Learning that classifiers count: Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of sortal and mensural classifiers

Peggy Li; Becky Huang; Yaling Hsiao

doi:10.1007/s10831-010-9060-1

Learning that classifiers count: Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of sortal and mensural classifiers

Peggy Li^*, Becky Huang, Yaling Hsiao

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Two experiments explored two- to five-year-old Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of classifiers, mandatory morphemes for expressing quantities in many Asian languages. Classifiers are similar to measure words in English (e.g., a piece of apple; a cup of apples), with the main difference being that classifiers are also required when counting sortals (e.g., yi ge pinguo or "one unit apple" in Mandarin means "one apple"). The current study extended prior studies (e. g., Chien et al., J East Asian Linguist 12:91-120, 2003) to examine Mandarin-speaking children's understanding of classifiers as indicating units of quantification. Children were also tested on their knowledge of numerals to assess the relationship between children's acquisition of numerals and classifiers. The findings suggest that children first notice that sortal classifiers specify properties such as shape. Only after learning some numerals do they begin to work out how classifiers indicate units of quantification. By age four, children scored above chance on most classifiers tested.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	207-230
Number of pages	24
Journal	Journal of East Asian Linguistics
Volume	19
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-010-9060-1
Publication status	Published - Nov 2010

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We are indebted to Susan Carey, David Barner, and members of the Laboratory for Developmental Studies for their discussions with us on issues related to classifiers. Special thanks go to Aijun Huang for sharing her paper and to the teachers, children, and parents at the following schools in the Taipei area for participating in our study: Yongbin (永濱), Fanmei (泛美), Shengru (聖如), Jili (吉利), Hesana (和撒那), Minquan (民權), and Chunchi (春池). This research was funded by an NRSA NIH postdoctoral fellowship to Peggy Li (F32HD043532), an NSF grant (REESE 0633955) to Elizabeth Spelke and Susan Carey, and an NIH grant (R01HD038338) to Susan Carey.

Keywords

Classifiers
Language acquisition
Mandarin
Number
Quantification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Language and Linguistics
Linguistics and Language
History and Philosophy of Science

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10.1007/s10831-010-9060-1

Cite this

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title = "Learning that classifiers count: Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of sortal and mensural classifiers",

abstract = "Two experiments explored two- to five-year-old Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of classifiers, mandatory morphemes for expressing quantities in many Asian languages. Classifiers are similar to measure words in English (e.g., a piece of apple; a cup of apples), with the main difference being that classifiers are also required when counting sortals (e.g., yi ge pinguo or {"}one unit apple{"} in Mandarin means {"}one apple{"}). The current study extended prior studies (e. g., Chien et al., J East Asian Linguist 12:91-120, 2003) to examine Mandarin-speaking children's understanding of classifiers as indicating units of quantification. Children were also tested on their knowledge of numerals to assess the relationship between children's acquisition of numerals and classifiers. The findings suggest that children first notice that sortal classifiers specify properties such as shape. Only after learning some numerals do they begin to work out how classifiers indicate units of quantification. By age four, children scored above chance on most classifiers tested.",

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Learning that classifiers count: Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of sortal and mensural classifiers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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