Abstract

Enhancing Chinese speaking proficiency remains challenging for junior high school students in Thailand due to limited authentic contexts in traditional instruction, such as a lack of real-life interaction and exposure to diverse speaking tasks. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of integrating Padlet into scenario-based learning to improve students’ oral Chinese skills, focusing on how digital tools—using audio, images, and video to construct authentic scenarios—can support speaking development, increase engagement, and enhance communicative competence, which are crucial for real-world language use. A quasi-experimental design involved 50 junior high school students divided into an experimental group (Padlet-supported scenario-based learning) and a control group (traditional instruction). The intervention lasted 8 weeks, with 2 sessions of 50 minutes each per week. Data were collected via pre-tests and post-tests, and a motivation questionnaire measuring attitudes toward Chinese speaking and perceptions of the intervention. A one-way MANOVA was used to evaluate students’ learning motivation between groups, while a one-way ANCOVA was used to evaluate differences in speaking proficiency between two groups. The findings indicate that the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in Chinese speaking proficiency compared to the control group. Post-test scores revealed the experimental group outperformed the control group by a large margin in all dimensions. Students in the experimental group showed notable progress in pronunciation accuracy, fluency, and interactive communication skills, along with enhanced motivation, participation, and confidence in speaking Chinese.

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