The Effects of Blended Learning Approach through an Interactive Multimedia E-Book on Students’ Achievement in Learning Chinese as a Second Language at Tertiary Level

Almost all higher institutions in Malaysia offer Chinese as a second language (some may consider as a third language) course. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman offers an elective subject called ’Introduction to Chinese Language I’ to teach the basis of Chinese to non-Chinese educated students. In general, the majority of foreign language is taught face-to-face in classrooms. There are three crucial challenges in learning Chinese as a second language: pronunciation, Chinese writing, and verbal communication skills. Hence, Chinese language is recognized as one of the most challenging and difficult languages to master. Teaching a language in the classroom improves significantly when technology complements and extends the functionality of the traditional methods. In view of the limitations of traditional instruction and e-learning approaches, this paper explores the possibilities of introducing a blended learning approach in TCSL (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) classrooms at a tertiary level. The focus of this study is to determine the efficiency of the blended learning environment in which instructions are imparted through the blend of existing instructional methods and an interactive multimedia e-book. It also studies the impact on students’ achievement in Chinese language proficiency.