A Structural Model of Chinese Idiom Competence among Second Language Learners
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Abstract
This article aimed to study 1) the reliability and validity of the measurement scales of perceived semantic transparency, intercultural sensitivity, learning engagement, cognitive strategy use, and perceived idiomatic competence; 2) the differences in these variables across demographic characteristics; and 3) the structural relationships among these variables in second language learning. The sample consisted of 205 international students learning Chinese as a second language, selected through convenience sampling in university contexts. The instrument used for collecting data was a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity testing, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The research results were as follows: 1) All measurement scales demonstrated strong reliability and validity; the constructs of perceived semantic transparency, intercultural sensitivity, learning engagement, cognitive strategy use, and perceived idiom competence were measured consistently and accurately. 2) Gender differences were observed in intercultural sensitivity, with male learners scoring higher, and students from non-Chinese majors reporting higher levels of learning engagement. 3) SEM results revealed a structured mechanism in which perceived semantic transparency significantly influenced learning engagement and cognitive strategy use, learning engagement further promoted cognitive strategy use, and cognitive strategy use directly predicted perceived idiom competence. Intercultural sensitivity also showed both indirect effects through engagement and strategy use and a direct effect on perceived idiom competence. These findings contribute to second language acquisition research by demonstrating that idiom competence develops through an integrated process in which cultural awareness and linguistic perception are transformed into competence via engagement and strategic processing.
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