Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology Volume 4 Issue 2 Article 3 August 2021 Online Chinese Learning: A Case Study of the Use of YouTube Instructional Videos Mireia Vargas-Urpí Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Yanjun Xu Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Follow this and additional works at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt Part of the Chinese Studies Commons How does access to this work benefit you? Let us know! Recommended Citation Vargas-Urpí, Mireia and Xu, Yanjun (2021) "Online Chinese Learning: A Case Study of the Use of YouTube Instructional Videos," Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 3. Available at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Chinese American Faculty and Staff Association at EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology by an authorized editor of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information, please contact library.es@csuohio.edu. Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning Online Chinese Learning: A Case Study of the Use of YouTube Instructional Videos Mireia Vargas-Urpi Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona Yanjun Xu Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona Abstract YouTube is one of many online platforms that provide good, free learning resources for students of Chinese as foreign language (CFL). This article aims to explore the role and implications of YouTube videos in CFL education. To that end, it firstly introduces a questionnaire survey conducted among Chinese language learners in Barcelona, Spain, focusing on their viewing related to YouTube videos. The results of the survey not only reveal the students’ certain types of content/formats, but also indicate that they make only very limited use of YouTube to supplement their formal language education. The article then analyzes 19 Chinese-learning YouTube channels, focusing particularly on features such as the length of their videos, the orthography used, and the language levels covered by the video content. In its conclusion, the article offers suggestions on better use could be made of valuable online resources such as YouTube videos in CFL education. Keywords: Chinese language, technology, online self-education, informal learning, YouTube 1 Introduction Online resources are clearly influencing the way Chinese is taught learned nowadays, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only their value. Among such resources, YouTube probably stands out as the major provider of audiovisual media, with more than 2 billion registered users according to YouTube statistics (July 2020).i Gutierrez et al. (2018, p. 89) affirm that television and YouTube are the media most present in people’s daily lives, that the is “gaining relevance as a source of academic knowledge for students”. More specifically, Gutierrez al. (2018) present the experience of some school students who used tutorials to complement or support they were learning at school. The example of a Colombian student is quite illustrative of tutorials can help learners: “I barely understand the teacher I have now. So I watch YouTube videos about what we are studying and I understand them it’s easier.” et al., 2018, p. 89). However, despite there being potential for including YouTube tutorials or instructional videos in classes of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) or for them for autonomous practice, there is currently a lack of studies that analyze and video resources of the kind in according to criteria such as formal aspects, level, and main content. Furthermore, we little about how students use YouTube to complement or Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 6 for (Guiterrez video Chinese-learning and secondary tutorials Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 supplement formal CFL teaching, or about their preferences and habits in that regard. This article thus seeks to shed light on these matters. The article’s main objective is to explore how students of Chinese currently use Chinese- learning channels on YouTube. There are two secondary objectives: firstly, to better understand a sample of CFL learners’ uses of and preferences regarding YouTube; and, secondly, to analyze a corpus of 19 such channels on the basis of their main formal features. This is relevant and significant as first step towards a better understanding of current learning practices and how they can improved, especially in terms of enhancing the potential of YouTube videos The findings made will be used to provide recommendations for teachers and students on how to use YouTube videos as part of either autonomous or distance learning. 2 The Use of Videos in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning As long ago as in 1989, Altman pointed to the potential of using videotaped in foreign language learning, devoting four entire chapters of his monograph to suggestions for teachers. He recommended using video “its authenticity, its representation of real speech, its reinforcement, its presentation of the nonverbal aspects of language, its value as a cultural vehicle, and its motivating potential” (Altman, 1989, p. 47). Videos can be used to support or contextualize various kinds of content: grammar, cultural topics, vocabulary, etc. Altman (1989) suggested using short segments of authentic videos as supplement for other and choosing videos to fulfill specific functions. He also stressed the mediating role of the teacher in promoting interaction among students. Besides these more general suggestions, Altman (1989) proposed specific exercises and activities for specific purposes, e.g., using videotaped advertisements in grammatical unit on the imperative or videos as a stimulus for conversation classes. Thirty years later, we have witnessed an authentic revolution in audiovisual technologies: video-recorded have been democratized in terms not only of availability but also of the ease of creating and sharing them. Virtually anyone can create video and share it via a social media platform. However, there are both pros and cons to YouTube being an open platform for sharing and watching videos. On the one hand, it might mean a wider spectrum of videos being available. On the other hand, choosing the right video to fulfill a specific linguistic function, as Altman recommended, becomes cumbersome task. Appropriately selected YouTube video clips can used in the classroom or at home, as Tschirner (2011) suggests. They can be used in formal learning environments, i.e., in directed, supervised or autonomous activities, as in the examples presented by Zhang (2013); in self-directed learning; or, when watched for both leisure and educational purposes, in informal learning environments. YouTube and similar Chinese platforms, such as Tencent Video (腾讯), iQIYI (爱奇艺), and Rakuten Viki, which also have international versions; or Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) and (优 酷), only have a Chinese interface, offer unmeasured quantities of videos, ranging from high-quality professional productions (e.g., movies or series) to low-resource amateur videos. As authentic materials, all such videos are valuable resources. Masats et al. (2016, p. 237) define an authentic document” as an oral or written text that is the result of real communicative situation. However, video platforms also include language-teaching channels whose content does not fall into the category in question, having been created for potential viewers’ competency levels. students’ limited competency in Chinese in early stages actually limits potential use of authentic materials in the classroom or autonomous https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 7 materials using a Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning activities, as they could be too difficult even demotivating. Language-teaching channels — with graded created materials — might cater better to beginners’ needs. In this respect, Tschirner (2011, p. 36) believes that [v]ideo clips be motivating and success oriented. they engage learners intellectually, they are motivating. they are easy to understand and when the activities that are used to exploit them are doable, they learners for success. Their language acquisition mechanism is engaged, SLA [second language acquisition] takes place, learners get a sense of accomplishment. They see themselves as good learners, as who actually understand the foreign language and who can use it to get across something they consider important. (2008, p. 124) considers that videos “ a powerful educational and motivational tool” if are used well but emphasizes that they should be appropriate for target learners’ learning (Clark & Mayer, 2002, quoted in Duffy, 2008, p. 124). In this regard, tutorials or videos designed for teaching purposes might prove more suitable students at early stages, as are to the learners’ level might engage them more successfully. For example, Seilstad (2012) explored the use of “tailor-made” YouTube videos by teachers themselves) as a pre-teaching strategy for English language learners in Morocco and found it to effective and extremely positive. Zhang (2013) also obtained positive results when she introduced self-made narrative video clips to descriptive and narrative writing activities. Terantino (2011, p. 12-14) stresses the potential of YouTube for language learning (in general). He forward three general methods in YouTube can utilized as an instructional tool for foreign languages: (1) using YouTube for providing linguistic cultural content and information; (2) YouTube as a platform via which students can share videos they have created; and (3) using YouTube for collaboration on projects or for feedback on such work through the platform’s comments section. Duffy (2008) suggests some activities that involve the use of YouTube videos homework, e.g., - “to support language learning, at the of one of your classes, decide on a particular topic ask your students to search for short videos on this topic (…) create vocabulary guide” (Duffy, 2008, p. 125). - “YouTube can be used as a virtual library to support classroom lectures providing students with access to video ” (Conway, 2006, quoted in Duffy, 2008, p. 126). Instructional videos often include a mediating language (e.g., students’ mother tongue or a lingua franca such as English) to make them more accessible. On the basis of a study of the use of YouTube video clips for teaching English, Almurashi (2016, p. 39) determined that YouTube instructional videos play “a leading role in helping learners understand their English lessons” enabling them to study outside the classroom. More than 60% of his respondents thought that YouTube instructional videos could help simplify lessons (Almurashi, 2016, p. 34). Additionally, his respondents opined that instructional videos have “audio digital effects [that make] them more realistic and understandable” (Almurashi, 2016, p. 38). Such audiovisual effects can also “help learners to grasp the hidden meanings of some references and idioms in English language” (2016, p. 38). YouTube video clips might also used to foster competence, as noted Benson (2015) in a study of comments that learners of Chinese made on such videos. Benson used discourse analysis tools to find “evidence of language intercultural learning in comments on videos involving Chinese-English translanguaging” (2015, p. 88), i.e., videos Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 8 difficult be adapted anda intercultural be and by which When can Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 containing situations “when both Chinese and English are used or when the use of English or Chinese as second language becomes a focus of attention” (2015, p. 91). Benson’s conclusions suggest that videos involving Chinese-English translanguaging trigger comments on linguistic and cultural aspects of their content and “create environments in which interactional language and intercultural learning are likely to observed” (2015, p. 99). Qu (2018) used the video clips of the New Practical Chinese Reader (新实用汉语课本) series to discuss differences in non verbal with Spanish students of CFL. 3 Research Design The research presented in this paper was in the spring term of 2019. We used a mixed method to meet the objectives established in the previous section. This involved designing a questionnaire distributing it among CFL students in Barcelona and creating corpus of 19 specialized YouTube channels. The results obtained by both methods are then contrasted in the ‘Discussion’ to provide more holistic of the situation of YouTube as a source for CFL learning and instruction. 3.1 Questionnaire We designed a Google Forms questionnaire to collect on students’ habits and preferences. It was distributed among CFL students at the Faculty of Translation Interpreting of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and at the Official School of Languages in Barcelona, which we chose because of the availability of respondents and as two public institutions which adults can currently study Chinese in Barcelona. We sent the questionnaire to the students’ teachers, who were asked to distribute it among them. the data were collected, Chinese was taught in two degree programs at the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting: the Degree in Translation and Interpreting and the Degree in East Asian Studies.ii The language is taught throughout the four years of each program, and the questionnaire was distributed among students of both. The Official School of Languages in Barcelona is a public school that offers language courses, mainly for adults. It is the only public school adults that offers Chinese courses in Catalonia, the region in which the study took place. Its Chinese courses cover levels A1 to B2.2 of the Common Framework of Reference Languages, or CEFR (Council of Europe, 2001). While questionnaire was initially only among students at the two institutions in question, we also obtained responses from students from other institutions (e.g., the Confucius Institute in Barcelona) and self-directed students. This was due to the online nature of the questionnaire; once the Google Forms link was made available, students were able to share it with other learners from elsewhere. The questionnaire (see 1 for a translated was divided into three sections, which sought on the respondent’s profile, their habits preferences regarding the use of YouTube videos, and their opinion on an instructional video they were asked to watch. The video in was Mandarin Lab’s Distintas formas de decir si en chino mandarin (Different ways of saying yes in Mandarin Chinese),iii in which the presenter uses both Spanish and Chinese to ways of saying ‘yes’ after a yes-no question (e.g., , 对, 好, 是 的, 好的, 对的, and 行). We selected video various reasons. Firstly, it Spanish as a mediating language, which potential respondents might find easier to follow. Secondly, its four- minute duration is neither too long (increasing the probability of respondents watching it in its https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 9 different for view version) uses and 是 the a Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning entirety) nor too short (going beyond mere superficiality). Thirdly, the topic could appeal to both beginners mid-level students, the targets of the questionnaire. The fact that Chinese lacks a specific word saying ‘yes’ is usually of interest to mid-level students, who want to discover new ways of saying ‘yes’ or confirm that they know all the ways of doing so included in the video. We retrieved a total of 51 responses. Due to the limited number of responses involved, we basic quantitative approach the analysis of closed questions and used qualitative content analysis open-ended questions. 3.2 Creation of a Corpus of YouTube Accounts or Channels We created corpus to compare and analyze the main formal features of a sample of 19 YouTube channels for learning Chinese. While YouTube members can specialize in one kind of content (e.g., CFL), some decide to diversify and create channels to organize their videos. The channel functions as a the user’s account, and one user can have various YouTube channels. For the of this study, only channels specializing in teaching or learning CFL were chosen (the full list can in Annex 2). Although a great many channels about the Chinese language are available on YouTube, only a few were actually included in the study, mainly because of the exploratory nature of this research, which seeks to provide a potential framework of analysis prior to the inclusion of a larger sample of channels. To create the corpus, we extracted 19 channels at random from results of a search performed using the YouTube search engine search terms ‘aprender chino’ (in Spanish) and ‘learn Chinese’. We ruled out certain channels applying the following criteria: - The videos had to target an adult audience. Videos aimed at children were discarded. - The languages used in the videos had to Chinese, English, and/or Spanish. We were to assess videos with other mediating languages, and we therefore discarded them. - Videos requiring the use of a specific handbook (e.g., videos in the presenter says: “let’s move to page X ) were discarded, as such a requirement would have been a limitation for potential viewers who the handbook. We classified the channels according to the following formal criteria: - Number of videos on the channel when the research was (spring 2019). - Length of videos. - Orthography used: simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, both or (i.e., no Chinese characters used). - Format of videos: teacher/presenter visible or just audible (voice-off); use of animations or just recorded PPT. - Levels covered by the channel. We used the information in to provide a general characterization of the channels included in the corpus. 4 Students’ Habits and Preferences The following subsections present the results of the questionnaire distributed among CFL students in Barcelona. Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 10 viewed the a for question for be conducted which none Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 4.1 Description of the Sample of Respondents As previously, we retrieved answers to our questionnaire from a total of 51 respondents. Females made up 78.4% of respondents and males 21.6%, mirroring the higher proportion of women frequently found among students of language and humanities degrees in Spain. Most of the respondents (78.4%) were aged between 18 and 30, possibly due to the sampling conducted, with degree students having been targeted. Another 5.9% of the respondents were aged between 31 and 40, and 11.8% 51 and 60. There was only one respondent between 41 and 50, and only one over 61. Regarding knowledge of languages (see Figure 1), all the respondents said they speak Spanish and nearly all of them (96.1%) said they speak Catalan. vast majority (86.3%) stated that they also speak English. Meanwhile, 27.5% said they speak French, 7.8% German, 3.9% Italian, 35.3% other languages. These figures reflect plurilingual condition of the sample, as well as previous experience of learning other languages. Figure . Languages spoken by the sample of respondents (n = 51) 4.2 YouTube Habits and Preferences Most respondents (60.8%) reported using YouTube every day or nearly every day, while a smaller proportion claimed to rarely use it (15.7%) or never use it (7.8%). These figures contrast with those corresponding to the respondents’ use of YouTube videos the purpose of learning Chinese (Figure 2). Only one respondent (2%) said they often use such videos to that end, and 17.6% of the respondents remarked that sometimes do so. As as 49% of the respondents said they rarely view YouTube videos to learn Chinese, and 31.4% stated that they never do so. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 11 many the Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning Figure 2. Frequency of use of YouTube videos to learn Chinese The respondents were asked to indicate what they need most from YouTube videos. However, their answers do not show clear tendencies, as reflected in Table 1. Table 1. What respondents needfrom YouTube videos Very necessary Indifferent Not necessary Grammar content 21(35.6%) 14 (23.7%) 24 (40.7%) Vocabulary expressions related 14 (28.6%) 21(42.9%) 14 (28.6%) to a specific topic Exercises activities 16 (35.6%) 16 (35.6%) 13 (28.9%) The responses show that grammar content is both the most and the least necessary aspect of videos (in comparison to vocabulary and expressions, and exercises activities). The figures involved seem to suggest that students may have very different expectations of YouTube videos, as well as heterogenous needs. The of a clear trend might also be attributable to very few students actually watching YouTube videos to learn Chinese, meaning that the others are unlikely to have considered such matters before taking the questionnaire. The students were asked to comment on their as regards YouTube videos learning Chinese. More specifically, various examples of video formats were provided and the students had to indicate type or types (multiple answers were allowed) they preferred. The various possible answers are listed below were presented to the respondents as shown in Figure 3: • A: There is a visible teacher in the video. • B: teacher explains the content in voice-off. • C: The creators of the content explain it in a talk or discussion. • D: Drama series with explanatory flashes. • E: Exercises or tests. Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 12 A preferences Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 Figure 3. Options provided for commenting on format preferences Answers were distributed as follows: 1. More than half the respondents (54.9%) expressed a preference for option A, i.e., videos in which visible teacher explains the lesson. 2. 51% marked option B, i.e., videos in which a teacher explains the content in voice- off. 3. 41.2% chose option E, i.e., exercises or tests. 4. 33.3% chose option C, i.e., videos in which the creators of the content explain it in a talk or discussion. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 13 Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning 5. The chosen option was D, i.e., series of drama videos with explanatory flashes, which was marked by 27.5% of the sample. The responses to this provide relevant information, in that they reflect clear preference videos with a teacher/presenter (either visible or in voice-off) who guides students. Contrastingly, the level of preference corresponds to videos in which the role of the teacher is less explicit. 4.3 Perceptions after Viewing a YouTube Video Finally, the students were asked to watch a four-minute Mandarin Lab video in which a teacher/presenter explains various ways of replying affirmatively to different questions. The respondents were asked for open answers to the questions: “Do you think this video is easy to understand? Do you like it? Why?” The majority (72.5%) gave entirely positive answers. A smaller proportion (23.5%) gave mainly positive answers that also contained some kind of criticism or suggestions for improvement. Only one person offered a totally negative opinion. As as the positive answers are concerned, 35 (of the total of 51) respondents explicitly mentioned that they liked the video because “it is clear” or “easy to understand” thanks to the teacher/presenter, and 13 of them also praised the wide range of examples provided by the teacher/presenter. Seven respondents mentioned that the video is entertaining and liked the visual prompts used in it, and five said they liked it because it is well organized. Three respondents said they found the video useful, three thought its length optimal, and two liked the text displayed on the screen. One of the most detailed responses, which may well summarize the positive comments in general, was the following: “Yes, I like the video, I think it is well organized dynamic. It is long enough to be sufficiently informative, but not so long that watching it feels like a chore (furthermore, being short video, you can watch it when you have a little spare time, and do so as often as you like until everything is clear, without having to spend too long on it). In brief, it is easy to understand, concise informative. The inclusion of pinyin next to the characters and the pronunciation of a person who is apparently bilingual are noteworthy bonuses.”iv In another positive comment, one of the respondents mentioned the video’s explanation of which ‘yes’ responses are more informal in Chinese. They liked “the part about answering using the same verb [used in the question], which is something I never learned at school and had to learn myself by listening to conversations”.v Some respondents, while positive comments, gave suggestions improving the video. For example, two mentioned that a final summary at the end of the video would be useful, and two said they would like more examples in Chinese. Among the negative comments made, two respondents found the video ok, but boring”, one found it repetitive, and one disliked its aesthetical aspects. Two respondents explained that they found the video useful but would not want videos to substitute the teacher-student interaction of formal learning: I think it is easy to understand and I like it, but I do not think I could learn Chinese with just videos like this. You would need to attend classes where could study with texts to see how these concepts are used, as well as to practice using them orally.”vi I think that what she says is fine and I like the way she explains it, but I think this approach would only serve very basic things. Once things get difficult, it is much better to have a more interactive system where can get answers to your questions.”vii Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 14 least for a Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 Finally, the respondent who provided the only totally negative answer did not find the explanations and examples easy to understand, simply stated that he/she did not like it”, without further details. 5 Main Features of the Channels Analyzed The channels we selected at random and included in the corpus had uploaded total of 3034 videos up to spring 2019, giving mean of 160 videos per channel. There were substantial differences among channels. Those with the largest volume of videos were FluentU Chinese (584 videos) and Chinese with ChineseClass101.com (489 videos). At the other end of the scale were Active Chinese (22 videos), Elitemandarin (24 videos), and Slow & Clear Chinese (31 videos).viii These clearly reflect one of the main problems with using videos from YouTube: the number of videos available is so huge that it is virtually impossible to assess them all individually, especially just to prepare lesson or course content. Regarding video length, most channels contain short clips that for less than 10 minutes. The only exception is Mandarin Corner, which has no videos that are less 20 minutes long includes some that run up to 50 minutes. The videos uploaded by Mandarin Corner, with titles such as 50 sentences for eating and traveling and 42 essential sentence patterns, look to convey considerable amount of information in just one clip. Chinese with ChineseClass101.com is the channel with the widest range of videos in terms of length, with the shorter ones lasting around two minutes the longer ones 50 minutes. Nine channels publish only short clips less than six minutes long, six channels contain videos from two to 20 minutes long. One of the channels that provide short videos is Crazy Fresh Chinese, whose content focuses on very specific words, sentences or expressions; example, one video is devoted just to word 冰淇淋 (ice-cream). In general, the relatively short length of most of the videos might increase the of them being used as classroom or for autonomous activities. Short videos are to combine with other classroom activities or even to use as a after explaining certain points. Furthermore, it is commonly held that the optimal length of YouTube videos is between two minutes.ix Applying this to CFL instructional videos, it can assumed that users will find it easier to concentrate on videos of that length, be it in a classroom or working on their own. This was reflected in the responses to the questionnaire, with three of the respondents explicitly mentioning the short length (four minutes) of the video they had watched as something viewed positively. Based on the samples selected for this study, few channels include traditional Chinese characters. Traditional simplified characters are used together in just one case, the Fluent in Mandarin.com channel, where, despite not being used systematically, traditional characters are ed briefly to illustrate points the omission in relation to writing make have how certain simplified characters. The only information channel that uses no characters at all is FluentU Chinese, the channel with the largest volume of videos, and this might be due to its focus on oral competency. Further research should look at whether channels also include pinyin and systematically they do so. Regarding video format, 14 of the channels have a visible teacher/presenter who explains the lesson. This seems to be a common format on YouTube and was the respondents’ preferred option in questionnaire. We also sought to determine whether any of videos’ teachers/presenters are not native Chinese speakers, but, owing to their personal not always being available, we had to hypotheses based on their racial traits. Most teachers/presenters Chinese/Asian racial and thus seem to be native Chinese speakers https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 15 four for“ resources Learn Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning (this should be confirmed with them). There are only four exceptions, three of which are channels with teachers/presenters who do not have Chinese/Asian racial traits but speak Chinese fluently (Fluent in Mandarin.com, Chinese Now, and Crazy Fresh Chinese). The fourth is a channel with various teachers/presenters, Chinese with ChineseClass101.com. This channel mainly features teachers/presenters with Chinese/Asian racial traits in video-lessons, but its motivational videos with tips for studying Chinese are presented by a person without Chinese/Asian racial traits. Among the 14 channels with visible teachers/presenters, 10 have female teachers/presenters, three have male teachers/presenters, and one combines males and females. Where the five videos without visible teachers/presenters are concerned, three feature animations, one features a teacher in voice-off with complementary and one consists of activities (e.g., dictation or character recognition) with voice-off and pictures that complement each other in such a way that students can use the exercises autonomously to self correct. In the questionnaire, 41.2% of the respondents chose videos containing exercises or tests as one of their preferred options. However, only one channel included in the corpus focuses on videos of that kind, which might reflect a lower level of in general. All the channels include content for beginner levels, but only three reach advanced levels, such as level C1 of the CEFR. The three are Mandarin Lab, Slow & Clear Chinese, and ActiveChinese, which are the most comprehensive channels. 6 Discussion and Conclusions In this section, data from both methods is compared and used to draw a first approach towards the study and research of YouTube videos for CFL teaching and learning. While the two sets of data were collected separately, the of both in discussion section provides an enriched of current trends, and needs. YouTube provides an ocean of resources for teaching learning Chinese can potentially be adapted to any kind of learning environment (formal education, self-directed education, informal education, etc.). However, YouTube’s main asset is also its main drawback: navigating such huge ocean is not always easy for teachers or students. This is the major feeling arising from a formal analysis of 19 channels that, collectively, offer more than 3000 videos. As far as formal features are concerned, video length is heterogenous but there is clear towards short videos less than 10 minutes long, and such brevity is viewed positively in students’ comments in the questionnaire. research would be needed in to determine the most appropriate length for CFL instructional videos. Most of the channels analyzed feature a teacher/presenter who explains vocabulary, grammar or other content. This too corresponds to the preferences of students, who the guidance of a teacher figure in such instructional videos positively. This finding may reflect the way language is learned and taught in the Spanish education system, where the traditional teacher-guided approach coexists with more communicative and task-based or project-based approaches. It would to this study in other countries and compare students’ attitudes and preferences. The results presented in this article, while limited and only exploratory in nature, have led us to number of ideas recommendations. Firstly, the creation of databases of YouTube resources, from which videos could retrieved according to different search criteria (e.g., length, level, topic), would certainly reduce the time and effort that to find suitable videos a particular lesson, group level requires. Currently, the YouTube search engine only Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 16 interesting replicate andand this habits and either order Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 allows for searches based on keywords included in the title of a video, the of a channel or a video’s description. Furthermore, descriptions are often very brief and can insufficient an initial assessment of a video’s adequacy. Thus, choosing the right video to intellectually engage and motivate learners is not easy. large, open-access database would a great contribution to the entire community of CFL teachers and learners, as it would really simplify the task of finding the most suitable videos any given purpose. Such a database could involve a collaborative approach, where users could even recommend and classify videos. In addition to length and topic, video format a video features a is an animation, etc.) would be a useful search criterion, as would the orthography used and the level of language ability required, which be expressed using various reference systems (e.g., HSK, CEFR) in order to increase the potential use of the database around the world.x Secondly, students’ responses to our questionnaire show that YouTube resources for learning Chinese are clearly under-used. This implies that teachers do not suggest working with YouTube instructional videos as an autonomous activity to complement their classes, that students do not search videos, as a self-directed activity, to supplement what they have learned in the classroom, possibly due to the content of YouTube videos not being directly related to the content studied in class. Further research with larger sample of respondents would be useful to explore the reasons for such infrequent use of YouTube instructional videos as a CFL resource, and also to get a clearer idea as to the kind of content that would most appreciated, an issue in relation to the answers to our questionnaire reflected no clear trend. Regarding the use of YouTube instructional videos in formal learning environments, research involving teachers would shed light on their needs and views. Nevertheless, teachers could use such videos pre-teaching activities (Seilstad, 2012) or , where students do preparatory work before the teacher’s explanation; autonomous revision activities (复习), where students revisit what they have done in the classroom; and even main activities in a flipped classroom format, where students would watch explanations at home and devote their classroom time to asking questions, clearing doubts, and practicing under the teacher’s guidance. In this respect, further research is needed to analyze the teaching approaches used and the quality of the explanations provided by teachers/presenters in YouTube videos. Our study is exploratory in nature, as already mentioned, and seeks to stimulate further research in this field. However, it is still innovative various reasons: first, because it seeks to shed light on a largely unexplored topic (the use of YouTube instructional videos CFL language and learning) to provide a methodology to approach it. Second, because it addresses one of the challenges of CFL need to face nowadays: to best use existing audiovisual resources that adapt to new ways of learning among younger students. The rise of specific platforms exclusively focusing on videos (e.g., TikTok) or strongly promoting them (e.g., Instagram) has totally changed the ways young students consume digital contents and stresses even more the need to make the most of video that could successfully attract students’ attention. As possible ways of further researching this topic, a larger corpus of YouTube channels or TikTok/Instagram accounts, or a larger sample of questionnaire would be needed to confirm or complete presented here. Additionally, studies could ask more detailed questions (concerning the role of teachers in the promotion of YouTube or other social media instructional videos to support CFL learning, for example) so that trends better defined. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 17 information be and for for new预习 teacher/presenter, and be how name Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning References Almurashi, W. A. (2016). The effective use of YouTube videos for teaching English language in classrooms as supplementary material at Taibah University in Alula. International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research, 4(3), 32-47. Altman, R. (1989) The Video Connection: Integrating Video into Language Teaching. Houghton Mifflin Company. Benson, P. (2015). Commenting to learn: Evidence of language and intercultural learning in comments on YouTube videos. Language Learning & Technology, 19(3), 88-105. http://dx.doi.org/10125/44435 Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2002) E-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer. Conway, C. (2006) YouTube and the Cultural Studies Classroom. [online] http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2006/11/13/conway Council of Europe (2001). Common framework of reference for languages. Cambridge University Press. https://rm.coe.int/1680459f97 Duffy, P. (2008). Engaging the YouTube Google-eyed generation: Strategies for qusing Web 2.0 in teaching and learning. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 6(2), 119-130. https://academic-publishing.org/index.php/ejel/article/view/1535 Gutierrez, E., Rey, E., & Melo, L. (2018). YouTube. In C. A. Scolari (Ed.), Teens, media and collaborative Cultures. Exploiting teens’ transmedia skills in the classroom (pp. 88- 92).Universitat Pompeu Fabra. http://transmedialiteracy.upf.edu/sites/default/files/files/TL_Teens_en.pdf Masats, D. (Ed.); L. (Ed.); Dooly, M.; Escobar Urmeneta, C.; Moore, E.; Noguerol, A. (2016). Foreign language teaching and learning in compulsory secondary education. [Ense anza y aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras en educacion secundaria obligatoria]. Sintesis. Qu, X. (2018). Non-verbal language in Chinese teaching: A pedagogic proposal. [El lenguaje no verbal en la ensenanza del chino: una propuesta pedagogica]. Ph.D. dissertation. Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Seilstad, B. (2012). Using tailor-made YouTube videos as a preteaching strategy for English language learners in Morocco: towards a hybrid language learning course. Teaching English with Technology, 12(4), 31-47. https://tewtjournal.org/issues/past-issue- 2012/past-issue-2012-issue-4/ Terantino, J. (2011). YouTube for foreign languages: You have to see video. Language Learning & Technology, 15(1), 10-16. http://dx.doi.org/10125/44231 Tschirner, E. (2011). Video clips, input processing language learning. In W. M. Chan, K. N. Chin, M. Nagami, & T. Suthiwan (Eds.) Media in foreign language teaching and learning (pp. 25-42). De Gruyter Mouton. Zhang, P. (2013). Using video to the acquisition of advanced proficiency [利用视频短 片促进高级表达技能的获得]. Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching, (2), 69-85. http://tclt.us/journal/2013v4n2/zhang.pdf Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 18 Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 Appendix A Questionnaire Used for Data Collection The original questionnaire was part of Xu Yanjun's MA thesis. It was in Spanish and was configured Google Forms. The following is a translation of the questions included: (a) Respondent profile 1. Sex: □ male □ female □ n/a 2. Age group: □18-30 □ 31-40 □41-50 □ 51-60 □61 or over □ n/a 3. languages do speak? □ Spanish □ Catalan □ English □ German □ French □ □ Other: 4. Please indicate your education level: □ basic education □ baccalaureate □ vocational training □ bachelor’s degree □ master’s degree □ PhD □ Other □n/a 5. Current occupation: □ student □ working □ on leave □ other □ n/a 6. Where do you study Chinese? □ Autonomous University of Barcelona □ Barcelona Official School of Languages □ Confucius Institute □ Other: (b) Use of YouTube 1. Do you think it is possible to complete beginner-level training (up to level B1) by means of self-learning using YouTube? □ Yes, probably □ Maybe, it depends on each individual □ No, it is impossible 2. How often do you use YouTube? 1 = never / 5 = every day or almost every day 1 /2/3 /4/5 3. Do you use YouTube to learn Chinese? □ Yes, very often. □ Yes, often. □ Yes, sometimes. □ Yes, but seldom. □ No. 4. Please the following options to show what you feel you need from YouTube videos: Mark only one option per row. Grammar Vocabulary and expressions Exercises and content related to a specific topic activities Very necessary Indifferent Not necessary 5. Please indicate your preferred video format(s). Mark all that apply. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 19 order ____ you Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning • A: There is a visible teacher in the video. • B: teacher explains the content in voice-off. • C: The creators of the content explain it in a talk or discussion. • D: Drama series with explanatory flashes. • E: Exercises or tests. Figure 3. Options provided for commenting on format preferences c) Opinions after watching a video 6. Here is a link to video from the Mandarin Lab channel. Please watch the and answer the questions below. http://youtube.com/watch?v=bMqep-YIJcI do you think of the video? Do you like it? Why? Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 20 A a video Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 Appendix B List of YouTube Channels Analyzed 1 Name ActiveChinese URL https://www.youtube.com/user/ActiveChinese/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2008. Their last video was uploaded in December 2009. Length and Animated videos with short conversations or cultural aspects. contents Level Mostly A1-A2. 2 Name Bunkyo Escuela de Chino URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgDiigoRHQlLsRZkr0ho2ng/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2013 and their last video was uploaded in February 2019. Length and Short videos with a professor explaining a certain topic like the use of a word or contents Chinese food. Level Mostly A1-A2. 3 Name CrazyFreshChinese URL https://www.youtube.com/user/CrazyFreshChinese/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2013 and their last video was uploaded in June 2017. Length and Short vlog with explanation of the use of one word. contents Level Mostly A1-A2. 4 Name Elitemandarin URL https://www.youtube.com/user/elitemandarin/videos Activity Active. It started uploading videos in 2013 and their last video was uploaded in October 2020. Length and Mostly short-medium videos with explanations of the use of vocabulary or contents HSK lessons. Level Mostly A1-B2. 5 Name EverydayChinese - Chinese in Chinatown URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSXriUqkzZmAQklQ0N9XFVw/videos Active. It started uploading videos in 2017 and their video was uploaded in October 2020. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 21 last Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning Length and Videos covering various like vocabulary, grammar, writing characters. contents Various lengths (from around 10 minutes to more than one hour). Level Mostly A1- A2. 6 Name Fluency in Chinese URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnx4vIe4HYuo2pz0mTjzIIQ/videos Inactive (?). It started uploading videos in 2018 and their video was uploaded in August 2020. Length and Short videos with explanations of use of one word. contents Level Mostly A1-B2 level vocabulary. 7 Name Fluent in Mandarin.com URL https://www.youtube.com/user/gaoyoude1/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2011 (previous videos were about the experience of language learning by owner) and their last video was uploaded in February 2020. Length and It contains both short (less than 10 minutes) clips and 10 to 20 minutes videos contents with explanations of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Level Mostly A1 - B1. 8 Name FluentU Chinese URL https://www.youtube.com/user/FluentUChinese/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2013 and their last video was uploaded in November 2019. Length and Mostly short videos of conversations or basic expressions. contents Level Mostly A1 - B2. 9 Name Chinese with Liling (originally Chinese) URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUwv gudmKfHkng6C5RPwRA/videos Active. It started uploading videos in 2015 and their video was uploaded in October 2020. Length and Mostly short videos about grammar points or basic expressions. contents Level Mostly A1 - B2. 10 Name 汉语学习网 URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC30av anvIrQphKnwXnlkQA/videos Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 22 topics the Happy last last Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 Activity Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2012 and their video was in July 2014. Length and It contains both short (less than 5 minutes) clips and 10 to 20 minutes videos contents with Chinese idioms stories, Chinese lessons, and character writing. Level Mostly A1 - B2. 11 Name Chinese with Litao URL https://www.youtube.com/user/LitaoChinese/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2013 and their video was in December 2018. Length and Mostly short videos about the use of certain vocabulary, pinyin, grammar points contents and basic expressions. Level Mostly A1 - A2. 12 Name Chinese Now URL https://www.youtube.com/user/learnchinesenow/videos Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2012 and their video was in October 2018. Length and Mostly short videos about the use of grammar points and cultural aspects. contents Level Mostly A1 - A2. 13 Name Chinese with ChineseClass101.com URL https://www.youtube.com/user/chineseclass101/videos Active. It started uploading videos in 2009 and their video was uploaded in November 2020. Length and Mostly videos of vocabulary, Chinese stories, and study tips. contents Level Mostly A1 - B2. 14 Name Chinese URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4-q1Ah6ZnHljEUaf5H0Kig/videos Active. It started uploading videos in 2015 and their video was uploaded in October 2020. Length and Mostly short videos of vocabulary and Chinese stories. contents Level Mostly A1 - B2. 15 Name Learnchinesewithemma URL https://www.youtube.com/user/learnchinesewithemma/videos https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 23 uploaded last last Vargas-Urpí and Xu: YouTube instructional videos for Chinese learning Activity Inactive. It started uploading videos in 2011 and their last video was uploaded in 2019. Length and Mostly short videos of vocabulary and expressions. contents Level Mostly A1 - A2. 16 Name Learning Chinese through Stories URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDSSndxcaLY-- eS5p9a2rQ/videos Active. It started uploading videos in 2016 and their video was uploaded in October 2020. Length and Mostly videos of Chinese stories and broadcast. contents Level Mostly A1 - C1. 17 Name Mandarin Corner URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2fAiRQHRQT9aj9P ijYeow/videos Active. It started uploading videos in 2017 and their video was uploaded in November 2020. Length and Mostly videos of vocabulary, grammar points and cultural aspects. contents Level Mostly A1 - C1. 18 Name Mandarin Lab URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv6O3FzYuRv1-VGRNdT4 Active. It started uploading videos in 2016 and their video was uploaded in October 2020. Length and Mostly videos of vocabulary, expressions, and cultural aspects. contents Level Mostly A1 - A2. 19 Name Slow & Clear Chinese URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdwdSGQsSbcapDmODtOr58g/videos Inactive (?). It started uploading videos in 2016 and their video was uploaded in August 2020. Length and Mostly short videos of Chinese listening practice and lessons. contents Level Mostly A1 - B2 level content. Published by EngagedScholarship@CSU, 2021 24 last last Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology, Vol. 4, Iss. 2 [2021], Art. 3 论线上汉语学习：以YouTube教学视频的应用为例 Mireia Vargas-Urpi Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona Yanjun Xu YouTube平台是诸多为汉语作为外语（CFL）学习的学生提供优质免费学习资源的线上平 台之一。本文旨在探讨YouTube视频在CFL教学过程中所扮演的角色和影响 。为此，本 文首先在西班牙巴塞罗那的汉语学习者中展开了问卷调查 ，重点调查他们观看YouTube 平台上的汉语学习视频的习惯 。问卷调查结果不仅揭示了学习者们对于特定类型的视频内 容或形式的偏好 同时也反映出只有极少部分的YouTube资源被学生们用来作为对他们 的正规语言学习内容的补充。之后，本文重点从视频长度、汉字书写规则以及视频内容所 涵盖的语言等级等方面研究了 19个汉语学习频道。最后，本文就如何更有效地利用如 YouTube视频等宝贵的线上资源进行CFL教学提出了一些建议。 Keywords: Chinese language, technology, online self-education, informal learning, YouTube i See https:〃www.youtube.com/about/press/. ii new degree program including Chinese as a second language has been introduced in 2020-21 (Degree in Spanish and Chinese Studies). iii URL: https:〃www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMqep-YIJcI (accessed on 22 July 2020). iv Original in Spanish, translated into English by the authors of the paper: “Si me gusta, creo que esta bien estructurado y tiene buen ritmo, el video tiene la duracion justa como para lo suficientemente pero no es excesivamente largo como para que te genere pereza el hecho de verlo (ademas que al ser un video corto lo puedes ver cuando tienes un rato libre o lo puedes volver a ver quieras para que te quede todo claro sin dedicarle un lapso de tiempo excesivo.) En resumen, bien explicado, breve e informativo, que se adjunte el pinyin junto a los y la pronunciacion de una persona, al parecer bilingue, es un plus a tener muy en cuenta.” v Original response in Spanish, translated into English by the of the paper: “Me gusta mucho, es muy interesante que explique que formas son mas y tambien la parte de responder el mismo verbo, esto nunca lo aprendi en clase, y lo tuve que aprender a base de escuchar conversaciones.” vi Original in Spanish, translated into English by the of the paper: “Creo que esta bien explicado y me gusta, pero no creo que pudiera aprender el idioma chino solamente videos asi. Seria necesario acudir a clases en los que se trabajara textos y asi ver como se utilizan esos conceptos, asi como la practica oral de los mismos.” vii Original response in Spanish, translated into English by the of the paper: “Me parece que lo que dice es correcto y me gusta como lo explica, pero creo que esta modalidad solo sirve para cosas muy basicas. Cuando las cosas se complican, es mejor un sistema mas interactivo para poder resolver dudas.” viii While Active Chinese and Slow & Clear Chinese have not uploaded any more videos since we collected our data, Elitemandarin contained 114 videos in July 2020, indicating the incorporation of new content on a regular basis. ix See, for instance: The perfect video length for application in 2019 (URL: https:〃blog.mynd.com/en/perfect- video-length, last accessed on 19 October 2020); or How Long Should Your Videos Be? Ideal Lengths for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube (URL: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-long-should-videos-be-on- instagram-twitter-facebook-youtube , last accessed on 19 October 2020). x A similar database is currently being developed for Chinese digital resources: https:〃dtieao.uab.cat/txicc/echinese/theproject (last accessed on 17 November 2021) https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/cltmt/vol4/iss2/3 25 veces informativo con authors