An interest-driven creator English course for developing Chinese private college students’ listening and speaking proficiency under a blended setting

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to enhance the English language proficiency of undergraduate students pursuing bachelor's degree programs. This is achieved through the development of a mandatory English course based on Interest-driven creator (IDC) principles within a blended learning environment. The IDC course was implemented over a 16-week period, consisting of 16 lessons, at a private college in China. To evaluate the impact of this course, a quasi-experimental design was employed to analyse the language learning outcomes. The performance of two groups, the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG), was assessed using the Exam English (standardized according to CEFR) as both a pretest and posttest measure. Additionally, a semi-structured interview was conducted to gather valuable insights into the students' learning experiences. The findings of this study indicate that the blended learning approach effectively improved the students' English proficiency in listening and speaking.