Effects of the Instruction With Liushu on Mandarin Learners’ Chinese Character Achievement and Motivation

Abstract

This study examines the effects of instruction with Liushu on Chinese character achievement and motivation of Mandarin learners through an experiment. A total of 133 Mandarin beginner learners from Laos were assigned to the experimental group (37 male students, 31 female students) and the control group (42 male students, 23 female students). Liushu was used to conduct Chinese character teaching for ten weeks in the experimental group. It was found that instruction with Liushu has a positive effect on learners’ Chinese character achievement, especially the ability to infer the meaning and pronunciation of Chinese characters. Also, it motivates Mandarin learners’ Ideal L2 Self and L2 Learning Experience more than conventional instruction. As a final contribution to this study, we presented a correlation analysis between Chinese character achievement and motivation as well as some insights.