A Study on the Acquisition and Teaching of Archaic Words in Advanced International Chinese Education in Hungary

Abstract

Archaic words constitute a distinctive category within the modern Chinese lexicon and should not be overlooked in advanced-level Chinese language learning. This study takes twelve master’s students from the Department of Chinese Studies at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary as research participants. Through a combination of classroom observation, questionnaires and interviews, the study conducts an empirical analysis of the acquisition of archaic words among advanced-level Chinese learners in Hungary. The findings reveal that learners’ overall mastery is relatively low and that the acquisition of archaic words demonstrates a lagging effect. The learning outcomes are influenced by factors such as insufficient systematic instruction, limited input, reliance on single learning strategies, and restricted opportunities for use. Based on these findings, the study proposes targeted pedagogical suggestions from three dimensions: textbook, teachers, and learners, providing references for international Chinese education in Hungary and for the teaching of archaic words at the advanced level.