HARMONIZING SOUNDS: THE NAVIGATION OF PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSING IN PINYIN AND HANZI BY EARLY JAPANESE CFL (CHINESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) LEARNERS

抄録

This study investigated the unique challenges encountered by Japanese speakers learning Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). Through a paper-based test, it was revealed that Japanese CFL learners, leveraging their first language (L1) knowledge in Chinese characters (kanji), demonstrated advanced understanding of word meanings in hanzi compared to pinyin. Regardless of their Chinese ability, words in pinyin consistently exhibited higher naming accuracy than their hanzi counterparts. However, naming latencies for pinyin words consistently appeared longer, which can be attributed to the application of regular pinyin-to-sound conversion rules. Conversely, with increasing Chinese ability, accuracy for hanzi words improved, albeit accompanied by extended naming latencies, indicating a ‘speed-and-accuracy tradeoff.’ As Japanese CFL learners advanced in their Chinese ability, they would learn to suppress Japanese pronunciations for words in hanzi and use Chinese equivalents instead. With increased ability, they became more adjusted to potential mispronunciations due to similar sounds, leading to slower but more accurate naming. This study highlighted the complexity of phonological processing among Japanese CFL learners, shaped by various interacting factors.