Understanding the Complexities of Chinese as a Foreign Language: Challenges and Experiences of First-time Learners in Saudi Arabia with English as a Second Language

The growing interest in Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) has led to a rise in Chinese language education programs worldwide, including in the Middle East, where learners navigate a unique sociolinguistic landscape with Arabic as L1 and English as L2. While Pinyin—a Romanized phonetic system—scaffolds early CFL learning, its efficacy in advancing proficiency in speaking, listening, and character literacy remains contested, particularly for learners with alphabetic L1/L2 backgrounds. This study investigates the challenges faced by 79 first-time CFL learners in Saudi Arabia, employing a 12-item, five-point Likert scale survey (1=very easy, 5=very difficult) to assess demographic factors, English proficiency, International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) familiarity, and difficulties across CFL competencies. Correlational and regression analyses revealed moderate challenges in Chinese character literacy (reading: M=3.82; writing: M=3.73) but significantly higher barriers in oral/aural skills (speaking: M=3.32; listening: M=3.14) and Pinyin-based tasks (reading: M=2.81; writing: M=2.87). Notably, the weak correlations between English proficiency/IPA familiarity and CFL outcomes (β < .20, p > .05) suggest that cross-linguistic transfer from alphabetic systems inadequately addresses tonal and logographic demands. Regression models further confirmed that variables beyond L2 English/IPA—such as tonal sensitivity training—are critical for CFL success. These findings call attention to the need for pedagogical innovations, including immersive pronunciation software and hybrid Pinyin-character curricula, to bridge the gap between orthographic familiarity and phonological mastery in tonal language acquisition.