The impact of lexical clustering on beginner Chinese learners: a comparative study of semantic and thematic approaches

The impact of semantic and thematic clustering in beginner-level Chinese vocabulary instruction remains underexplored. This study conducted a nearly four-month classroom-based intervention with 44 Russian-speaking beginner-level Chinese learners. Quantitative data from standardized exams, contrastive translation tests, and vocabulary assessments were analyzed alongside qualitative data from text analysis, questionnaires, and interviews. Results indicated that both clustering methods enhanced vocabulary retention, contextual application, and lexical processing compared to traditional instruction. Thematic clustering, in particular, yielded superior outcomes in productive tasks, including sentence construction and dialogue completion. While semantic clustering facilitated systematic vocabulary organization, its efficacy was constrained by participants’ limited word capacity and underdeveloped morphological awareness. Both methods alleviated cognitive load and contributed to enhanced retention during the experimental period, with thematic clustering proving especially beneficial by embedding vocabulary in meaningful contexts. These findings offer theoretical and pedagogical insights for optimizing vocabulary instruction in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSL).