<論文>漢字系日本語学習者は日本語母語話者のように二字漢字語を処理できるのか？

Abstract

本研究では、中国語を母語とする日本語学習者（漢字系学習者）が日本語の二字漢字語の認知処理における母語の書字形態の影響を考察した。漢字系学習者は、漢字語彙習得の面で他の日本語学習者より有利であるとされる。また、日本語の漢字語彙処理において、漢字系学習者は日本語の語彙知識にかかわらず、日本語母語話者のように、迅速かつ正確な処理ができるとの指摘もある。本研究ではこの点を確認するために、漢字系学習者・漢字系学習者と同等の語彙知識を持つ非漢字系学習者・日本語母語話者に二字漢字語の語彙性判断課題を課し、その処理の効率性を比較した。その結果、漢字系学習者は処理の迅速さ・正確さは、同等の語彙知識を持つ非漢字系学習者よりむしろ日本語母語話者に近く、かつ処理の正確さに影響する要因も日本語母語話者の特徴と類似していた。これは、漢字系学習者の二字漢字語の処理で、中国語と日本語における表記親近性効果がみられたためであると考えられる。

This study investigated the effects of the L1 writing system on two-kanji compound words by Japanese learners with a kanji background by comparing them with those of Japanese learners with a non-kanji background and Japanese native speakers. It is well known that Chinese learners of Japanese have an advantage in acquiring Japanese kanji vocabulary. In addition, some studies have claimed that Japanese learners with kanji background are able to access Japanese two-kanji words as quickly and correctly as Japanese native speakers, regardless of their knowledge of Japanese vocabulary. However, further research is required to provide evidence. Thus, in this study, the speed and accuracy of processing two-kanji compound words were compared with those of Japanese learners with kanji background, Japanese learners with non-kanji background, and Japanese native speakers using the lexical decision task. The study found the following two points. First, Japanese learners with kanji background can access two-kanji compound words faster and more accurately than Japanese learners with non-kanji background who have the same Japanese vocabulary knowledge, and their processing speed and accuracy were the same as those of Japanese native speakers. Second, Japanese learners with kanji background and Japanese native speakers have a very similar tendency to process two-kanji compound words. These results were due to the script familiarity effect of the kanji used in Chinese and Japanese.