The challenges of Chinese: a preliminary study of UK learners' perceptions of difficulty

This study aims to highlight aspects of difficulty encountered by Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners and to explore the factors underlying these aspects. Data were gathered through a Chinese Language Learning Difficulty Survey from 164 CFL learners, mostly in British higher education. The survey data provided useful exploratory findings. Factor analysis of 34 aspects of difficulty drew out six major factors: grammar; aural reception; words; oral production; pronunciation; and recall. Further analyses suggested that the variables of proficiency level and learning style interact strongly with some of these factors, but not with others.