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The Effect of Inter-word Space on Chinese reading: An Eye Movement Study

단어 간 공백이 중국어 글 읽기에 미치는 영향: 안구운동 추적 연구

  • Received : 2018.11.29
  • Accepted : 2018.12.31
  • Published : 2018.12.30

Abstract

This research investigated whether inter-word spaces, the spaces between words, can affect the efficiency of Korean-speaking CSL(Chinese as a second language) learners in Chinese reading of Korean-speaking's ability to read Chinese. Through eye movement tracking experiments, CSL learners of different proficiency levels(beginning, intermediate, and advanced) and native Chinese readers were asked to read Chinese sentences with and without inter-word spaces. The tests analysed the participants' fixation counts and the time spent in reading each sentences and also between each words. In terms of the fixation counts and time spent between sentences, the results show that there were no significant difference in participants' fixation counts from reading sentences with and without inter-word spaces. The results also prove that reading sentences with inter-word spaces significantly shortened the reading time for both CSL learners and native Chinese readers. Even for the participants' fixation counts and time duration between each words, participants spent significantly less fixation counts and reading time while reading words with inter-word spaces. The results were more prominent and positive in tests conducted with CSL learners of lower proficiency. This research shows that inter-word spaces in Chinese texts can enhance the efficiency of chinese learners' reading ability.

본 연구에서는 단어 사이에 삽입된 공백이 중국어 모국어 화자와 한국인 학습자(초급, 중급, 고급)의 중국어 글 읽기에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지에 대해 안구운동 추적을 통하여 살펴보았다. 참가자들에게 단어 사이에 공백을 삽입한 '공백 삽입' 조건과 그렇지 않은 '공백 무삽입' 조건의 평이한 중국어 문장을 읽도록 요구했다. 실험 결과, 문장 수준 분석에서 공백 삽입 조건이 공백 무삽입 조건에 비해 길이가 더욱 길어졌음에도 불구하고 두 조건의 문장 고정 횟수는 차이를 보이지 않았으며, 문장 독해 시간과 평균 고정 시간은 오히려 공백 삽입 조건이 더욱 짧았다. 단어 수준 분석에서 참가자들의 독해 시간과 고정 횟수가 모두 공백 무삽입 조건에 비해 공백 삽입 조건에서 더욱 적게 나타났다. 또한, 참가자들의 중국어 수준이 낮을수록, 독해 시간과 고정 횟수에서 두 조건의 차이가 더 큰 것으로 나타났다. 본 실험의 결과는 공백이 단어 재인과 문장 처리에 긍정적인 영향을 미치며, 이러한 영향은 중국어 수준이 낮을수록 크게 작용한다는 것을 보여준다.

Keywords

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