Ming Zhao

Ming Zhao

June 30, 2026

International Chinese language education; Contemporary Chinese neologisms; Cross-cultural understanding; Translation; Communication.

Contemporary Chinese neologisms, characterized by temporal sensitivity and cultural load, effectively reflect the dynamic social changes and linguistic evolution of China. In the field of International Chinese Language Education, learners encounter three major challenges in cross-cultural understanding of these neologisms: semantic, pragmatic, and cognitive. The deeper causes of these challenges include asymmetries in Sino-Western translation and communication, obstacles in cross-cultural understanding of conceptual metaphors, and the high-context cultural nature of Chinese conceptual semantics. To effectively enhance Chinese learners' cross-cultural understanding of neologisms, this paper proposes countermeasures from two perspectives: translation and communication. In terms of translation strategies, audience-centeredness and discourse construction should be adhered to; in terms of communication pathways, multi-layered narratives and two-way interaction should be promoted.

© 2026, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license