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Variations in Chinese Vocabulary Networks across Different Proficiency Levels and Their Implications for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language.

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Title: Variations in Chinese Vocabulary Networks across Different Proficiency Levels and Their Implications for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language.
Authors: Yang, Kexin1 (AUTHOR) 783629621@qq.com, Zhuang, Huibin1 (AUTHOR) huibinzhuang@aliyun.com
Source: Asia-Pacific Education Researcher (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.). Jun2026, Vol. 35 Issue 3, p473-481. 9p.
Subject Terms: *Foreign language education, *Fluency (Language learning), *Second language acquisition, Morphemics
Abstract: Vocabulary acquisition has always been a core issue and challenge in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. This paper constructs a Chinese word-formation complex network based on the syllabus vocabulary of the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education and employs the k-core decomposition method to identify a subset of Chinese characters with the robust word-formation capabilities. Using the "proficiency level" from The Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education as a reference for the learnability of vocabulary and characters, we explore the relationship between characters' word-formation capabilities and their learnability. We find that the vast majority of characters with robust word-formation capabilities are labeled as lower "proficiency levels," indicating that these words are easier for learners to master. Previous studies suggest that focusing on high-frequency word-formation components (such as roots in certain languages) facilitates the acquisition of new words. We propose that this complex network-based word-formation analysis method can, under the constraint of limited corpus resources, efficiently identify characters with robust word-formation capabilities. This provides valuable insights for developing vocabulary lists for Chinese language teaching, enabling learners to prioritize easily acquired characters with strong word-formation capabilities, thereby reducing their learning burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Vocabulary acquisition has always been a core issue and challenge in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. This paper constructs a Chinese word-formation complex network based on the syllabus vocabulary of the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education and employs the k-core decomposition method to identify a subset of Chinese characters with the robust word-formation capabilities. Using the "proficiency level" from The Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education as a reference for the learnability of vocabulary and characters, we explore the relationship between characters' word-formation capabilities and their learnability. We find that the vast majority of characters with robust word-formation capabilities are labeled as lower "proficiency levels," indicating that these words are easier for learners to master. Previous studies suggest that focusing on high-frequency word-formation components (such as roots in certain languages) facilitates the acquisition of new words. We propose that this complex network-based word-formation analysis method can, under the constraint of limited corpus resources, efficiently identify characters with robust word-formation capabilities. This provides valuable insights for developing vocabulary lists for Chinese language teaching, enabling learners to prioritize easily acquired characters with strong word-formation capabilities, thereby reducing their learning burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:01195646
DOI:10.1007/s40299-025-01044-3