A Blended Chinese-as-a-Foreign-Language Short Course: Design and Perceptions

• In Event: 26.081 - Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: 26.081-8 - Online Teaching and Learning SIG Poster Session 2

Abstract

Blended learning, a combination of face-to-face teaching and technology-enhanced components, continues to change the ways that students experience language learning. This study investigated learners’ perceived effectiveness of a blended Chinese non-credit bearing short course designed for engineering students with no prior knowledge about Chinese. Chinese, which is categorized as one of the most challenging foreign languages, has its special features, such as tones and pronunciation, the writing system, and total dependence on word order. Few studies have examined how to design blended Chinese courses. The design was based on the framework of parameters proposed by Neumeier (2005). Data were collected through a student survey. The findings show that students reported effectiveness of the design but improvements are needed.

Authors

• Shenglan Zhang, Iowa State University

• Ana-Paula Correia, Iowa State University