Blended Learning for EFL Speaking Development in Chinese Higher Education: Differential CAF Gains and the Attitude-Mediated Pathway from Course Experience to Motivation

HRMARS - This paper examines the efficiency of a blended learning speaking course in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in Chinese higher education and focuses on the differential learning gains in complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) and the mediator role of learners' attitudes. Based on quantitative results of pre- and post-speaking tests and on questionnaire responses, the research discusses (a) whether students achieved significant improvements in speaking performance at the end of the blended course, (b) what CAF dimensions had the most salient gains, and (c) how the learners' attitudes towards blended learning mediated the relationship between course experience and learning motivation.