Chai Xingsan, Ma Mingzhu
Institute on Educational Policy and Evaluation of International Students, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China.
Front Psychol. 2022 Feb 21;12:779190. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.779190. eCollection 2021.
Chinese characters are central to understanding how learners learn to read a logographic script. However, researchers know little about the role of character writing in reading Chinese as a second language (CSL). Unlike an alphabetic script, a Chinese character symbol transmits semantic information and is a cultural icon bridging embodied experience and text meaning. As a unique embodied practice, writing by hand contributes to cognitive processing in Chinese reading. Therefore, it is essential to clarify how Chinese character writing (bodily activity), language distance (past language usage), and cultural background (bodily coupling with the environment) influence CSL reading proficiency. Based on extant research on L2 reading acquisition and strength of key theoretical perspectives of embodied cognition theory (ECT), this study tested a regression model for CSL reading involving individual-level factors (Chinese character writing proficiency [CCWP]) and group-level predictors (language distance and cultural background). This study collected big data in a sample of 74,362 CSL learners with 67 diverse L1s. Results of hierarchical linear modeling showed a significant effect of CCWP and significant language distance × CCWP interaction effect on reading proficiency; however, cultural background × CCWP interaction effect was not significant. These results conform to the ECT and indicate that bodily activity, past language usage, and cultural background aided reading. CCWP may benefit from withstanding the negative transfer from L1s. Furthermore, CCWP and cultural background are not synergistic predictors of reading. This study may open novel avenues for explorations of CSL reading development.
汉字对于理解学习者如何学习阅读表意文字至关重要。然而，研究人员对于汉字书写在汉语作为第二语言（CSL）阅读中的作用了解甚少。与字母文字不同，汉字符号传递语义信息，是连接身体体验和文本意义的文化标志。作为一种独特的身体实践，手写有助于汉语阅读中的认知加工。因此，阐明汉字书写（身体活动）、语言距离（过去的语言使用情况）和文化背景（与环境的身体耦合）如何影响汉语作为第二语言的阅读能力至关重要。基于关于第二语言阅读习得的现有研究以及具身认知理论（ECT）关键理论观点的优势，本研究测试了一个汉语作为第二语言阅读的回归模型，该模型涉及个体层面因素（汉字书写熟练度[CCWP]）和群体层面预测因素（语言距离和文化背景）。本研究在一个由74362名汉语作为第二语言学习者组成的样本中收集了大数据，这些学习者的母语有67种之多。分层线性建模结果显示，汉字书写熟练度有显著影响，且语言距离×汉字书写熟练度对阅读能力有显著的交互作用；然而，文化背景×汉字书写熟练度的交互作用并不显著。这些结果符合具身认知理论，并表明身体活动、过去的语言使用情况和文化背景有助于阅读。汉字书写熟练度可能得益于抵御母语的负迁移。此外，汉字书写熟练度和文化背景并非阅读的协同预测因素。本研究可能为汉语作为第二语言阅读发展的探索开辟新途径。
