Acquisition of Collocations in Japanese by Japanese Language Learners

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02815
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Ohga Chiharu 九州大学, 留学生センター, 准教授 (50403928)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 郭 俊海 九州大学, 留学生センター, 教授 (20377203)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: プロトタイプ / 独自性 / 多義性理解 / 偏り / 類義性理解 / 語彙ネットワーク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This paper studies how the meaning of collocations is acquired by Japanese language learners from the perspective of (1) “typicalization”(forming a prototype); (2) “generalization”(understanding the multiple meanings of a polysemous word); and (3)“differentiation” (understanding of synonymities) using the theory of concept formation.
The findings of the study can be summarized as follows: (1) the prototypes formed by both the higher and lower level learners are different from those of Japanese native speakers as well as Chinese students studying in Japanese universities; (2) learners tend to widen their understanding of polysemous words from the prototypical to the peripheral uses as their level of proficiency advances, but the level of comprehension of each usage varies; and (3) the synonyms of the verb exhibit diverse properties, and the level of comprehension varies depending on the type of synonym.

Free Research Field

日本語教育、第二言語習得

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

１）本研究は、日本語教育におけるコロケーション習得研究ではまだ殆ど行われていないコロケーションの意味習得に焦点を当てた点に特色があり、コロケーションに関する概念形成過程の一部を解明した点に学術的意義がある。また、日本語教育においてはコロケーション習得過程を発達的に捉えた研究がまだあまり行われておらず、本研究で学習者の発達的側面を明らかにすることができた点にも学術的意義があると言える。
２）現在、日本語語彙学習教材を開発しつつあるが、本研究の成果を開発教材に盛り込むことで、学習者の実情に合わせた教材作成が可能となり、学習効果が上がることが期待できる。