BACKGROUND： Dyslexic children exhibit reading ability unmatched to age, although they possess normal intelligence and are well educated. OBJECTIVE： To examine the performance of dyslexic children in Chinese charac...BACKGROUND： Dyslexic children exhibit reading ability unmatched to age, although they possess normal intelligence and are well educated. OBJECTIVE： To examine the performance of dyslexic children in Chinese characters visual recognition tasks and to investigate the relationship between priming effect in character recognition and dyslexia. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A case-control study was performed at the Department of Children and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between March and June 2007. PARTICIPANTS： A total of 75 primary school students in grades 3 and 5 were selected from two primary schools in Wuhan City, Hubei province, China, and were assigned to three groups. （1） Reading disability （RD, n = 25）; （2） chronological age （CA） group （n = 25 normal readers that were intelligence quotient and age-matched to the RD group）; （3） reading level （RL） group （n = 25 normal readers that were intelligence quotient and RL-matched to the RD group）. All children were right-handed and had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. METHODS： Recognition of target characters was performed in each child using a masked prime paradigm. Recognition speed and accuracy of graphic, phonological, and semantic characters were examined. Simultaneously, data, with respect to response time for each target character and error rate, were recorded to calculate facilitation values （unrelated RT-related RT）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Response time, facilitation, and error rate in Chinese character recognition task were calculated. RESULTS： The baseline-adjusted facilitation of graphic, phonological, and semantic priming for dyslexic children was -0.010, -0.010, and 0.001, respectively. Dyslexic children displayed inhibition in graphic and phonological prime conditions. Facilitations under the three prime conditions were 0.026, 0.026, and 0.022 for the CA group. In the RL group, results were 0.062, 0.058, and 0.031 respectively. The differences of baseline-adjusted facilitation across the three groups were significant [F （2, 216） = 17.91, P 〈 0.01 ], whereas the main effect of prime condition IF （2, 216） = 0.49, P 〉 0.05] and the interaction of group x prime condition [F （4, 216） = 0.91, P 〉 0.05] were not significant. The error rate under the three prime conditions was 0.066, 0.077, and 0.079 for the RD group. As for the CA group, the results were 0.057, 0.071, and 0.074 accordingly, and in the RL group, the results were 0.119, 0.111, and 0.121, respectively. The difference of error rate across the three groups was significant （F = 6.61, P = 0.002）. The error rate was significantly greater in the RL group, compared with the CA and RD groups, while no significant difference existed between the RD and CA groups. CONCLUSION： Dyslexic children were slower to recognize target characters than normal readers, and did not exhibit significant prime effects in graphic and phonological primer condition. These results suggested that dyslexic children exhibited general deficits in phonological and graphic processing, and presented a different pattern in character recognition. These results could be interpreted by parallel-distributed processing models.展开更多
As the primary means of communication,speech is an essential aspect for humans to interact and build connections in the social world.Speech intelligibility is critical in social communication;unintelligibility may lea...As the primary means of communication,speech is an essential aspect for humans to interact and build connections in the social world.Speech intelligibility is critical in social communication;unintelligibility may lead to confusion,misunderstanding,and frustration.Many Chinese learners of English find it challenging to apply English into social interaction and reach mutual intelligibility with international communicators.This article analyzes the obstacles impeding Chinese EFL learners’speech intelligibility development,from the aspects of phonology(segmental and suprasegmental features)and pragmatics.Some strategies are proposed to help Chinese learners ameliorate phonology and pragmatics problems and improve speech intelligibility in English communication.展开更多
“[ã^(44) kã^(44) paʔ^(5) lã44 tã^(53)]”(Chinese characters transcription“昂更八冷打”)is an colloquial expression in Tongxiang dialect of Suzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Sub-branch,Taihu Branch,Wu.It describes an awkward...“[ã^(44) kã^(44) paʔ^(5) lã44 tã^(53)]”(Chinese characters transcription“昂更八冷打”)is an colloquial expression in Tongxiang dialect of Suzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Sub-branch,Taihu Branch,Wu.It describes an awkward state with unfinished tasks.Its similar expressions can be found in other regions of Taihu Branch,including Yixing,Changzhou,Shaoxing and Ningbo,usually serving as“all”,while the expression“[hÃɲ^(33) paʔ^(3) lÃɲ^(33) tÃɲ^(31)]”(“亨八冷打”)in Shanghai Sub-branch indicates“the remaining parts”when used alone.“[hÃɲ^(33) paʔ^(3) lÃɲ^(33) tÃɲ^(31)]”stands for“all”only when followed by a word with meaning of“adding together”.In this paper,it is concluded and deduced from other similar morphemes that the contradictory connotations are related to an“inner split”process of an original word.Considering similar morphemes in other Chinese dialects(including Cantonese,Hakka,Jianghuai and Min),the following analysis proposes three possible original expressions and correlating trajectories of this inner phonetic-semantic split process,and selects a most credible way based on the rhyming dictionary and previous reconstructive models of ancient Chinese phonology.This presumptive analysis indicates that a broader“split and derivate”process generating new morphemes exists widely in Sinitic dialects as a natural company of phonetic features in Chinese language flow.展开更多
Kunqu is a comprehensive art which is considered to be an epitome of the achievements of Chinese Xiqu.It was unanimously selected by UNESCO from the first round of entrants for the category of"Oral and Intangible...Kunqu is a comprehensive art which is considered to be an epitome of the achievements of Chinese Xiqu.It was unanimously selected by UNESCO from the first round of entrants for the category of"Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity",with emphasis on its heritage value as embodied in language,literature,music,singing technique,dance,performance,set design,makeup,and more,and has been given the status of living fossil by artists both in China and abroad.Based on the relationship between the intonation of Chinese characters and singing techniques,especially the criterion in Kunqu that the"singing technique follows the intonation of a Chinese character",we attempt to deduce the intonation of Chinese characters in the Suzhou-Zhongzhou dialect based on its singing technique.Specifically,we deduce the archaic intonations of Chinese characters by the exclusive singing techniques in Kunqu for the purpose of exploring a new approach to Chinese phonology of the Ming and Qing dynasties from an interdisciplinary perspective of artistic criterion and linguistics.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30872132
文摘BACKGROUND： Dyslexic children exhibit reading ability unmatched to age, although they possess normal intelligence and are well educated. OBJECTIVE： To examine the performance of dyslexic children in Chinese characters visual recognition tasks and to investigate the relationship between priming effect in character recognition and dyslexia. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A case-control study was performed at the Department of Children and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between March and June 2007. PARTICIPANTS： A total of 75 primary school students in grades 3 and 5 were selected from two primary schools in Wuhan City, Hubei province, China, and were assigned to three groups. （1） Reading disability （RD, n = 25）; （2） chronological age （CA） group （n = 25 normal readers that were intelligence quotient and age-matched to the RD group）; （3） reading level （RL） group （n = 25 normal readers that were intelligence quotient and RL-matched to the RD group）. All children were right-handed and had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. METHODS： Recognition of target characters was performed in each child using a masked prime paradigm. Recognition speed and accuracy of graphic, phonological, and semantic characters were examined. Simultaneously, data, with respect to response time for each target character and error rate, were recorded to calculate facilitation values （unrelated RT-related RT）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Response time, facilitation, and error rate in Chinese character recognition task were calculated. RESULTS： The baseline-adjusted facilitation of graphic, phonological, and semantic priming for dyslexic children was -0.010, -0.010, and 0.001, respectively. Dyslexic children displayed inhibition in graphic and phonological prime conditions. Facilitations under the three prime conditions were 0.026, 0.026, and 0.022 for the CA group. In the RL group, results were 0.062, 0.058, and 0.031 respectively. The differences of baseline-adjusted facilitation across the three groups were significant [F （2, 216） = 17.91, P 〈 0.01 ], whereas the main effect of prime condition IF （2, 216） = 0.49, P 〉 0.05] and the interaction of group x prime condition [F （4, 216） = 0.91, P 〉 0.05] were not significant. The error rate under the three prime conditions was 0.066, 0.077, and 0.079 for the RD group. As for the CA group, the results were 0.057, 0.071, and 0.074 accordingly, and in the RL group, the results were 0.119, 0.111, and 0.121, respectively. The difference of error rate across the three groups was significant （F = 6.61, P = 0.002）. The error rate was significantly greater in the RL group, compared with the CA and RD groups, while no significant difference existed between the RD and CA groups. CONCLUSION： Dyslexic children were slower to recognize target characters than normal readers, and did not exhibit significant prime effects in graphic and phonological primer condition. These results suggested that dyslexic children exhibited general deficits in phonological and graphic processing, and presented a different pattern in character recognition. These results could be interpreted by parallel-distributed processing models.
文摘As the primary means of communication,speech is an essential aspect for humans to interact and build connections in the social world.Speech intelligibility is critical in social communication;unintelligibility may lead to confusion,misunderstanding,and frustration.Many Chinese learners of English find it challenging to apply English into social interaction and reach mutual intelligibility with international communicators.This article analyzes the obstacles impeding Chinese EFL learners’speech intelligibility development,from the aspects of phonology(segmental and suprasegmental features)and pragmatics.Some strategies are proposed to help Chinese learners ameliorate phonology and pragmatics problems and improve speech intelligibility in English communication.
文摘“[ã^(44) kã^(44) paʔ^(5) lã44 tã^(53)]”(Chinese characters transcription“昂更八冷打”)is an colloquial expression in Tongxiang dialect of Suzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Sub-branch,Taihu Branch,Wu.It describes an awkward state with unfinished tasks.Its similar expressions can be found in other regions of Taihu Branch,including Yixing,Changzhou,Shaoxing and Ningbo,usually serving as“all”,while the expression“[hÃɲ^(33) paʔ^(3) lÃɲ^(33) tÃɲ^(31)]”(“亨八冷打”)in Shanghai Sub-branch indicates“the remaining parts”when used alone.“[hÃɲ^(33) paʔ^(3) lÃɲ^(33) tÃɲ^(31)]”stands for“all”only when followed by a word with meaning of“adding together”.In this paper,it is concluded and deduced from other similar morphemes that the contradictory connotations are related to an“inner split”process of an original word.Considering similar morphemes in other Chinese dialects(including Cantonese,Hakka,Jianghuai and Min),the following analysis proposes three possible original expressions and correlating trajectories of this inner phonetic-semantic split process,and selects a most credible way based on the rhyming dictionary and previous reconstructive models of ancient Chinese phonology.This presumptive analysis indicates that a broader“split and derivate”process generating new morphemes exists widely in Sinitic dialects as a natural company of phonetic features in Chinese language flow.
基金sponsored by the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund The History of Chinese Xiqu in the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of New China(Jiangsu Province Volume)(Grant Number:19ZD05)the Social Science Youth Fund of Jiangsu Province Translation Studies of Kunqu under the Strategy of Chinese Culture Going Out(Grant Number:16YSC004)。
文摘Kunqu is a comprehensive art which is considered to be an epitome of the achievements of Chinese Xiqu.It was unanimously selected by UNESCO from the first round of entrants for the category of"Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity",with emphasis on its heritage value as embodied in language,literature,music,singing technique,dance,performance,set design,makeup,and more,and has been given the status of living fossil by artists both in China and abroad.Based on the relationship between the intonation of Chinese characters and singing techniques,especially the criterion in Kunqu that the"singing technique follows the intonation of a Chinese character",we attempt to deduce the intonation of Chinese characters in the Suzhou-Zhongzhou dialect based on its singing technique.Specifically,we deduce the archaic intonations of Chinese characters by the exclusive singing techniques in Kunqu for the purpose of exploring a new approach to Chinese phonology of the Ming and Qing dynasties from an interdisciplinary perspective of artistic criterion and linguistics.
