Student engagement, motivation and attitudes toward short video platform for learning Chinese as a foreign language and culture

Abstract

Short videos have gradually replaced traditional book learning in language learning because of the emergence of modern self-media. TikTok/YouTube Shorts is a rapidly expanding digital platform that has evolved into an educational tool for students creating online microlearning environments. This study aims to investigate how Sri Lankan undergraduates engage these platforms for independent Chinese language learning, emphasizing their motivation, engagement levels, and attitudes. The research is grounded in Krashen’s Input Hypothesis and Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, which together frame how short-video content supports foreign language input, interaction, and multimedia processing. A mixed-methods design was employed. Participants (n = 40) were selected through random sampling from undergraduates aged 20–25 years, studying Chinese language at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. According to the results, 88% of students in the target group spend more than 3 hours per day on their mobile phones, while only 44% regularly attend physical language classes. The majority of these students primarily use mobile platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, indicating a strong preference for short-form and visually engaging content. This indicates a valuable opportunity to repurpose students’ screen time for effective language self-learning, by integrating pedagogically sound materials into the digital environments they frequent. The study addresses four key questions: specifically, how do students utilize short-video content to facilitate Chinese language learning? What motivates their use of these platforms? What are their attitudes toward short-video-based learning? What benefits and challenges do they perceive in using such tools independently? Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews and the data were analyzed through descriptive and thematic analysis. The data collection focused on usage frequency, content preferences, self-reported improvements in language skills, motivational factors, and perceived barriers. Additionally, secondary sources such as relevant journal articles and prior research were reviewed to contextualize the findings. The study offers valuable insights for language educators, curriculum developers, and educational technology stakeholders by identifying effective strategies for integrating short-video content into Chinese language instruction. It contributes to the design of learner-centered pedagogical approaches, informs policy discussions on informal digital learning trends, and empowers students to make more purposeful and strategic use of short-video platforms to support their language development.