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Syntax–semantics mappings as a source of difficulty in Japanese speakers’ acquisition of the mass–count distinction in English*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2013

SHUNJI INAGAKI
SHUNJI INAGAKI*
Affiliation:
Nagoya University
*
Address for correspondence: Graduate School of Languages and Cultures, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japaninagaki@lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp
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Abstract

This paper investigates Japanese speakers’ acquisition of the mass–count distinction in English. Learners judge whether two large objects/portions of stuff are more than six tiny objects/portions of stuff or vice versa. Results show that learners correctly base judgments on number for count nouns (judging that six small cups are more cups than two large cups) and object-mass nouns (e.g., furniture) and on volume for substance-mass nouns (judging that two large portions of mustard are more mustard than six tiny portions of it). For nouns that can be either mass or count in English (e.g., string(s)) or cross-linguistically (e.g., “spinach”), learners fail to shift judgments according to the mass–count syntax in which the words appear. Results suggest that Japanese learners have difficulty using mass–count syntactic cues to disambiguate the meanings and thus fail to acquire the mass–count distinction in English.

Keywords

L2 acquisitionmass–count distinctionEnglishJapanesequantity judgmentsyntax–semantics mappings
Type
Research Article
Information
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 464 - 477
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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Footnotes

*

I would like to thank David Barner for letting me use his stimuli, testing English native speakers, and giving me helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. I also thank anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and Neal Snape for proofreading the manuscript. However, any errors are my own. My thanks also go to Shuchun Inagaki for her help in collecting data and moral support.

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