An exploration of design principles to enhance students' L2 acquisition in a flipped class

Research has shown that the flipped classroom approach enhances student learning by creating a more interactive and dynamic environment which offers greater flexibility in terms of time, location, and pace of study. Different from the traditional pattern of teaching, students can access teaching and learning content through online interactive activities prior to class and prepare themselves for desired tasks. However, few studies have been undertaken to investigate its impact on student learning outcomes in second language acquisition. Traditional models of Chinese language teacher education generally focus on knowledge-based transmission such as second language learning and acquisition. Nevertheless, recent research has demonstrated that teaching a second language should be context-based. In most Australian universities, language units other than Chinese (e.g. Japanese, French, and German) are currently offered online. To bridge this gap, a set of audio-visual materials were designed and developed to help students flip the classroom as part of a pilot study that adopted a functional model of language teaching. This current study expanded upon the preliminary body of work and investigated second language (L2) learners’ use of captions while watching videos in Chinese and its impact on expected learning outcomes. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to gain students’ perceptions of (a) how the captioned videos affected their second language acquisition in their undergraduate Chinese language units and (b) their learning experiences in a flipped class. The research findings provide a theoretical and practical framework for the design of a teaching model for language teachers other than Chinese, one that supports the development of dynamic activities, enhances interaction, and enables flipped learning in the classroom. The results shed light on this current trend in teacher education, promoting the application of innovative pedagogical practices using technology in the digital era.