Journal of Teaching Innovation and Reform

Vol. 2 (2026)
Articles

Artificial Intelligence in Teaching Chinese as A Target Second Foreign Language: A Scoping Review (2021–2026)

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  • Huixin Zong,
  • Shuqing Gao
Huixin Zong
School Of International Communications, Jilin International Studies University
Shuqing Gao
School Of International Communications, Jilin International Studies University

Published 2026-06-13

Keywords

  • Artificial intelligence,
  • Generative AI,
  • Chinese as a foreign language,
  • Scoping review,
  • Pedagogical innovation,
  • PRISMA-ScR
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Artificial Intelligence in Teaching Chinese as A Target Second Foreign Language: A Scoping Review (2021–2026). (2026). Journal of Teaching Innovation and Reform, 2, 45-65. https://doi.org/10.65638/2978-5634.2026.2.05

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is reshaping language pedagogy, but Chinese as a target, second, or foreign language remains under-synthesised in high-indexed empirical literature. This PRISMA-ScR scoping review maps 33 Chinese-target AI-related empirical studies published in JCR 2023–2024 SSCI/SCIE Q1 or Q2 venues between 2021 and May 2026. A database search supplemented by four citation-chasing records identified 248 records, 206 after deduplication, and 61 records for full-text and venue verification. The final primary set shows a three-pillar evidence problem rather than simple scarcity. First, writing AI feedback (7/33, 21.2%) and teacher-facing or practitioner studies (9/33, 27.3%) are the largest clusters, while reading has one mediation-correlational study, Chinese character / handwriting acquisition has no Q1/Q2 entry, and no direct K-12 learner intervention survives venue verification. Second, design maturity is uneven: only one true RCT is identified, 19 of 33 studies use samples below 100, and the set contains no replication, pre-registered protocol, public de-identified dataset, or L2-Chinese latent-growth-curve analysis. Third, ethics, originality, and cognitive dependence remain under-consolidated: five studies treat these as primary outcomes, but they use different constructs and instruments. The review translates these gaps into a prioritised R1–R7 agenda for Chinese-target AI-supported pedagogical innovation.

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