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Fang Su

Newcastle University, UK

 

Abstract

Near-synonym discrimination presents a challenge for advanced learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL). The difficulty is often due to subtle semantic, collocational, and pragmatic distinctions that are frequently underrepresented in standard instructional materials. This exploratory study investigated the impact of a structured five-phase pedagogical intervention, comprising semantic explanation, contrastive discrimination, contextualized exemplification, integrated practice, and testing with feedback, on learners’ acquisition of near-synonyms. The intervention was grounded in Nation’s Lexical Knowledge Framework and the Levels of Processing Hypothesis and was implemented with advanced CSL learners at a UK university. The study employed a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative assessments and questionnaires with qualitative interviews. The results indicate significant improvement in learners’ discrimination accuracy, semantic depth, and productive competence. The students also reported enhanced metalinguistic awareness and a positive perception of the instructional approach. The findings underscore the pedagogical value of recursive, theory-informed vocabulary instruction and offer practical advice for designing cognitively engaging lexical curricula in CSL programs.

 

Keywords

Chinese as a Second Language (CSL), near-synonym discrimination, lexical knowledge framework, semantic depth, collocational patterns

 

高阶中文二语近义词教学干预研究

苏芳

纽卡斯尔大学，英国

 

摘要

近义词辨析是中文二语高阶学习者面临的主要挑战之一，其难点源于语义、搭配及语用上的细微差异，而且常规教材对此也呈现不足。本研究基于 Nation 的词汇知识框架和加工层次假说，设计并实施近义词的五步教学干预（语义解释、对比辨析、语境例证、综合练习、测试反馈），以探讨其对词汇习得的影响。研究采用混合方法设计，结合量化测评、问卷调查与质性访谈。结果显示，学习者在近义词的辨析准确性、语义深度和产出能力方面均有显著提升，其元语言意识得到了增强，并对该教学法持积极态度。研究验证了理论驱动的递归词汇教学的有效性，并为中文二语词汇的教学方案提供了实践参考。

 

关键词

中文二语，近义词辨析，词汇知识框架，语义深度，搭配模式