Abstract:
This talk will explore some less widely researched topics related to the learning and use of hanzi and pinyin in learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language. First, we will look at how the interword spacing conventions of CFL learners’ first languages affect their Chinese word awareness and their reading of hanzi sentences and texts. Then, we will see how the grapheme-phoneme correspondences of pinyin affect metaphonological awareness and speech production. Finally, we will discuss the results of an on-going project that investigates the effects of the native script on hanzi handwriting. All these issues have implications for teaching practice, including the use of interword spacing in CFL reading materials, the use of pinyin for teaching pronunciation, and best practice in the teaching of handwriting. At a theoretical level, it will be argued that the written forms of both the first and the second language have an important and sometimes under-rated impact on the learning and use of a second language, both written and spoken.

Short bio:
Bene Bassetti is an Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick, and is researching second language learning and bilingualism, particularly involving the Chinese, English and Italian languages. Bene has co-founded the journal Writing Systems Research, obtained research funding by the Leverhulme Foundation and other sponsors, engaged in international and interdisciplinary collaborations, co-edited volumes and special issues, organised events, and presented papers around the world.