Use of Asynchronous Online Discussion in an Online Chinese Heritage Language Course

With the increasing use of online teaching in schools, asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is becoming a common tool to facilitate interactions in online courses. However, very few studies explored using AOD in the context of Chinese language learning, including learning Chinese as a heritage language. To fill the gap, this article delineates the implementation and implications of AOD in an online Chinese heritage language course. A social learning platform named Yellowdig was adopted to conduct AOD, with two primary goals: community building and resource sharing. Students’ reflections and feedback confirmed its social and educational benefits and indicated the promising utilization of AOD in other Chinese language courses of both in-person and online modes.