This study investigates the second language (L2) acquisition of the English count/mass distinction by speakers of Korean and Mandarin Chinese, with a focus on the semantics of atomicity. It is hypothesized that L1-Korean and L1-Mandarin L2-English learners are influenced by atomicity in the use of the count/mass morphosyntax in English. This hypothesis is tested in two experiments, one comparing Korean and Mandarin speakers in their L2 (English) and the other investigating count/mass morphosyntax in native Korean and Mandarin Chinese. In both experiments, participants are tested on their suppliance of plural marking with count and mass NPs. The findings are fully consistent with the view of atomicity as a semantic universal: learners overuse plural marking with mass atomic nouns such as furniture more than with mass non-atomic nouns such as water. Even though plural marking is associated with atomicity in Korean but not in Mandarin, the same patterns are observed in L1-Korean and L1-Mandarin L2-English learners. We conclude that learners’ performance is not due to L1-transfer, but rather to the role of the semantic universal of atomicity in L2-acquisition.

Abstract-Incidental vocabulary acquisition (IVA) has long been an important, yet controversial topic in second language acquisition. Word exposure frequency is one of the key factors that influence IVA. Various studies have been conducted to explore exposure frequency in relation to IVA, and have not yet reached an agreement on the effect and the optimal exposure frequency. The exploration of the existing studies reveals the reasons for the conflicting results, which include insufficient reading amount, simplification of test content and lack of consideration of learners' lexical competence. To clear up the blurred picture and better understand the nature of word exposure frequency effect, future researches can be carried out in terms of research areas and methods. In terms of research areas, studies can be designed to test different aspects of word knowledge, distinguish the effect of global word frequency and local word frequency, and investigate such mediating effects as perceptual salience, and skill levels. Methodologically, the test format needs to be diversified to avoid pure multiple choice tests. In addition, more post-tests can be conducted, and qualitative and longitudinal studies should be employed as complementary to the popular quantitative ones.Index Terms-word exposure frequency, incidental vocabulary acquisition, reading

This study investigates whether L2-learners from generalized classifier (GC) languages (Korean and Chinese) can acquire the count/mass distinction of English, in the domain of singular NP interpretation. We hypothesize that L1-Korean/Chinese L2-English learners transfer the properties of NP interpretation from their L1 to their L2. This hypothesis was tested using a Picture-Matching Task (PMT). To confirm the L1-transfer effect, Korean and Chinese versions of the experiment were also administered. The results of the English study show that L1-Korean/Chinese L2-English learners were target-like with count NPs, but allowed object-readings of mass NPs more than English NSs. The results of the Korean and Chinese experiment versions provide possible evidence that the pattern of results obtained for L2-English is due to L1-transfer from Korean/Chinese.

The present study explores the effect of word exposure frequency on Chinese advanced EFL learners’ incidental acquisition of three aspects of word knowledge (i.e., word form, word class and word meaning). The participants were 20 Chinese English postgraduates who read two chapters of an original English novel and took four vocabulary tests. The target words were 20 pseudo-words created to replace the words that naturally occurred from one to twenty times in the text. The results show that word exposure frequency has a significant effect on IVA through reading, exerting the strongest effect on word form recognition and the weakest on word meaning recall. The study also finds that seven is the threshold value for significant word gain growth and that local word frequency also influences learners’ IVA.