Multimodal Approaches in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language: A Study of Idioms in TCFL Microlessons

Abstract

Microlessons have emerged as an effective means for foreign learners to acquire Chinese in technology-enhanced education. As a video-based format, microlessons typically integrate multiple semiotic resources, including language, images, sound, and gestures. However, in the context of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL), particularly in idiom instruction where metaphorical meaning and cultural load are prominent, how multimodal resources function together across different instructional stages remains less explored. Therefore, the present study adopts a mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine patterns of multimodal use and their pedagogical effects in two award-winning TCFL idiom microlesson series. The results show that teachers’ speech, on-screen text, and images constitute the core modalities, with auditory–visual complementarity as the dominant pattern, while kinesthetic cues play a reinforcing role at key explanatory moments. Moreover, modality choices also vary across instructional stages and content types. Based on these findings, the study recommends complementary, functionally appropriate modality design guided by adaptability, efficiency, and economy to improve metaphor comprehension and retention.