Teenage beginners’ perceptions of learning Chinese characters: A case study

Abstract

This study investigates teenage beginners’ perceptions of learning Chinese characters and their perceived effective strategies for learning in a British secondary school. A qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews is adopted in the case study. Sixteen beginners learning Chinese as a second language from 12 to 16 years old participated in the study. Results indicate that students are generally keen to learn and memorize characters. The challenge that students face is the large number of characters to be memorized in terms of pronunciation, orthographic forms, and meanings. Learners also express their dilemma of following the correct stroke order when practicing writing. Moreover, reviewing flashcards, writing practice, making use of radicals and orthographic clues, as well as interactive activities, are reported as effective ways of learning by students. It indicates that both memory and cognitive strategies were useful for character learning from learners’ perspectives. The key factor affecting students’ commitment to learning comes from their pleasant learning and instructional experience. Implications are drawn from the results regarding learning and teaching Chinese characters with young learners in secondary schools.