Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming

Ran Wei

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

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Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming

Ran Wei

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 9, Issue 6)

Received: 2 December 2021 Accepted: 16 December 2021 Published: 24 December 2021

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Abstract

The tendency to use the syntactic structure that has been processed or encountered before is called syntactic priming or structural priming. There are an increasing number of bilingual speakers, therefore, it is crucial to explore the mental storage and processes of two languages in people’s mind and to discover the potential similarity or difference between bilinguals and monolinguals so as to interpret the language use in real world. With regard to cross-language priming, it is uncertain about whether bilinguals shared information with the two languages or separate the storage and processing of syntactic information one after another. This study focused on how Chinese-English bilingual speakers represent cross-language syntax using the phenomenon of syntactic priming. With the confederate scripting task, 60 Chinese-English bilinguals took part in the experiment of syntactic priming on passive structure. It was found that the participants produced more English passive structure after they heard either marked passive or unmarked passive in Chinese. However, there is no significant difference between the number of English passive structures produced after Chinese marked and unmarked passive sentences. In other words, both marked passive and unmarked passive structures in Chinese primed English passive structure, which supported the view of syntactic representation as shared between languages and shed light on syntactic account across languages.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 9, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
Page(s)	344-348
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Chinese-English Bilinguals, Cross-language Syntactic Priming, English Passive Structure, Shared-syntax Account

References

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[2]	Bock, K., & Loebell, H. (1990). Framing sentences. Cognition, 35, 1–39.
[3]	Desmet, T., & Declercq, M. (2006). Cross-linguistic priming of syntactic hierarchical configuration information. Journal of Memory and Language, 54, 610–632.
[4]	Hartsuiker, R., Pickering, M., & Veltkamp, E. (2004). Is syntax separate or shared between languages? Psychological Science, 15, 409–414.
[5]	Hartsuiker, R., & Bernolet, S. (2017). The development of shared syntax in second language learning. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 20, 219–234.
[6]	Hong, L. (2017). Qian xi bei dong ju zhong ‘bei’ de yin xian gui lv (A preliminary analysis of the appearance and disappearance of ‘bei’ in bei construction). Modern Chinese (Language Studies), 07, 64–67.
[7]	Levelt, W., & Kelter, S. (1982). Surface form and memory in question answering. Cognitive Psychology, 14, 78–106.
[8]	Li, Z. (1989). Yi yi bei dong ju de shi yong fan wei (The application scope of Chinese meaning passives). Chinese Teaching in the World, 3, 151–153.
[9]	Loebell, H., & Bock, K. (2003). Structural priming across languages. Linguistics, 41, 791–824.
[10]	Muylle, M., Bernolet, S., & Hartsuiker, R. (2021). The development of shared syntactic representations in late L2-learners: Evidence from structural priming in an artificial language. Journal of Memory and Language, 119 (1), 104233.
[11]	Sun, L. M. (1994). Gu dai han yu yu fa bian hua yan jiu (The variation study of ancient Chinese grammar). Beijing: Chinese Language Press.
[12]	Ting, J. (1998). Deriving the bei construction in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 7, 1–34.
[13]	Ting, J. (2006). The middle construction in Mandarin Chinese and the presyntactic approach. Concentric: Studies in Linguistics, 32 (1), 89–117.
[14]	Wang, L. (1985). Zhong guo xian dai yu fa (Chinese modern grammar). Beijing: The Commercial Press.
[15]	Yan, C. S. (2011). Han yu mei you ‘zhong dong jie gou’ (There is no middle construction in Chinese). Journal of PLA University of Foreign Languages, 34 (5), 7–12.

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Ran Wei. (2021). Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 9(6), 344-348. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

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Ran Wei. Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2021, 9(6), 344-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

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AMA Style

Ran Wei. Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming. Int J Lang Linguist. 2021;9(6):344-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18,
  author = {Ran Wei},
  title = {Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {9},
  number = {6},
  pages = {344-348},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20210906.18},
  abstract = {The tendency to use the syntactic structure that has been processed or encountered before is called syntactic priming or structural priming. There are an increasing number of bilingual speakers, therefore, it is crucial to explore the mental storage and processes of two languages in people’s mind and to discover the potential similarity or difference between bilinguals and monolinguals so as to interpret the language use in real world. With regard to cross-language priming, it is uncertain about whether bilinguals shared information with the two languages or separate the storage and processing of syntactic information one after another. This study focused on how Chinese-English bilingual speakers represent cross-language syntax using the phenomenon of syntactic priming. With the confederate scripting task, 60 Chinese-English bilinguals took part in the experiment of syntactic priming on passive structure. It was found that the participants produced more English passive structure after they heard either marked passive or unmarked passive in Chinese. However, there is no significant difference between the number of English passive structures produced after Chinese marked and unmarked passive sentences. In other words, both marked passive and unmarked passive structures in Chinese primed English passive structure, which supported the view of syntactic representation as shared between languages and shed light on syntactic account across languages.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming
AU  - Ran Wei
Y1  - 2021/12/24
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 344
EP  - 348
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
AB  - The tendency to use the syntactic structure that has been processed or encountered before is called syntactic priming or structural priming. There are an increasing number of bilingual speakers, therefore, it is crucial to explore the mental storage and processes of two languages in people’s mind and to discover the potential similarity or difference between bilinguals and monolinguals so as to interpret the language use in real world. With regard to cross-language priming, it is uncertain about whether bilinguals shared information with the two languages or separate the storage and processing of syntactic information one after another. This study focused on how Chinese-English bilingual speakers represent cross-language syntax using the phenomenon of syntactic priming. With the confederate scripting task, 60 Chinese-English bilinguals took part in the experiment of syntactic priming on passive structure. It was found that the participants produced more English passive structure after they heard either marked passive or unmarked passive in Chinese. However, there is no significant difference between the number of English passive structures produced after Chinese marked and unmarked passive sentences. In other words, both marked passive and unmarked passive structures in Chinese primed English passive structure, which supported the view of syntactic representation as shared between languages and shed light on syntactic account across languages.
VL  - 9
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Ran Wei

School of Foreign Studies, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, P R China

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APA Style

Ran Wei. (2021). Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 9(6), 344-348. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

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ACS Style

Ran Wei. Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2021, 9(6), 344-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Ran Wei. Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming. Int J Lang Linguist. 2021;9(6):344-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18,
  author = {Ran Wei},
  title = {Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {9},
  number = {6},
  pages = {344-348},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20210906.18},
  abstract = {The tendency to use the syntactic structure that has been processed or encountered before is called syntactic priming or structural priming. There are an increasing number of bilingual speakers, therefore, it is crucial to explore the mental storage and processes of two languages in people’s mind and to discover the potential similarity or difference between bilinguals and monolinguals so as to interpret the language use in real world. With regard to cross-language priming, it is uncertain about whether bilinguals shared information with the two languages or separate the storage and processing of syntactic information one after another. This study focused on how Chinese-English bilingual speakers represent cross-language syntax using the phenomenon of syntactic priming. With the confederate scripting task, 60 Chinese-English bilinguals took part in the experiment of syntactic priming on passive structure. It was found that the participants produced more English passive structure after they heard either marked passive or unmarked passive in Chinese. However, there is no significant difference between the number of English passive structures produced after Chinese marked and unmarked passive sentences. In other words, both marked passive and unmarked passive structures in Chinese primed English passive structure, which supported the view of syntactic representation as shared between languages and shed light on syntactic account across languages.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Cross-language Syntactic Representation in Chinese-English Bilinguals: Evidence from Structural Priming
AU  - Ran Wei
Y1  - 2021/12/24
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 344
EP  - 348
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.18
AB  - The tendency to use the syntactic structure that has been processed or encountered before is called syntactic priming or structural priming. There are an increasing number of bilingual speakers, therefore, it is crucial to explore the mental storage and processes of two languages in people’s mind and to discover the potential similarity or difference between bilinguals and monolinguals so as to interpret the language use in real world. With regard to cross-language priming, it is uncertain about whether bilinguals shared information with the two languages or separate the storage and processing of syntactic information one after another. This study focused on how Chinese-English bilingual speakers represent cross-language syntax using the phenomenon of syntactic priming. With the confederate scripting task, 60 Chinese-English bilinguals took part in the experiment of syntactic priming on passive structure. It was found that the participants produced more English passive structure after they heard either marked passive or unmarked passive in Chinese. However, there is no significant difference between the number of English passive structures produced after Chinese marked and unmarked passive sentences. In other words, both marked passive and unmarked passive structures in Chinese primed English passive structure, which supported the view of syntactic representation as shared between languages and shed light on syntactic account across languages.
VL  - 9
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download