Types of Kanji Words and Learners Strategies in Reading Contexts

Focusing on How the Difference between Unlearned and Learned Words Affects Comprehension

Abstract

This research studies the impacts that the types of kanji words and learner strategies have on understanding comprehension of Japanese two-character kanji words among Chinese-speaking learners. Through oral-translation questions and follow up interviews divided into unlearned and learned vocabulary, the following results were as follows: 1) the rate of correct answers for unlearned words was SJO > OJO > NJO, whilst that in learned words was SJO > OJO ≈ NJO; 2) learner strategies had three aspects, which were vocabulary, context and integration, furthermore the three functions were confirmation, verification and conjecture; 3) the relationship between learner strategies and types of kanji words was not seen in the case of unlearned words, but was present in the case of learned vocabulary and the relation differed depending on the type of kanji words; 4) In both cases of unlearned and learned words, accuracy rate was affected by the types SJO/OJO/NJO, while the impact of learner strategy functions on accuracy rate was also seen in the case of learned words.