Cognitive Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition of Chinese: Theories and Applications: by Shu-Ling Wu, Lihong Huang and Carl Polley

Cognitive linguistics (CLs) views language as an integral part of human cognition and considers that cognitive processes of our mind play a fundamental role in shaping language. Yet, their significance is often overlooked in language teaching and learning, particularly in second language (L2) classroom instruction. Given the current global interest in learning Chinese as an L2, there is an increased demand for effective teaching methods and a deeper understanding of how cognitive processes are involved in L2 Chinese acquisition. Cognitive Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition of Chinese: Theories and Applications is a timely resource, which bridges the gap between CL and L2 Chinese pedagogy. The book not only provides an in-depth exploration of critical CL theories and concepts but also offers practical guidance to illustrate how CL can aid Chinese teaching and learning, making the book an invaluable resource for researchers, teachers, and students.

The book is structured into nine chapters. They cover the most prominent and fundamental concepts of CL research in English and Chinese, including construal, categorization, iconicity and image schemas, metaphor and metonymy, polysemy, and embodied cognition and mental stimulation. Each chapter reviews relevant findings on the concepts and provides CL-based pedagogical samples. Chapter 1 sets the stage for the book by giving an overview of CL and its significance for L2 acquisition. Given that many CL-based pedagogical approaches have been proposed but have not yet been tested in the authentic teaching context (Jacobsen 2018), this book addresses the issues by focusing on how CL theories can be used to analyze the Chinese language and to facilitate L2 Chinese teaching and learning. The chapter ends with an overview of other chapters, which navigates the book’s contents.

Chapter 2 explores the concept of construal, focusing on how different languages encode time, motion, and subjectivity in events. It highlights that languages like English and Chinese construct mental representations of time differently, with English favoring horizontal time concepts and Chinese incorporating both horizontal and vertical time concepts. The chapter also discusses the divergent encoding of motion events, with English being satellite-framed and Spanish verb-framed. In Chinese, motion morphemes can function both as path satellites—where the path is encoded in directional complements that attach to the main verb—and as full path verbs—where path components are treated as full verbs. The chapter also explores the role of subjectivity in event construal, focusing on the use of two Chinese grammatical markers: bǎ and passive bèi. The bǎ construction emphasizes the subject’s impact on the object, while the passive bèi construction highlights how the object is affected by the subject. It is suggested that L2 Chinese learners should be provided ample opportunities to use the L2, thereby developing L2-specific ways of “thinking for speaking” (Slobin 1996).

Chapter 3 concerns the cognitive mechanism of categorization in language learning, highlighting its role in understanding and organizing information. It discusses the prototype effects within categories and how they manifest in various linguistic levels. Focusing on Chinese-specific categorical phenomena, the authors examine categorization in words, morphology, syntax, and phonology, noting cross-linguistic variations due to individual, linguistic, and cultural differences. The authors provide a sample perceptual phonetic training lesson about Chinese affricates and fricatives to show how to teach these phonemes so that the L2 learners can acquire the phonemes with correct pronunciations. The chapter concludes with pedagogical strategies for L2 Chinese teaching, and suggestions for using contextualized exposure and analytical skills to overcome L1 interference and enhance L2 categorization.

Chapter 4 discusses the notions of iconicity and image schemas, which have been found helpful in facilitating language processing and learning. Iconicity, describing a resemblance between language (linguistic forms) and concepts (meanings), is discussed to manifest at various linguistic levels (from onomatopoeia to grammatical structures) and to be governed by three prominent principles (namely, proximity, sequentiality, and quantity). Image schemas bridging between language and experience allow us to structure abstract concepts and make inferences based on our physical interaction with the world. Through various Chinese examples, the authors demonstrate the utility of the two cognitive mechanisms in the context of L2 acquisition, which, when understood, allow L2 learners to grasp the language’s structure and usage better, thus enhancing their overall language learning process.

Chapter 5 discusses the roles of metaphor and metonymy in language. Metaphor involves a mapping between two different conceptual domains (i.e., a source domain and a target domain), while metonymy involves a mapping between two parts within an individual conceptual domain. By discussing the two figures of speech with numerous English and Chinese examples, the authors show how they influence thought and language production. For instance, in Chinese pictophonetic characters, the left-hand part usually contributes meaning metonymically, while the remaining part contributes sound to the pronunciation of the characters. The authors suggest that understanding metaphor and metonymy can help L2 learners grasp cultural attitudes and worldviews, proposing concept-based instruction to facilitate L2 teaching of figurative expressions and Chinese characters.

Chapter 6 explores the concept of polysemy. It discusses four central theoretical issues pertaining to polysemy, including the distinction between polysemy and homonymy, the embodiment of meaning via image schemas, the Principled Polysemy Model, and three cognitive mechanisms of semantic extension. Through various Chinese examples, the authors conclude that teaching L2 learners the primary sense of the polysemous words at first and then other extended meanings or combining image schemas to capture the overall picture of the words can facilitate L2 learning. They also use two pedagogical samples to demonstrate how to apply the theories to L2 Chinese teaching.

Chapter 7 profoundly explores the other two crucial CL theories: embodied cognition and mental stimulation. The theories suggest sensory and motor experiences are fundamental to understanding language and thought. Drawing on evidence from neuroscience studies, the authors discuss how semantic understanding of language activates various areas of cortex across the brain but not one language-specific brain region. They also look at CL studies on mental simulation to probe how it has been evidenced in comprehending abstract and metaphorical expressions, interacts with grammatical markings, and varies according to individual attributes, such as gender and handedness. As suggested, mental simulation can enhance L2 learning through authentic, embodied experiences and gestures.

Unlike previous chapters, Chapter 8 presents an empirical study to show how CL insights can facilitate L2 learning of Chinese modal verbs by comparing CL-based and traditional approaches’ effectiveness in L2 teaching. The chapter also suggests the need for form-focused activities (Ellis 2001) to help learners use modal verbs in real-life scenarios. Ending the book, Chapter 9 discusses the future of CL in Chinese studies and calls for practical applications of CL insights in language classrooms.

This book is a groundbreaking resource for readers who want to understand how language relates to our minds and experiences. The authors not only discuss the most prominent and fundamental concepts in CL research in English and Chinese but also use numerous examples and case studies from Chinese language learning contexts to provide insights into how CL can be integrated into L2 classroom instruction. These make the book valuable for both linguists, language teachers, and language learners. Moreover, the three authors are teachers and researchers of the L2 Chinese language and have benefited from applying CL theories to their classroom instructions. This expertise ensures that the insights, strategies, and suggestions presented are theoretically sound and practically effective.

Despite the comprehensive analyses of CL-based pedagogical samples, the common errors that L2 Chinese learners usually make have not been extensively explored. With the distinctive features of Chinese compared with other languages, it would be more helpful to exemplify the errors so that the teachers can tailor their teaching methods to address these issues, and the learners can pay more attention to the errors’ patterns to reach effective learning.

To conclude, this book is a significant contribution to applied linguistics. It offers a fresh perspective on L2 Chinese teaching and learning by integrating CL theories and concepts with pedagogical practice. The book is engaging, informative, and well-suited to a broad audience, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the cognitive aspects of language learning, particularly Chinese learning.

Notes on Contributor

Wenting Xue is a linguist and lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She received her PhD in Linguistics from City University of Hong Kong in 2022 and continued her research there as a post-doctoral fellow. Her research interests span across psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, and first and second language acquisition.

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