How can online tools support Chinese language maintenance

Online tools support Chinese language maintenance through various means such as blended teaching models combining online and offline education, AI-assisted instructional designs, multimedia and interactive learning platforms, language assessment tools, and digital collaboration environments. These tools enhance learner engagement, facilitate pronunciation practice, writing assistance, cultural understanding, and self-regulated learning. They also provide multimedia skills development and enable flexible, continuous assessment and interactive feedback. Moreover, AI-powered language models and chatbots, such as ChatGPT, support personalized language practice by simulating natural conversation and adapting to learners’ proficiency levels. These technologies collectively contribute to maintaining and improving Chinese language proficiency, especially for learners outside native environments. ^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

Key Methods of Support by Online Tools

• Blended Learning Platforms: Combine online resources with face-to-face teaching to offer flexible and rich learning experiences, enhancing accessibility and effectiveness. ^{8, 1}
• AI-Assisted Instruction: Use AI tools for adaptive learning, including automatic speech synthesis for pronunciation, generative AI for writing assistance, and intelligent feedback systems to correct spelling and grammar errors. ^{2, 3, 5, 9}
• Assessment and Progress Tracking: Online quizzes and formative assessments help learners monitor progress and teachers tailor instruction to students’ needs, supporting learner agency. ⁴
• Multimodal Learning and Multimedia Production: Tools encourage learners to engage in diverse modes of communication, including video production with subtitles and pronunciation practice, promoting cultural competency and language application. ^{3, 2}
• Interaction and Collaboration: Online platforms provide spaces for communication, peer feedback, and social interaction, which are crucial for language maintenance and identity formation in heritage language learners. ¹⁰
• Language Technology Platforms: Advanced NLP and spelling correction software aid learners in language accuracy and fluency, easing the self-correction process. ^{9, 11, 12, 13}

These online tools are especially valuable for Chinese language learners living abroad or in contexts where regular immersion or formal education opportunities are limited, helping maintain and improve language proficiency over time. ^{14, 10}

References

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• Exploring the potential of AI-supported instructional design and multimodal communication to promote a paradigm shift in Chinese language education

• Enhancing Chinese Language Education Through AI-Assisted Project-Based Learning: A Qualitative Study on Learning Values and Multimedia Skills Development

• Applying the ZPD to Language Teaching: A Study of the Integration of an Online Assessment Tool into a Chinese Programme

• ICT-based peer assisted learning environment: Using online feedback tools for Chinese Language writing tasks

• Exploring the Use of ChatGPT in Chinese Language Classrooms

• Prompting ChatGPT for Chinese Learning as L2: A CEFR and EBCL Level Study

• A Scoping Review of the Research on the Teaching Models of Online International Chinese Language Teaching

• Read, Listen, and See: Leveraging Multimodal Information Helps Chinese Spell Checking

• Creating more opportunities through multimodal literacy and positioning in online and in-person Chinese heritage language classrooms

• N-LTP: An Open-source Neural Language Technology Platform for Chinese

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