Beyond technology: the dominance of affective factors in explaining speaking ability among Chinese learners using an...

As the number of international students learning Chinese as a foreign language continues to rise, Chinese language teaching and learning face growing challenges. This study explores and compares the relative explanatory contribution of affective and platform-perception variables to Chinese speaking proficiency among learners using an online learning platform.

A total of 113 beginner-level CSL learners participated in a short GCLP-supported classroom intervention. Learners completed measures of willingness to communicate, speaking anxiety, motivation to speak, self-esteem in speaking, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Correlation analyses and two-block hierarchical regression were conducted to examine relationships with Chinese speaking performance and to compare the explanatory contribution of affective versus platform-perception variables.

Willingness to communicate, motivation to speak, and self-esteem in speaking were positively associated with Chinese speaking performance, whereas speaking anxiety was negatively associated. Regarding platform-perception variables, perceived usefulness of the technology used for speaking practice and feedback was positively associated with speaking ability, whereas perceived ease of use of that technology was not significantly associated with speaking proficiency. Hierarchical regression further showed that affective variables accounted for substantially more variance in Chinese speaking performance than learners' perceptions of the technology used in this study.

These findings suggest that, in this short ASR-supported CSL speaking context, affective variables are more relevant than baseline platform perceptions in explaining performance differences. The results highlight the importance of affect-supportive pedagogy and platform design in technology-mediated Chinese speaking instruction.