Lexical availability in Chinese learners of Portuguese as a foreign language: an exploratory study using lexical production lists

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the lexical availability of Chinese learners of Portuguese, considering different learning durations (one year and two years) and language proficiency levels (A1, A2 and B1), with a focus on six centers of interest: “body parts”, “food and drink”, “clothing”, “means of transportation”, “school” and “professions”. The study also draws on data from Fernández dos Santos and Silva Soares (2024) concerning A2-level learners with different native languages, in order to explore the possible effect of native language on lexical availability and the structure of learners’ mental lexicon. The results reveal that, in most cases, the length of learning exerts a positive effect on the expansion of the mental lexicon and the inclusion of peripheral vocabulary. In turn, an increase in linguistic proficiency not only has the same effect on the expansion of the mental lexicon but also reinforces the stability in the activation of central and high-frequency lexical items. However, the effect on the mobilization of peripheral or low-frequency vocabulary is limited. This expansion and stability, as well as the more or less active mobilization of specific lexical items, may be related to the learning environment, contexts of use, and learners’ life experiences. Furthermore, native language has a significant modulatory effect on the selection of peripheral and culturally specific vocabulary. These three factors interact, jointly influencing vocabulary expansion, stability in its mobilization, and lexical diversity, aspects that should be taken into account in teaching vocabulary to learners of Portuguese as a foreign language.