Intermediate Distance Learners of Chinese Look Back: A Survey Study

This chapter reports on a qualitative study of 41 adults who had been studying Mandarin Chinese using distance learning at an Australian university for at least 2 years. Social, affective, and conceptual aspects of their learning experience were investigated. A survey, incorporating a significant proportion of open-ended questions, provides a rich source of data about each learner's background, the chronology of their episodes of Chinese-language learning, their perceptions and beliefs about learning Chinese, and their attitudes and feelings about distance learning as a way of studying Chinese. These data were coded and analysed to look for major themes and connections. What insights can these students give about their strategies and approaches for learning Chinese? What advice would they offer to others just starting out in distance language learning? How is the distance language-learning context situated in relation to other contexts of learning such as informal and independent learning? The conclusions drawn in this chapter are of relevance to the design, teaching, and support of current and future distance learning programmes in Mandarin.