Australian Review of Applied Linguistics - Volume 24, Issue 2, 2001

The aims of this paper are: (1) to compare learning strategies employed to memorize the meaning of words written in kanji (logograph) and kana (syllablics); and (2) to identify effective learning strategies to memorize meanings of words in kanji. Eleven native speakers of English enrolled in Japanese at a university participated in this project. Twenty words were selected as the main research instrument. Participants were asked to memorize in 20 minutes the English meanings of the 20 Japanese words written in kanji while saying what they were thinking (a think-aloud protocol). Participants’ behavior was observed, and a test was given after the memorization. About one month later the same procedure was used for words written in kana. A questionnaire was used to find participants’ Japanese learning backgrounds. The findings were: (1) seven out of 11 participants employed different strategies for memorizing the meanings of words written in kanji from words written in kana; and (2) recognition of radicals and analysis of whole words were effective for memorizing the words written in kanji.

When reading lengthy expository texts, Australian-born (Aus) learners of Modern Standard Chinese (MSC) as a second language (L2) often find it difficult to elicit the main points being expressed by the text author. Contrastive rhetoric studies attribute this to the differing stylistic patterns of argumentation between L1-English and L1-MSC discourse. This explanation, however, is far from universally accepted, with many studies refuting such conclusions. This study seeks to contribute to the debate by applying a more rigorous analytic framework, the Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) framework, to lengthy newstext, so as to explicate the lower level, more local features of Chinese discourse that may lead to the problems faced by L2 learners of MSC. Results reveal that local level placement of clauses differs between Australian and Chinese newstexts. Pedagogical implications are discussed, namely the benefits of promoting awareness of such cross-cultural variation within the language classroom.

This paper surveys developments that have occurred in the major ‘corpus-informed’ English reference grammars of the past three decades. During this time there has occurred not simply a massive increase in the size of the corpora available to grammarians and an increasing sophistication in the methods by which they are able to analyse and present quantitative data, but, more fundamentally, a shift in the attitudes of authors towards their object of description. No longer is it considered that a single variety—typically standard educated English—will suffice for the description of language use: sensitivity to usage across a range of registers and dialects is now accepted as essential.

This paper adopts the view that bilingualism is a result of numerous societal forces. In this paper, the data collected from five Japanese immigrant families residing in Toronto, Canada are dynamically represented within the framework of Engeström’s (1999) Activity Model. Results identify family bonding as the most significant reason for L1 maintenance. Other important social factors include the information disseminated by professionals in the field, stories shared among immigrant families, the availability of school programmes, access to technology and resources, availability of caregivers who speak the target language, teachers well-versed in language learning mechanisms, frequent visits to the country of origin, multicultural surroundings, and the clear division of labour between school and home. However, the paper calls for a more co-operative education system that bridges the schism between homes and schools. A new model is proposed which is thought to be conducive to bilingualism.

In Western studies of narrative, Complication, Resolution and Evaluation have received a substantial amount of attention whereas Coda is regarded as an optional and relatively insignificant element. This paper analyzes narratives written by Grade 5/6 students in Hong Kong and investigates some of the contextual factors which help to shape the production and interpretation of these narrative texts. Findings suggest that the functions of Coda are culture-specific. In Chinese narratives, Coda is an obligatory element. It is important because of its role as a carrier of value-laden messages. It is the locus where the social purpose of Chinese narrative is stated, and where the cultural meaning of narrative texts is expressed. It provides a mechanism through which a process of self-reflection and self-discovery is instated so that what one experiences in the external world is given some significance. This process of self-discovery is extended to others through processes of moralization and generalization so that a general discovery of truth will result. The paper also demonstrates how the significance of Coda is conveyed through teachers’ beliefs and teaching practices.

Of the Major Asian languages taught in Australia, Indonesian is the only one which exists in a diglossic situation, in which the language of everyday conversation is significantly different from the formal language. Indonesian language teaching in Australia concentrates largely on the ‘high’ form of the language; in most schools and universities the everyday variety is dealt with either superficially or not at all. As a result, most Australian learners develop no proficiency in this variety. Unlike the formal language, informal Indonesian is highly context-bound, with presuppositions and shared knowledge playing an essential role in conveying meaning. The paper looks at the preposition soma to demonstrate this distinction between formal and informal language. Using language appropriate to the situation is essential to ‘good manners’ and effective communication. Hence it is important to incorporate teaching of informal language into Indonesian courses, particularly the variety spoken by the Jakartan middle-class, which is acquiring status as a standard colloquial form of the language. It has as yet been subjected to very little study and as a result almost no materials are available for teaching it. Moreover, most non-native teachers have little or no knowledge of it. Only when descriptions of this variety are available can effective teaching be implemented.

This study investigates how frequently Australian learners of Indonesian thank in everyday situations compared with Indonesian native speakers. The data were collected by means of interactive roleplay. Learner subjects were found to thank very consistently in the situations, probably due to pragmatic transfer from their first language combined with influence from formal instruction. Indonesian native subjects also thanked frequently. This finding contradicts popular wisdom, and appears to reflect a rise in verbal thanking in Indonesian due to a weakening of traditional cultural values. This trend has major implications for cross-cultural pragmatics. It suggests that in developing countries where cultural values are changing, speech act behaviour may steadily converge with western pragmatic norms.