Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research, while enhancing transferable skills. Students were challenged to describe their research, scholarship or creative activity in 150 or fewer words to share with our community.

Digital Storytelling in Online Mandarin Heritage Language Education for Bi/Multilingual Elementary Learners

Digital storytelling has transformed my understanding of language education through self reflection on my teaching, learning, and living experiences in Canada, fueling my research in Mandarin heritage language education. Witnessing students’ reluctance to embrace their home languages, I aim to shift their perceptions from viewing these languages as burdens to recognizing them as enriching assets. My project employs digital storytelling to empower bi multilingual students by validating and celebrating their identities. It enhances language skills through digital literacy practices and fosters a positive self-concept and community connectivity. As part of my submission, I will share a digital story that captures my narrative and highlights the transformative potential of digital media in language education. This story exemplifies how digital technologies can reshape language learning experiences and inspire learners to appreciate their multifaceted identities, thus contributing to a more inclusive and dynamic educational experience.

Chuan Liu
PhD candidate, Education Studies
Faculty of Education

Supervisor
Zheng Zhang (https://www.edu.uwo.ca/about/faculty-profiles/zheng-zhang/index.html)

Chuan Liu (他/He) is a PhD candidate at Western University, specializing in Curriculum Studies. He holds a Master’s degree in education from the University of Ottawa, where his research focused on teacher beliefs in video-based synchronous computer-mediated communication with young EFL learners. Throughout his academic career, Chuan’s research contributions include publications in respected journals and presentations at global/local conferences, with a focus on language education, digital literacies, and translanguaging. Chuan has served as a research assistant, teaching assistant, language teacher, curriculum manager, and school director. He is committed to fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments that recognize and celebrate linguistic, semiotic, and cultural diversity. His work aims to bridge gaps in educational access and quality, particularly for bi/multilingual and marginalized communities. Chuan's research on identity texts and translanguaging seeks to empower students by validating their cultural and linguistic identities, promoting a more inclusive and just educational landscape.

You can connect with Chuan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuan-liu-39a119199/.

View Chuan's work as it appears in the Inspiring Minds Digital Collection: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/inspiringminds/678/.