Readiness for digital transformation in Chinese as a foreign language education: a semi-systematic review

Abstract The digital transformation of education has accelerated since all aspects of teaching and learning activities were transposed into the online environment during Covid-19. In the context of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL), it may be more demanding to integrate digital technologies into teaching and learning due to the language’s unique linguistic features. Using a semi-systematic review methodology, this review examines key studies conducted and published from 2020 to 2025 to reveal the current trends of digital technology use in Chinese language teaching and learning, against the backdrop of digital transformation. After searching six databases (ERIC, JSTOR, Sage Journals, Oxford Academic Journals, Web of Science and Scopus), 94 empirical studies were selected for data extraction and semi-systematic analysis. Results show that even though journal articles are usually seen as reporting on cutting-edge research, in fact established digital technologies that rely on the internet and computers are most frequently examined. Despite relatively sparse use, researchers have started to embrace emerging digital technologies and to incorporate them in CFL teaching and learning. This review also suggests a need for research focusing on the external environment for digital transformation, such as digital equity and the ethical implications of AI. The research regions, the research methods adopted in the reviewed studies, and the profiles of their participants are also reported. Overall, our review identifies gaps in the existing literature by mapping the digital transformation of CFL education and calling for the development of a coherent ecosystem to support Education 4.0.