The transformative role of E-readers in inclusive online Mandarin education: A duo-ethnographic study

Abstract

Many Mandarin programs in Canada rely on prescriptive, textbook-driven curricula that may overlook the diverse learning needs and backgrounds of plurilingual students. This research seeks to challenge and reimagine this traditional curriculum by exploring how Mandarin educators can integrate E-readers as alternative materials to address students’ emerging learning needs. In the post-pandemic era, online language education has become the new normal. While extensive insights have emerged from online English language teaching regarding its challenges, benefits, and implications, the specific context of online Mandarin education remains insufficiently explored, particularly in North America. Given the growing demand for Mandarin language learning in North America, this study engaged two Mandarin teachers in Canada in a 12-week series of online sessions utilizing E-readers (i.e., iChineseReader) as core teaching materials. Employing a duo-ethnographic approach, this research collected data: video-recorded weekly critical dialogues, reflective journals, and lesson plans as pedagogical artifacts. Narrative inquiry guided data analysis, focusing on the teachers’ evolving ideologies surrounding E-reader integration in online Mandarin classrooms. This study presents key stories in terms of: (1) E-readers as a support for ethics-oriented curricula; (2) E-readers as mediators of learner autonomy; and (3) E-readers as tools for plurilingual, multimodal, and identity-affirming learning. This research invites educators to creatively use E-readers to enhance inclusivity, foster learner agency, and recognize students’ linguistic and semiotic resources in online Mandarin learning.