Does Language Shape Thought?: Chinese and English Speakers' Conceptions of Amplifier Collocations

語言相對論：中英文母語者對增強搭配詞概念之研究

方挺(Ting Fang)

《長庚人文社會學報》 6卷2期 (2013/10) Pp. 323-346

摘要

搭配詞一直以來為英語教學的重點之一，對搭配詞的精通與熟練則被視為趨近以英語為母語人士能力的指標，而增強搭配詞為搭配詞類別中的一類。文獻曾報告以中文為母語的英語學習者在英語增強搭配詞的使用上與英語母語人士不同。然而，此外顯比較只能看出其英語增強搭配詞使用差異可能源於個別母語之不同，意即不同第一語言（中文與英文）對英語增強搭配詞使用的影響，但是卻無法看出不同第一語言如何深入影響以中文為母語者與以英文為母語者對其不同語言的內在認知。根據Whorf（1956），語言為社會文化之產物，而不同的語言結構亦可能會影響語言使用者的想法或認知。因此，本研究目的在於探討以中文和英語為母語者對其語言中的增強搭配詞在認知上是否因為語言的不同而有差異，若此因為不同語言結構而造成的認知差異存在，或許可解釋為何中文母語的英語學習者在英語搭配詞使用上，與英語母語者有使用上的不同。與先前研究不同，由於語言與社會文化密不可分，本研究從單一的外顯語言使用之比較作延伸，以Whorf提出的觀點為基礎，進而探討中英文在社會文化情境下如何影響其使用者內在認知。研究者根據中英文增強搭配詞結構不同，提出假設：相對於英語母語者，中文母語者對於增強詞後搭配語級別的差異較無意識。三十五位中文母語者與三十位英語母語者參與本研究，即時與非即時測量法同時施測於實驗參與者。所有參與者接受語法性測驗，判斷其母語增強搭配詞是否合乎語法，研究者藉此了解參與者的判斷是否與其語言結構規則存在差異。參與者在判斷時，同時要求即時有聲思考，藉以了解其對語言結構之內在認知想法。研究結果支持本研究假設，即中英文的結構差異影響以其為母語者的思考，特別是對增強搭配詞級別的意識程度。此發現可解釋為何中文母語英語學習者對增強搭配詞學習感到困難，故本研究同時具有理論上以及教學上的啟示。

關鍵字

搭配詞教學 ； 語言相對論 ； 社會語言學 ； 文化適應

並列摘要

Mastery of collocations is one of the native like features of the target language, and collocation has been the focus in English teaching, one of which is amplifier collocation. Previous studies have analyzed how English amplifier collocations are used differently by native speakers and Chinese EFL learners from a linguistic perspective, i.e., how L1 structure influence Chinese EFL learners' L2 collocation use. However, when language is perceived as the product of culture, different languages may influence perceptions of people from different cultures. Therefore, the study examines whether the different use of English amplifier collocation by native speakers and Chinese EFL learners results from their different perceptions of it, which are influenced by L1. In this regard, studies of L1 influence are not limited within linguistic domain, but can be better understood in sociocultural contexts. Because of constraints of different language structures, the researcher hypothesized Chinese speakers, rather than English speakers, are less conscious about scalar and non-scalar distinction of words being collocated by amplifiers. Thirty five Chinese native speakers and 30 English native speakers participated in this study. Both offline (Grammaticality Judgment Test, GJT) and online measurement (Think-Aloud Protocols) were used to elicit participants' responses. The GJT helps the researcher investigate whether these English and Chinese participants' actual behaviors in judgments mirror their language structures. This think-aloud protocols look into if speakers' thoughts are subject to constraints of their native language structures. The results showed evidence to support this hypothesis that different language structures may influence the thought of English and Mandarin speakers, especially degrees of their awareness in amplifier collocations. It may also explain Chinese learners' difficulties in English amplifier collocation. This study thus has both theoretical and pedagogical implications.

並列關鍵字

Collocation Teaching ； Linguistic Relativity ； Socio-Cultural Linguistics ； Acculturatio

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