Acquisition of Japanese Case Particles

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Japanese case particles, which are morphological markers that indicate the relation of the noun phrase to the predicate, are crucial factor for both comprehension and production of the language; however, it is a very difficult area for adult learners to master. The author points out that the subjects for this qualitative study were selected at random from students whose native language is English and who were currently taking a third semester of a formally instructed Japanese course. The paper recommends instructional techniques based on the findings such as the use of diagnostic tests for recognizing the natures of learners' confusion and creating productive lessons to clarify the confusion. Many charts, tables and graphs.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Background
Difference and Difficulty
Literature Review
Definitions of Japanese Case
Research on Acquiring Case Particles by Adult English Speakers
Verbal Protocol: An Effective Mean of Obtaining Valuable Information
Research Questions
Methodology
Research Design
Subjects
Test Survey
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Findings
The First Question: Why are Some Particles Troublesome?
Second Question: Does Subjects' Confidence Reflect the Accuracy in Use of The Particles?
Third Question: How do the Subjects Determine Which Particle to Use?
Discussion
Pedagogical Implication
Teach schema: What Goes with the Particle
Diagnostic Test: To Know What They Don't Know
Provide Meta-Linguistic Instruction: Teach Semantic Role of Particles
Make the Lesson Memorable
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"An interesting fact is that the other two problems with 100% accuracy have somewhat similar properties as well. The verb, imasu 'to exist,' is also a stative verb, which is means existential. The adjective, daisuki desu 'to be favorite,' is usually translated into English as "I like something." This verb and adjective also take a semantic object accompanied by the subject marker ga. However, in these questions, subjects had no confusion over use of o and ga. It turned out that the first two uses of ga are very familiar ones to the subjects, and they seem to have almost memorized the combination. This fact will be illustrated and discussed in a later section."

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