This article introduces an innovative practice of applying Live-streaming in real-life scenario approach in the L2 Chinese language course at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). By integrating onsite teaching with online live streaming, this teaching method aims to enhance the daily communication skills of international students in China. With "hairdressing" as the teaching theme, the teaching case facilitates students' learning and practicing of language points in an actual context through live streaming in a real barbershop. The practice results indicate that live-streaming in real-life scenarios effectively enhances students' interest, enthusiasm, and language confidence. This case provides new insights for L2 Chinese teaching and confirms the value of promoting and further researching the teaching method.

 

Keywords: Live-streaming, real-life scenarios, international Chinese education, teaching case

 

As an international university in China, the Modern Languages Centre of XJTLU offers a variety of Chinese courses for international students. Unlike traditional Chinese major students, most of XJTLU international students come from other different majors and primarily use English as the medium of instruction. Their primary goal in learning Chinese is to improve their daily communication skills. However, student feedback indicates that they often lack confidence when using Chinese outside the classroom. The large-scale online teaching caused by the 2020 pandemic further exacerbated this issue, as international students could not come to China and lost the language environment, leading to a decline in oral skills and learning interest (Ding, 2021). Faced with these challenges, we began to explore live real-world broadcasting as a new teaching approach.

 

Live-streaming in real-life scenario teaching method is deeply rooted in the theoretical foundations of constructivism and authentic learning theory. Constructive theory guides us that learning is an active exploration process, in which the role of the teacher transforms into a learning guide, assistant, and facilitator, rather than just a transmitter of knowledge. (Wen & Jia, 2002) Authentic learning theory advocates placing learners in simulated real-world environments to deepen learning through exploration, discussion, and concept construction. (Pellegrino et al., 1999). This teaching approach allows learners to connect the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom with real-world problems and application scenarios, thereby stimulating learners' interest. (Herrington et al., 2009) Applying these theories to the practice of international Chinese teaching means that teachers need to create learning environments close to real situations to enhance learners' motivation and language skills. Live-streaming in real-life scenario is an innovation, placing teaching directly in the real world and providing learners with a more authentic and intuitive learning experience.

 

XJTLU offers a short-term language course entitled Practical Chinese for international students in Suzhou. These students display a keen interest in acquiring knowledge about authentic Chinese life and culture and demonstrate a strong desire to attain proficiency in practical Chinese within a limited timeframe. To make the most of our teaching resources, meet the students' learning needs, and improve their learning experience, we have started using live-streaming technology to teach in real-life situations. This approach combines traditional onsite face-to-face teaching with online live streaming of real-life Chinese language scenarios, giving students the chance to fully immerse themselves and learn how to use Chinese in their everyday lives. We are presenting a case study of an L2 Chinese language live-streaming class centred on the theme of “hairdressing”. Through live streaming, the instructors present an authentic hair salon setting, teaching students not only hairdressing-related vocabulary and expressions, but also explaining how to use these language points in specific contexts.

 

1. Setting: This teaching method involves a unique combination of traditional classroom instruction for Chinese language learning and livestreaming from a hair salon. The instructor needs to conduct preliminary site visits to ensure that the salon environment is quiet, clean, and equipped with the necessary tools and amenities.

2. Roles: The instructional team consist of two Chinese language teachers (Teacher 1, Teacher 2) and one hairdresser. Teacher 1 and the hairdresser will jointly participate in the livestream. With the hairdresser’s consent, they may ask simple questions. Students will be situated in the classroom, observing the live stream and participating under the guidance of Teacher 2. Teacher 2 is responsible for pre-viewing, reviewing, explaining language points during the live stream, as well as guiding students to ask questions and addressing their apprehensions.

3. Technical Preparation: The technical equipment required for the integration of onsite teaching and lives streaming lessons covers various aspects such as camera, audio, computer, network, and supplementary equipment. Specifically:

• Classroom equipment: computer, projector, live streaming software (e.g., Tencent Meeting), professional microphones, etc.

• Live streaming site equipment: smartphones, tripod and other filming equipment, portable microphones, audio equipment, live streaming software (e.g., Tencent Meeting), mobile power supply, and other devices.

 

• Flexibly selecting teaching modes: Choose between onsite classroom instruction, online live streaming, or hybrid teaching based on the course content and student needs. Incorporating live streaming in real-life settings, such as museums, parks, and markets, expands the learning environment beyond the confines of the classroom into a broader social context.

• Pre-planning for live livestreams: Plan the routes and scenes for live streaming in advance, ensuring that each scene closely aligns with the teaching theme. Conduct thorough on-site inspections and equipment testing before the live streaming to ensure smooth delivery of instruction.

 

• Select authentic real-life scenarios closely related to students’ daily lives for live streaming, such as market shopping, public transportation, and social activities, enabling students to learn language and culture in authentic contexts. 

• Integrate authentic language materials naturally into live streaming, including everyday conversations, advertisements, and public signs, to enhance students’ language perception and application abilities through immersion. 

 

• Provide scaffolded learning materials, including preview materials, post-class review materials, vocabulary lists, and grammar points, to help students gradually build their knowledge base.

• Offer real-time guidance and Q&A sessions. Instructors should closely monitor students’ learning progress during both live streaming and onsite classes, providing timely guidance and answering questions to assure the effective engagement with the learning content

 

• Employ diverse interaction methods, such as live interaction, questioning, group discussions, and debates, to increase opportunities for teacher-student and peer interactions, sparking students’ learning interest and engagement.

• Provide timely positive feedback and encouragement to students, recognizing their efforts and progress to enhance their learning confidence and sense of achievement.

 

Prior to the start of the live stream, Teacher 2 will firstly introduce the topic, "hairdressing” in Chinese to the students. They will also inquire whether the students have had haircuts in Suzhou or have expressed their haircut needs in Chinese.

 

Teacher 2 will lead the students in reviewing vocabulary and language points related to haircuts in the classroom, as shown in the figure below.

(Figure 1. Vocabulary and language points related to hairdressing taught in class)

 

The hairdresser will begin cutting Teacher 1’s hair while Teacher 1 shows the haircut process to the students through the live streaming camera and interacts with them. The process is as follows:

(Figure 2. Live streaming hair cutting scene and process demonstration)

 

• Questioning: Pose questions related to haircuts and incorporate the language points learned, allowing students to ask Teacher 1 and the hairdresser questions during the live streaming, providing scaffolding for student learning, as is shown below.

(Figure 3. Scaffold-style question task sheet related to haircuts)

 

• Role-playing: Encourage students to work in pairs, with one student portraying the hairdresser and the other as the customer, engaging in dialogue practice using the language points learned. Teacher 2 will provide immediate feedback in the classroom, and Teacher 1 can also provide immediate feedback through live comments.

 

Before the end of the live streaming, the teacher will summarize the content learned in this lesson and encourage students to apply it more in their daily lives. At the same time, the teacher will collect students’ feedback for the improvement of future courses.

 

Based on the findings from our pre-test and post-test experiment, we observed that live-streaming in real-life scenarios, as opposed to conventional lectures, significantly enhances students' oral communication skills, particularly in the areas of content richness and the development of ideas. Following the experiment, we solicited feedback and suggestions from students through a comprehensive survey.

 

The general consensus among the students was overwhelmingly positive towards the incorporation of live-streaming in their learning experience. The salient points from their responses can be encapsulated by the following key phrases: "Real context," "Interaction," and "Fun and engaging." They emphasized the importance of real-world context in making the learning process more relatable and dynamic.

 

Furthermore, students proposed that the effectiveness of live-streaming could be amplified with the support of adequate classroom tools, such as subtitles, to ensure complete comprehension of the material. They also expressed a desire for a more measured pace during live-streaming sessions, allowing for better absorption of information, and an increased level of interaction with local individuals to enrich their learning experience.

 

The implementation of the immersive live streaming course, characterized by its vividly depicted scenarios, authentic dialogues, and effective interactions, has successfully facilitated the integration of Chinese language constructs into the daily lives of students. This innovative pedagogical approach has not only allowed students to attain proficiency in the application of key language concepts but has also significantly increased their interest and enthusiasm for learning Chinese. Moreover, it has effectively enhanced their confidence in language use. Moreover, this teaching method introduces new perspectives and methodologies to the realm of L2 Chinese language education, warranting its further exploration and widespread adoption in educational research and practice.