The Perceived Vocabulary Strategies and Motivation Used by Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language

Abstract

In learning a language, vocabulary forms the cornerstone of the whole process since vocabulary influences speaking, reading, and writing ability. This study involved the observation of CFL learners who are students in Nanjing-China. It aimed to critically assess the perceived challenges of CFL learners across various universities in Nanjing learning Chinese vocabularies, their adopted strategies and motivation in learning Chinese vocabularies and explore ways to improve CFL learner’s proficiency. The study used a survey questionnaire to collect the data from 120 male and female Bachelor, Master and PhD students with different ages of 20 to 43 who are enrolled in 20 universities in Nanjing China. Based on certain Descriptive analysis and calculations, the findings of the study indicate that the participants indeed experience difficulties in learning Chinese vocabularies. Moreover, the results also revealed the participants’ already laydown initiatives and strategies that are mostly influenced by their motivation to learn Chinese vocabularies. In addition, the researcher investigated the motivational levels of respondents towards learning Chinese vocabularies and how their source of motivation influences their adopted strategies. The findings showed that CFL learners are extrinsically motivated than intrinsically. The study recommends that teachers and educational authorities in China and for that matter Nanjing, should create more favorable conditions to boost the motivation level of foreign students to adopt and use appropriate strategies in learning Chinese vocabularies and consequently become proficient in Chinese language as a whole. The study ends in several recommendations to Chinese teachers and educational authorities as well as to foreign Chinese language learners with regard to the pedagogy of Chinese vocabularies.