Using meaningful interpretation and chunking to improve memory : the case of Chinese characters learning
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Learning and retaining Chinese characters are often considered to be the most challenging elements in learning Chinese as a foreign language. Applying the theory of meaningful interpretation, the chunking mnemonic technique, and the linguistic features of Chinese characters, this study examines whether the method of meaningful interpretation and chunking (MIC) can promote learners' immediate learning and retention of Chinese characters. Mandarin Chinese learners at two high schools were randomized into a treatment and a control group. Students varied by language level of study (second, third, and fourth year of Mandarin) and whether they were heritage learners of Mandarin or not. Students in the treatment group learned Chinese characters with the MIC method, whereas their peers in the control group learned characters by the traditional method of rote repetition according to the stroke order. Four balanced character sets were introduced each day for 4 continuous days with 3 different interventions: teacher-instructed method on Day 1, teacher-cued method on Day 2, and students' independent work on Day 3 and Day 4. Students' learning outcomes of the characters were measured with (a) immediate quizzes given each day after instruction, (b) a retention test (after 1 week) that integrated all immediate quizzes, and (c) an application test administered 2 months after the experiment to determine whether the students could apply the MIC method to their own learning of Chinese characters. The findings suggest that meaningful interpretation and chunking enhances learners' immediate learning and retention of Chinese characters. Additionally, the teacher-cuedmethod and familiar independent work were more effective for learning and retaining Chinese characters than the teacher-instructed method and unfamiliar independent work. However, the treatment effect of the MIC method disappeared in the application test when students were tested 2 months following the study. Furthermore, the treatment effect also varied across the measurement components (meaning versus perception), levels of instruction, and heritage versus non-heritage groups. Based on these findings, implications for future research and teaching practices are suggested.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2011 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Xu, Xiaoqiu |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, School of Education. |
| Primary advisor | Padilla, Amado M |
| Thesis advisor | Padilla, Amado M |
| Thesis advisor | Hakuta, Kenji |
| Thesis advisor | Schwartz, Daniel L |
| Advisor | Hakuta, Kenji |
| Advisor | Schwartz, Daniel L |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Xiaoqiu Xu. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the School of Education. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2011. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2011 by Xiaoqiu Xu
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (CC BY).
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