Abstract

The present study was anchored in an inquiry of second language Chinese vocabulary acquisition and learning Chinese as a foreign language. It investigated character density in L2 Chinese vocabulary recognition and production: low character density recognition, high character density recognition, low character density production, and high character density production. It also investigated the effectiveness of strategies that students perceived when faced with learning Chinese. The data was collected from the Chinese program at Brigham Young University across one semester level. Along with this data, students' vocabulary achievement test scores were collected. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were used. The one-way ANOVA was used to investigate the effect of character density on students' vocabulary recognition and production performance. The Pearson Correlation was used to determine whether there was a linear relationship between the strategies they prioritized and their performance in vocabulary recognition and production tests. The research found that character density had an effect on vocabulary production performance but not on recognition performance. The research also found strategies that are positively correlated with recognition and production performance, and strategies that are negatively correlated with recognition performance.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Humanities; Center for Language Studies

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2006-03-16

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd1217

Keywords

Chinese vocabulary recognition and production, strategy use

Language

English

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