Learning Chinese as an international language: The interaction of motivation, study results and online learning in an Australian university Chinese studies program

Through exploring the Chinese learning experiences of five selected cases from an esteemed Australian university in Melbourne, this study investigates the role of motivation in Chinese learning as an international language supplemented with online learning facilities. The study looks into the traits and change of motivation of the Chinese learning students , the connections between their motivation and learning outcomes, and their views on their learning experiences during a semester -long Chinese course·. The participants ' motivation and Chinese learning experiences have been observed and examined through questionnaires and interview schedules. The participants have been found to have a high level of motivation in Chinese learning, which fluctuates during the semester- long learning process. As well , motivation interacts with the success of Chinese learning in two-way directions: motivation encourages students to achieve highly, and the successful learning experience, in return, enhances students' motivation. Online activities have been found to be facilitative in improving Chinese reading and writing skills, as well as in elevating students' interest for future Chinese learning. Recommendations are provided on aligning curriculum design strategies for Chinese courses and research strategies for future on-online Chinese language learning.