Learning Strategies of Japanese Kanji-Words in Beginning Chinese Learners of Japanese : The effect of orthographic and phonological similarities between Chinese and Japanese

In this present study, we investigated the learning strategies of Japanese Kanji-Words in beginning Chinese learners of Japanese language. The listening dictation test and learning strategies of Japanese Kanji-Words were applied. The inhibitory effects of the orthographic similarity and the facilitatory effects of the phonological similarity were observed in the listening dictation test. When Chinese learners of Japanese language listen to Japanese Kanji-Words, phonological similarities between Chinese language and Japanese language are used to understand the meaning of a word as very important clues. The beginning learners who learn Japanese Kanji-Words use Chinese pronunciation is more than half. However, compared with the results of the listening dictation test such learners who don’t use Chinese pronunciation, may be able to use Japanese Kanji-Word pronunciation in Chinese unconsciously. In order to reduce the negative effects of native language, by learners themselves from an early stage, will be important to clarify the orthographic and phonological similarities or dissimilarities between Chinese language and Japanese language