The acquisition of numeral classifiers by Malay children

Abstract

Numeral classifiers are typically used in counting or referring to objects. Numeral classifiers acquisition is of interest to researchers as researchers are able to examine how children learn to categorise and label objects in their environment using a constrained framework, and how this ability develops and becomes more refined with age. Cross-linguistic studies on numeral classifier acquisition provide researchers with greater insights into patterns that are both universal and language-specific. Malay numeral classifier acquisition has not been previously investigated. Thus, the current research aimed to investigate Malay numeral classifier acquisition to identify the acquisition patterns that are specific to Malay and also common with other numeral classifier languages previously studied. Four experiments were conducted on 6- to 9-year-old Malay children and a comparison group of adults in this thesis: Experiment 1 (Elicited Production Task), Experiment 2 (Matching Comprehension Task), Experiment 3 (Strong-Weak Contrasts Discrimination Task) and Experiment 4 (Select The Odd-One-Out Task). Preliminary and supplementary data was collected. A survey on typicality of exemplars was initially conducted to select the test stimuli to be used with each shape-based numeral classifier. An analysis of numeral classifier frequency occurring in a general Malay database and a database constructed from materials relevant to children was conducted. In addition, numeral classifier usage occurring in caretaker-child interactions was investigated using a counting game. Experiments 1 and 2 were conducted to investigate the acquisition order of Malay numeral classifier production and comprehension, and the factors that affect their order. In Experiment 1, children were asked to count the items they saw in a range of picture stimuli depicting objects that require numeral classifiers in counting processes. In Experiment 2, children were asked to match a numeral classifier name to the items that require the use of the particular numeral classifier in counting activities. It was found that children used omission and substitutions as strategies in place of unknown numeral classifiers. These substitutions and omissions revealed that children depend, to a large extent, on perceptual features in categorizing objects. In addition, the relative complexity of semantic features of numeral classifiers and children's linguistic environment, which includes both informal usage and formal instruction of numeral classifiers, affect Malay numeral classifier acquisition order. Experiments 3 and 4 were conducted to investigate how children categorise items into particular numeral classifier categories. In Experiment 3, children were requested to select an item from a picture-pair stimulus that would match the numeral classifier name correctly when the stimulus was presented to them. In Experiment 4, children were requested to select an item from a series of picture stimulus that does not belong to the named numeral classifier category. It was found that children categorise objects with more correct responses when there are strong rather than weak contrasts between the exemplars of shape-based numeral classifiers. Children also sorted typical exemplars more correctly with faster responses in Experiment 3. In Experiment 4, the youngest children (the 6-year-olds) selected the perceptually different member as the odd-one-out rather than the perceptually similar non-member. In contrast, the older children predominantly selected the perceptually similar non-member as the odd-one-out. This indicates that young children are strongly influenced by the perceptual features in the categorisation of objects into numeral classifier categories, and that children's knowledge of the semantics of numeral classifier categories gradually develops and becomes more refined as they grow older. The Malay numeral classifier system is shaped by both universal cognitive-based and language-specific categorisation processes. This thesis has shown that numeral classifier acquisition order and the way children classify objects into the numeral classifier categories are influenced by multiple factors, which includes semantic complexity, linguistic environment, exemplar typicality, and young children's tendency to rely on perceptual features. This research further indicates that the acquisition of Malay numeral classifiers is a relatively prolonged process in comparison to other numeral classifier languages because numeral classifier usage is less obligatory in Malay in comparison to other numeral classifier languages.

Date of Award	2009
Original language	English