The Neurocognitive Relationship between Chinese Reading Ability and Language Intuition

Language intuition (Yugan, 語感) is introduced as an important idea in the current Chinese language curriculum for secondary schools in both Mainland China and Hong Kong. Language intuition, which is a commonly used term in China, is an ability to judge whether a language unit is appropriate. Applying social science research methodologies, the PI has conducted three language pedagogy research studies, and has proposed an explanatory framework of Chinese language abilities and language intuition. This currently proposed project will extend the previous language pedagogy research to a neuro-cognitive research by applying rigorous cognitive and neurocognitive research paradigms as well as advanced and state-of-art research facilities in Language and Cognition Laboratory in Department of CTL. Based on the framework of Chinese language abilities and language intuition, the proposed study will apply the neurocognitive research methodologies to focus study on researching the neurocognitive relationship between Chinese reading ability and language intuition. The findings of this research will help develop a GRF research studying the relationship between Chinese writing ability and language intuition, which applies the neuro-linguistic research methodologies. It will also offer the evidential basis and measures for cultivating learners' language intuition, which will shed new light on language pedagogy.