Overreliance on Orthographic Similarity in L2-Japanese Conceptual Processing by L1-Chinese Learners

Abstract

Orthographic and phonological similarities between first (L1) and second (L2) languages can facilitate L2 processing. Particularly, L1-Chinese learners of L2-Japanese can benefit from the shared morphosyllabic Chinese characters (Japanese kanji/Chinese hanzi) because of their similar orthographies. However, they also face challenges from phonological inconsistency derived from the lack of lexical origin: Japanese kanji has both Chinese-origin readings similar to hanzi pronunciation and native Japanese readings that lack phonological similarity and lexical origin with Chinese. In addition to kanji, Japanese has a Japanese original syllabic script, kana (hiragana), sharing neither orthographic nor phonological similarities. Given these orthographic and phonological complexities, investigating how L1-Chinese learners navigate these challenges in L2-Japanese word processing is essential. Therefore, we conducted an implicit cross-language priming lexical decision task on advanced L1-Chinese learners of L2-Japanese (N = 23). Employing L1-L2 translation equivalent pairs, we manipulated L2-Japanese words as primes based on their orthographic and phonological similarities, as well as the lexical origin with L1-Chinese. As a result, responses to L1-Chinese words primed by L2-Japanese words of L1-Chinese origin in kanji with on-readings (orthographically and phonologically similar) were significantly faster than unprimed controls. Contrarily, responses to L1-target words primed by L2-Japanese-origin words with kun-readings in hiragana (no orthographic/phonological similarity) were significantly slower than those primed by the L2-Japanese words of L1-Chinese-origin. Nevertheless, we did not find a significant delay by Japanese-origin words when they include kanji (orthographically similar). This study highlights an overreliance on cross-language orthographic similarity in L2 lexical access by morphosyllabic readers, unlike alphabetic readers.