1. “Past, Present and Future” The 13th BCLTS International Conference on Teaching and Learning Chinese in Higher Education Oxford University, United Kingdom
An Investigation into Phonological Attrition among Foreign Language Mandarin Beginning Learners
对外汉语学生的语音耗损特点
Min Shen
University of Brunei Darussalam

2. Introduction of the study
Research on Second/Foreign Language Attrition
Mandarin phonology and PINYIN
Methodology & Result
Conclusion/Discussion

3. Introduction of the study
Problem Facing: Struggle to speak after a long term break
Minimal empirical research and literature on Chinese context
To examine feature of attrition among Bruneian students
To examine theories and hypotheses in attrition

4. Research on Second/Foreign Language Attrition
What is Second Language Attrition?
Olshtain (1989）: “…due to environmental changes the language use is limited and another language is becoming the dominant one”.
De Bot, Weltens (1991): “Second-language attrition is the decline of second-language skills, which occurs whenever the learner uses the second language to an insufficient degree”.
Schöpper-Grabe (1998): “Almost everybody who has learned a foreign language shares the experience of forgetting the acquired language skills once the period of formal instruction is over.”
Köpke & Schmid (2004): “non-pathological decrease in a language that had previously been acquired by an individual”

5. Research on Second/Foreign Language Attrition
Why study attrition?
Gleason (1982): “The aim in foreign or second language attrition research is to find out why, after an active learning process, the language competence changes or even stops.”
Van Els and Weltens (1989) : “…contribute to the understanding of relations between acquisition and attrition.”
De Bot and Weltens (1995):“research on language attrition can also have a considerable impact on curriculum planning or foreign language teaching"

6. Robert Russell (1999) acquisition
“Scholars have become increasingly aware of the interrelatedness of the processes of language acquisition, maintenance, and attrition and with that awareness has come the realization that not only should our knowledge of the acquisition process inform our attempts to understand the process of attrition, but that our study of language attrition can also be expected to inform our understanding of its acquisition (p. 297).”
acquisition
attrition

7. Research on Second/Foreign Language Attrition
Research questions:
What? (linguistic)
How? (psycholinguistic, neurolinguistic)
Why? (sociolinguistic)
Compared to the field of second language acquisition, language attrition is still relatively young; so much is still unknown.

8. Selectivity of Second/Foreign Language Attrition
Selectivity of second language attrition at the intra-component level： Within the phonology, lexicon, morphology and syntax, some linguistic features would be more subject to attrition while some would be maintained better.
Selectivity at inter-component level：Evidences showed that phonology, lexicon, morphology and syntax are affected to an unequal degree during second language attrition (Herdina & Jessner, ).

9. Theories and Hypotheses
Phonological Attrition at Intra-Component Level:
Markedness Theory: During language attrition, it is believed that linguistic elements that are marked would be more subject to attrition than those less marked forms (Anderson, 1982; Gürel, 2004; Hanson & Chen, 2001)
“Markedness”: standing out, unusual, difficult
Functional Load Theory: It is believed that linguistic feature with distinctions of high functional load would be maintained longer than others with low functional load.
“High functional load”: Loss of certain phonological, morphological or syntactical distinctions would result in frequent loss of information.

10. PINYIN tone marks? How about phonological distinctions in Mandarin?
The sound of Ü!!!
How about Bruneian students?
retroflex final?
PINYIN tone marks?
What if functional load and marked at the same time?
How about other tonal languages?

11. Aim of the Study
To investigate the feature of attrition among Bruneian Students.
What linguistic abilities they do retain or loss?
To examine relevant hypotheses and theories.
To provide empirical research.

12. Methodology Participants: Malay as native language
No knowledge in Mandarin or other Chinese dialects
Study Mandarin for 1 semester at the Language Centre
18-20 years old.

13. Design of the Investigation
Period of Attrition between T1 and T2：Summer Break (about 3 months)
Form of tests: Listening and non-listening tests.
Listening test: initials (20%), finals(20%), general tones(20%), tone sandhi (20%), neutral tone (10%), retroflex final (10%)
Non- listening test: same phonological features examined as in listening test.
Survey questionnaire: Acquisition approach, frequency of Mandarin use during summer break.

14. Example:
3. Mark the correct tone on the following syllables according to the meanings in the brackets.
1. dui (correct)
2. iiu (nine)
3. xian zai (now, current)
4. peng you (friend)
5. yu yan (language)
6. bu yao (do not want)
7. hen hao (very good)
8. shi jian ( time)

15. Results
86 Participants’ results were processed
Listening

16. Results
PINYIN Reading：

17. Results
PINYIN Writing

18. Results
Mandarin Speaking

19. Results

20. Findings
Beginning learners’ ability in listening is more resistant to attrition
Initials and finals in PINYIN are more resistant to attrition
Attrition happened mainly with Tones of Mandarin
Though can acquire special features in PINYIN well, but these features are more subject to attrition.

21. Examine Hypotheses in Attrition
Markedness Theory:
Sound of final “Ü” is a standing out as a difficult sound in comparison to other finals in PINYIN. Special features such as neutral tone, tone sandhi and reflex final are considered as unusual forms as well. In this study, these marked structures are proofed to be more subject to attrition than those less marked forms. In this case Markedness theory is applicable to the context of learning Mandarin as a foreign language.

22. Examine Hypotheses in Attrition
Functional Load Theory
Tones in Mandarin shall be considered as of high functional load. From the result of this study Anderson’s hypothesis is not applicable to Mandarin. The possible reason for this is when Anderson made the hypothesis he might not take tonal languages into account. Hence the conclusion of this study is in tonal languages such as Mandarin, tones carry high functional load but are more subject to attrition.

23. Future Research Findings are preliminary More thorough set of tests
Recording of natural pronunciation in conversations
More expansive studies

24. 谢谢 Thank You