中文三語學習者的非謂形容詞位置習得：英語和羅曼語族人士之比較

Abstract

本研究旨在探討以中文為第三語言中，非謂形容詞 (attributive adjective) 位置的習得情況。所檢核的關鍵因素有三，涵蓋形容詞類別效應、教學效應、及句法啟動 (syntactic priming) 效應之影響。本研究共招募了45名受試者，分成3組，每組15人。其中兩組為語言背景呈現鏡像組別 (mirror-image groups) 的30名中文三語初學者，另外一組則為中文母語者。研究中的30名中文三語初學者的中文程度皆為A1或A2且就讀於國立臺灣師範大學國語中心。另外，依照中文三語初學者的語言背景，將他們分成一組以一語為英語，二語為西班牙語或法語，且三語為中文，及另外一組以一語為西班牙語或法語，二語為英語，且三語為中文的鏡像組別。測驗內容包括兩項口語產出任務，任務內容涉及中文新詞及已知詞。根據三個所檢核的關鍵因素，研究得出三個結果。第一，形容詞使用中未觀察到顯著的類別效應，顯示成年受試者對於四種類別的中文形容詞具有普遍的語意理解。第二，教學效應對所有中文三語受試者均有益，鏡像組別的三語受試者皆可藉此教學效應提高已知詞語境中形容詞位置的準確性。其中，英語母語受試者受益於其第一語言正遷移，在中文新詞及已知詞語境中，皆大量產出與中文形容詞句法結構一致，放置於名詞前位置的中文三語形容詞。相反地，西班牙語或法語母語受試者受到其第一語言負遷移的影響，在中文新詞語境中，傾向於將中文三語形容詞放置於名詞後位置。第三，在探討句法啟動效應時，受試者的語言背景和啟動順序之間有著顯著性的影響。儘管所有中文三語受試者都對啟動 (priming) 表現出某種程度的適應，但鏡像組別之間受到的影響程度有顯著的差異。特別是，英語母語受試者在不同的啟動條件下保持了一致的表現，顯示出其與中文形容詞句法結構相同的強烈第一語言影響。相比之下，西班牙語或法語母語受試者對啟動條件更為敏感，常常受到啟動順序的影響而調整其產出的中文形容詞句法結構，顯示出他們在克服第一語言句法傾向方面面臨更大的挑戰。The present study explored how Chinese attributive adjective placement is acquired in Chinese as a Third Language (L3), examining three pivotal factors: adjective types, instruction, and syntactic priming effects. A total of forty-five participants were recruited, divided into three groups of fifteen participants. Two of these groups were mirror-image groups of L3 Chinese beginner learners, and the third group comprised native Chinese speakers. The thirty L3 Chinese beginner learners, all at A1 or A2 CEFR levels, were enrolled at the Mandarin Training Center of National Taiwan Normal University. These L3 Chinese beginner learners were further categorized into two groups based on their language backgrounds: one group had L1 English, L2 Spanish or French, and L3 Chinese, while the other had L1 Spanish or French, L2 English, and L3 Chinese. Research instruments employed two oral production tasks involving Chinese novel and known words.According to the three pivotal factors examined, this study yielded three results. Firstly, no significant adjective type effects were observed in adjective usage, indicating that adult participants possessed a universal semantic understanding of four types of Chinese adjectives. Secondly, instructional effects benefited all L3 Chinese learners, enhancing the accuracy of adjective placements in known word scenarios for both mirror-image groups. Native English participants, benefiting from L1 positive transfer, consistently produced L3 Chinese adjectives in prenominal placements in both novel and known word scenarios, aligning with Chinese adjective syntactic structure. Conversely, native Spanish or French participants, hindered by L1 negative transfer, tended to place L3 Chinese adjectives postnominally in novel word scenarios. Thirdly, the investigation of syntactic priming effects showed a significant interaction between participants' language backgrounds and the orders of priming. Although all L3 Chinese learners showed some level of adaptation to priming, the degree of influence varied significantly between the mirror-image groups. Specifically, native English participants maintained a consistent performance under various priming conditions, demonstrating a strong L1 influence that closely aligns with Chinese adjective syntactic structure. In contrast, native Spanish or French participants were more susceptible to primingconditions, frequently adjusting their production of Chinese adjective syntactic structures in response to the priming orders, indicating a greater challenge in overriding their first language syntactic tendencies.