Second language acquisition of numeral quantifiers in Japanese

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12449
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Mie University
• Principal Investigator: Okuma Tokiko 三重大学, 教養教育院, 准教授 (20765515)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 第二言語習得 / 数量詞 / 集合読み・分配読み / 日本語習得

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study presented an empirical finding which suggests that L1 English speakers of L2 Japanese can acquire the interpretation of Japanese numeral quantifiers. Following Dekydtspotter et al.(2001) which investigated the interpretation of French numeral quantifiers, the present study provides evidence for the Full Transfer Full Access Hypothesis (Schwartz and Sprouse 1996),suggesting that L2 learners can overcome initial L1 transfer and finally acquire L2 properties that do not exist in their L1s.

Free Research Field

第二言語習得

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の新規性は、これまでの第二言語習得研究ではほとんど調べられていなかった日本語の数量詞の解釈の習得を調べた点にある。また本研究では、学習者に加えて日本語母語話者にも実験を行い、理論言語学で指摘されてきた数量詞の解釈が、言語学者ではない一般の日本語母語話者の知識として存在することも確かめた点で意義がある。