Lin, J. (2025). Diffusion of Chatbots as Conversational Partners in Chinese Language Teaching: Insights From a Case Study. Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching, 16(1), 30-51.
[林佳佳. (2025). 聊天机器人作为虚拟语伴在中文教学中的传播——基于教师视角的个案研究. 科技与中文教学 (Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching), 16(1), 30-51.]

Full paper

Abstract/摘要：

The emergence of advanced and versatile chatbots, represented by ChatGPT, has reignited discussions on their use in language education. However, the extent to which using chatbots as virtual language partners can benefit language learning is still controversial. To provide more insights into this question, this study investigates chatbot diffusion among three Chinese language teachers through a bottom-up perspective. Grounded in the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, the findings revealed the dynamic impact of communicative channels and innovation attributes on teachers’ chatbot adoption, which enriched the accountability of DOI in this context. The findings also revealed the teachers’ attitude shift from reluctant to willing to use chatbots, which highlighted using the curriculum-informed approach to tailor chatbot use to specific teaching demands. Overall, the study demonstrates the sustainable potential of chatbots as language partners, as this approach innovates the conventional practice of Communicative Language Teaching by facilitating socialization-oriented practice.

以ChatGPT为代表的新型多功能聊天机器人的出现，再次引发了在语言教育中应用聊天机器人的热烈讨论。然而，将聊天机器人作为虚拟语言伙伴这一策略在多大程度上能够真正促进语言教学仍存在争议。为进一步探讨这一问题，本研究从自下而上的视角出发，考察了聊天机器人的使用在三位汉语教师中的传播过程。基于创新扩散理论（Diffusion of Innovation, DOI）视角，本研究论证了传播渠道与创新特征对教师使用聊天机器人的动态影响，因而拓展了该理论在这一研究语境下的解释力。本研究同时揭示了三位教师从犹豫到积极使用聊天机器人的态度转变，突出了以课程为导向，将聊天机器的使用与具体教学需求相结合的重要性。总体而言，本研究论证了聊天机器人作为语言伙伴在语言教学中的可持续发展潜力，这一使用促进了以社交为导向的语言实践练习，创新了传统的计算机辅助交际式语言教学模式。