Abstract

This study investigates semantic and collocational errors in Chinese vocabulary use among English-major students learning Chinese as a second foreign language. Using a quantitatively dominant mixed-methods design, data were collected from 194 students through a questionnaire, a vocabulary task, and interviews. The findings show that semantic errors are more prominent than collocational errors, with near-synonym/synonym confusion and verb–object combinations emerging as the most notable difficulties. Triangulated data suggest that the errors are associated with Vietnamese influence, incomplete knowledge of Chinese vocabulary, word-by- word learning outside context, and limited opportunities for practice. The study highlights the need to develop depth of lexical knowledge, particularly the ability to distinguish meanings, understand usage constraints, and master collocational patterns in teaching Chinese as a second foreign language.

Keywords: Error analysis, semantic errors, collocation, Chinese as a second foreign language, cross-linguistic influence, lexical knowledge.