The Role Classifiers Play in Selecting the Referent of a Word

Simple item page
Author(s)Ma, Weiyi
Author(s)Zhou, Peng
Author(s)Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick
Date Accessioned2023-05-04T14:49:12Z
Date Available2023-05-04T14:49:12Z
Publication Date2023-03-14
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Languages. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8010084
AbstractAn important cue to the meaning of a new noun is its accompanying classifier. For example, in English, X in “a sheet of X” should refer to a broad, flat object. A classifier is required in Chinese to quantify nouns. Using children’s overt responses in an object/picture selection task, past research found reliable semantic knowledge of classifiers in Mandarin-reared children at around age three. However, it is unclear how children’s semantic knowledge differs across different types of classifiers and how this difference develops with age. Here we use an arguably more sensitive measure of children’s language knowledge (the intermodal preferential-looking paradigm) to examine Mandarin-reared three-, four-, and five-year-olds’ semantic knowledge of four types of classifiers indicating animacy (human vs. animal distinction), configuration (how objects are arrayed), object shape, and vehicle function. Multiple factors were matched across classifier types: the number of classifiers, perceived familiarity and perceived typicality of the target, and the visual similarity of the two images paired together. Children’s performances differed across classifier types, as they were better with animacy classifiers than with configuration and vehicle function classifiers. Their comprehension was reliable for animacy, object shape, and vehicle function classifiers but not for configuration classifiers. Furthermore, we did not find conclusive evidence for an age-dependent improvement in the child’s performance. The analysis, including the oldest (five-year-olds) and youngest (three-year-olds) children, revealed a marginally significant age effect.
SponsorP.Z. is supported by a National Natural Science Grant (U20B2062) by National Natural Science Foundation of China.
CitationMa, Weiyi, Peng Zhou, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff. 2023. "The Role Classifiers Play in Selecting the Referent of a Word" Languages 8, no. 1: 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8010084
ISSN2226-471X
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/32721
Languageen_US
PublisherLanguages
KeywordsMandarin Chinese
Keywordsclassifier
Keywordsintermodal preferential looking
TitleThe Role Classifiers Play in Selecting the Referent of a Word
TypeArticle
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
The Role Classifiers Play in Selecting the Referent of a Word.pdf
Size:
1.18 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.22 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Access Publications
Open Access Publications
Open Access Publications