radical sensitivity referred specifically to participants’ total scores of correct semantic radical-correct position and correct phonetic radical-correct position under no cue condition. No cue condition was counted only because it tapped participant’s initial understanding of radicals without any clue provided.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Elsa ZhuNan Chen for her assistance in designing picture-character mapping task. This research was supported, by the Faculty Research Grant from the University of Hong Kong to Dr. Xiuli Tong.

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Authors and Affiliations

Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Xiuli Tong & Joanna Hew Yan Yip

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Xiuli Tong
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Correspondence to Xiuli Tong.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Single-character word recognition task

1	有	31	则	61	便	91	方	121	跑	151	样	181	吸
2	中	32	给	62	华	92	常	122	话	152	史	182	冷
3	上	33	已	63	子	93	字	123	送	153	德	183	怕
4	不	34	几	64	道	94	毛	124	车	154	决	184	视
5	种	35	高	65	进	95	门	125	请	155	唱	185	波
6	时	36	间	66	另	96	吃	126	提	156	田	186	陈
7	我	37	起	67	学	97	张	127	金	157	理	187	跳
8	人	38	百	68	体	98	达	128	土	158	复	188	功
9	用	39	条	69	头	99	热	129	斤	159	题	189	酒
10	要	40	法	70	低	100	指	130	号	160	报	190	照
11	都	41	前	71	手	101	太	131	西	161	属	191	盘
12	所	42	数	72	位	102	易	132	记	162	岁	192	费
13	大	43	家	73	机	103	口	133	钟	163	现	193	河
14	年	44	国	74	经	104	找	134	工	164	意	194	乱
15	还	45	想	75	写	105	型	135	员	165	女	195	注
16	下	46	生	76	打	106	合	136	言	166	份	196	宋
17	地	47	外	77	快	107	期	137	红	167	院	197	雨
18	出	48	力	78	米	108	论	138	球	168	城	198	喂
19	能	49	物	79	跟	109	动	139	音	169	烧	199	助
20	很	50	全	80	名	110	流	140	需	170	零	200	宜
21	你	51	加	81	听	111	场	141	差	171	您	201	教
22	小	52	省	82	住	112	钱	142	初	172	关	202	茶
23	会	53	们	83	根	113	件	143	云	173	轻	203	师
24	点	54	面	84	问	114	谁	144	活	174	买	204	目
25	水	55	天	85	节	115	木	145	汉	175	海	205	律
26	作	56	开	86	极	116	片	146	英	176	烟	206	思
27	分	57	电	87	心	117	马	147	信	177	读	207	慢
28	日	58	叫	88	块	118	半	148	室	178	亲	208	致
29	过	59	知	89	明	119	文	149	难	179	火	209	造
30	九	60	本	90	据	120	立	150	换	180	修	210	情

211	母	241	喝	271	识	301	惊	331	妹	361	估	391	参
212	针	242	士	272	堂	302	店	332	验	362	肚	392	诞
213	果	243	愿	273	链	303	济	333	祝	363	奶	393	和
214	感	244	调	274	聚	304	谢	334	炼	364	绍	394	宿
215	晚	245	耳	275	认	305	拼	335	厅	365	宾	395	解
216	领	246	床	276	游	306	征	336	圣	366	朗	396	陆
217	专	247	拍	277	衣	307	欧	337	贝	367	括	397	鹳
218	谓	248	瓶	278	淡	308	俄	338	欢	368	禾
219	爸	249	帮	279	歌	309	午	339	脏	369	央
220	挂	250	羊	280	脑	310	舍	340	扫	370	系
221	香	251	京	281	容	311	影	341	巧	371	婆
222	欲	252	娘	282	蛋	312	际	342	勿	372	夕
223	杨	253	孙	283	租	313	恒	343	贺	373	糕
224	房	254	议	284	抱	314	职	344	卧	374	哲
225	州	255	礼	285	习	315	冒	345	觉	375	餐
226	答	256	课	286	登	316	杯	346	烤	376	靶
227	星	257	替	287	爷	317	龄	347	寿	377	矢
228	药	258	男	288	适	318	释	348	拥	378	践
229	井	259	练	289	弯	319	景	349	舞	379	邮
230	假	260	态	290	狗	320	傅	350	授	380	犬
231	程	261	剧	291	育	321	玩	351	锻	381	苹
232	妈	262	饭	292	拔	322	招	352	堡	382	歉
233	丁	263	瓦	293	兴	323	牙	353	漂	383	泳
234	雪	264	货	294	鸭	324	汗	354	昨	384	雀
235	贵	265	术	295	姓	325	构	355	饼	385	血
236	核	266	念	296	规	326	介	356	旅	386	厨
237	语	267	玉	297	诉	327	溜	357	韵	387	嗓
238	忙	268	遍	298	历	328	亡	358	售	388	婉
239	刻	269	弓	299	睡	329	恐	359	拒	389	娜
240	笔	270	楼	300	息	330	孩	360	戈	390	蕉

Two-character word recognition

1	有	力	31	前	教	61	方	块	91	关	门	121	羊	群	151	午	饭
2	中	间	32	数	学	62	明	天	92	海	烟	122	京	都	152	影	舞
3	上	下	33	家	人	63	字	据	93	火	花	123	娘	亲	153	职	业
4	不	要	34	国	家	64	毛	毯	94	冷	怕	124	孙	儿	154	招	数
5	时	差	35	生	日	65	门	口	95	陈	酒	125	议	论	155	汗	水
6	我	们	36	外	国	66	太	热	96	跳	舞	126	礼	物	156	孩	子
7	人	物	37	物	理	67	口	型	97	功	课	127	课	堂	157	祝	寿
8	用	餐	38	全	天	68	找	钱	98	盘	费	128	男	孩	158	圣	经
9	所	有	39	加	州	69	合	作	99	河	流	129	练	习	159	烤	鸭
10	大	小	40	省	份	70	动	物	100	教	师	130	剧	场	160	锻	练
11	年	岁	41	吃	面	71	片	糖	101	茶	楼	131	饭	碗	161	昨	天
12	还	有	42	开	饭	72	文	学	102	师	傅	132	货	源	162	旅	游
13	下	海	43	电	脑	73	跑	马	103	律	法	133	遍	地	163	糕	点
14	地	租	44	知	识	74	话	剧	104	思	念	134	楼	堂	164	餐	饮
15	出	血	45	华	语	75	送	礼	105	母	亲	135	聚	会	165	厨	房
16	能	力	46	子	女	76	提	子	106	感	情	136	认	识	166	和	解
17	你	们	47	道	路	77	金	钱	107	晚	上	137	游	泳
18	小	狗	48	体	育	78	土	地	108	专	业	138	衣	服
19	会	议	49	低	头	79	记	号	109	挂	念	139	歌	喉
20	点	心	50	手	指	80	员	工	110	香	港	140	脑	袋
21	水	母	51	机	场	81	球	场	111	杨	柳	141	蛋	白
22	作	家	52	写	字	82	汉	语	112	房	屋	142	登	报
23	分	店	53	打	球	83	英	文	113	州	份	143	爷	奶
24	日	红	54	快	慢	84	信	心	114	答	案	144	适	合
25	已	经	55	米	酒	85	室	外	115	药	物	145	弯	弓
26	高	楼	56	名	星	86	德	国	116	雪	靴	146	姓	名
27	间	中	57	听	音	87	唱	歌	117	忙	碌	147	规	则
28	起	床	58	木	根	88	报	纸	118	床	单	148	历	史
29	条	件	59	问	题	89	属	亲	119	拍	照	149	睡	床
30	法	律	60	节	日	90	烧	烤	120	帮	助	150	欧	洲

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Tong, X., Yip, J.H.Y. Cracking the Chinese character: radical sensitivity in learners of Chinese as a foreign language and its relationship to Chinese word reading. Read Writ 28, 159–181 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-014-9519-y

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Published: 01 June 2014
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-014-9519-y

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Cracking the Chinese character: radical sensitivity in learners of Chinese as a foreign language and its relationship to Chinese word reading

Abstract

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Radical sensitivity is the key to understanding Chinese character acquisition in children

Meanings within meanings: skilled readers activate irrelevant meanings of radicals in Chinese

Functional orthographic units in Chinese character reading: Are there abstract radical identities?

Notes

References

Acknowledgments

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Single-character word recognition task

Two-character word recognition

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Cracking the Chinese character: radical sensitivity in learners of Chinese as a foreign language and its relationship to Chinese word reading

Abstract

Access this article

Similar content being viewed by others

Radical sensitivity is the key to understanding Chinese character acquisition in children

Meanings within meanings: skilled readers activate irrelevant meanings of radicals in Chinese

Functional orthographic units in Chinese character reading: Are there abstract radical identities?

Notes

References

Acknowledgments

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Corresponding author

Appendices

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Single-character word recognition task

Two-character word recognition

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