Investigating second language learners’ usage of Mandarin numeral classifiers: A case-based study

Authors

  • Rosmawati The University of Sydney Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/rtcfl.v1i1.26456

Keywords:

Mandarin Chinese, Numeral Classifiers, Usage Profiles, Classifier Language, Proficiency Level

Abstract

This article reports on the profiles of Mandarin Chinese Numeral Classifier usage by two learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL). The data were collected from the essays they wrote in one academic semester during which they were preparing for a Chinese proficiency test. The findings suggested that the two CSL learners used the general classifier? ge to a relatively higher proportion than the native speakers did. Apart from the general classifier? ge, the two CSL learners also used a variety of specific classifiers. The learner with higher proficiency used more types of classifiers than the learner with lower proficiency although the learner with lower proficiency used more tokens than the learner with higher proficiency. Interestingly, the accuracy rate in the usage of specific classifiers in both learners’ essays was quite high.

Author Biography

  • Rosmawati, The University of Sydney

    Rosmawati is a PhD candidate in the faculty of education and social work, The University of Sydney. She completed her M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the South China University of Technology in 2010.

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Published

2015-07-09

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Rosmawati, . (2015). Investigating second language learners’ usage of Mandarin numeral classifiers: A case-based study. Researching and Teaching Chinese As a Foreign Language, 1(1), 29-50. https://doi.org/10.1558/rtcfl.v1i1.26456

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