Zhou,Ruihan
Vol. 2, Issue 3, Pages: 63-69(2025)
Doi：https://doi.org/10.62639/sspjiss12.20250203
ISSN：3006-0710
EISSN：3006-4279
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This study investigates the cognitive processing characteristics of morphemic and holistic meanings of metaphorical "A1+A2" compound adjectives in native Chinese speakers and second language (L2) learners. The results indicate that both native speakers and L2 learners exhibit similar cognitive processing patterns in understanding the morphemic meanings of A1 and A2, suggesting that the contributions of the two morphemes to the holistic word meaning are roughly equivalent. Both groups also show consistent cognitive processing patterns for the morphemic and holistic meanings of disyllabic compound adjectives. However, significant differences were observed in the understanding of metaphorical meanings in zero-context situations, with high-level L2 learners showing slower recognition speeds compared to native speakers. Based on these findings, several pedagogical recommendations are proposed: integrating morphemic and holistic word teaching, introducing metaphorical concepts to enhance vocabulary teaching, and providing explanations within appropriate contexts.
KeywordChinese compound adjectives;Lexical processing;Morphemes;Holistic word meaning;Chinese L2 learners