The relationships between ambiguity tolerance, learning strategies, and learning Chinese as a second language.
Chu, W. -H.; Lin, D. -Y.; Chen, T. -Y.; Tsai, P. -S. & Wang, C. -H. (2015). The relationships between ambiguity tolerance, learning strategies, and learning Chinese as a second language. System, 49, 1-16
This Taiwan-based study on learning Chinese as a second language (L2) examines the relationship between learners’ ambiguity tolerance and their language competence and learning strategies. The study found students with high ambiguity tolerance are significantly more likely to show high L2 competence. The article suggests that language teachers should use learning activities and resources that assist students to cope with ambiguity, which would also develop students' cross-cultural competence. Moreover, the study found that successful Chinese L2 learners often use learning strategies that 'focus on the understanding of overall meaning in communication, use Chinese in a natural and authentic context, and excel at monitoring their study and progress' (p. 9).