Quadri-syllabic Schematic Idioms in Chinese: Description and Acquisition

This book explores how young learners acquire the partial productivity of four-character schematic idiomatic expressions (SIEs) in Mandarin, focusing on usage-based perspectives. It provides a constructional understanding of the quadri-syllabic SIEs and an in-depth distributional analysis of three typical schematic patterns. The author concludes that acquisition of SIEs is an interactive process shaped by input frequency, structural complexity, internal semantic relation, and chunking effect of open morphemes at different age levels.

Format: Hardback
Length: 227 pages
Publication date: 02 January 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate analysis of four-character schematic idiomatic expressions (SIEs) in Mandarin, offering a profound understanding of their productive behavior from a usage-based perspective. The initial chapters provide valuable insights into the construction of quadri-syllabic SIEs and conduct a thorough distributional analysis of three prevalent schematic patterns, drawing upon extensive natural corpus data. The subsequent chapters present detailed reports on four experimental studies aimed at unraveling the critical factors that influence the learning process of SIEs across different age groups. In the concluding chapter, the author draws a compelling conclusion, emphasizing that the acquisition of SIEs is a dynamic and interactive process shaped by factors such as input frequency, structural complexity, internal semantic relations, and the chunking effect of open morphemes at various stages of development.

These groundbreaking findings not only enhance our understanding of constructional idioms but also shed light on the emergentist model in idiom learning, with a specific focus on Mandarin's unique quadri-syllabic SIEs. This book is a valuable resource for language teachers, researchers, and postgraduate students with an interest in the study of idiomaticity. It provides a wealth of information and insights that will captivate scholars and practitioners alike.

Weight: 535g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811972010
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023