The outbreak of COVID-19 has forced Chinese international education to move online. An emerging number of studies have been published on online teaching and learning during the pandemic, few of which, however, focus on international students in China. This study examined the predictive effects of an online learning environment and student engagement on international students’ learning of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). Self-reported data were collected in an online questionnaire survey involving 447 international CFL students at eight universities located in different geographical regions in China. Descriptive statistics revealed the participants’ favorable perceptions of an online learning environment, student engagement and Chinese learning achievement. The results of multiple linear regression revealed that three online learning environment factors, i.e., course accessibility, student interaction, course organization, and student engagement exerted significant positive effects on Chinese learning achievement. The implications of the study are discussed for the sustainable enhancement of the online learning environment to improve international students’ online language learning.

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese teaching for international students in Chinese universities has largely moved online. Despite the comprehensive literature regarding the influences of environmental factors on domestic students’ learning in traditional learning environment, few studies have addressed the influences of online learning environment (OLE) on international students’ Chinese learning experiences. We focus on international students in intensive Chinese courses at a Chinese university, and explores the influences of OLE on these students’ intrinsic motivation (IM) towards and engagement in Chinese learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from an online questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. The results revealed that the participants had positive perceptions of the online Chinese learning environment, and that the participants had high levels of IM towards and engagement in their Chinese learning. The results showed the positive impact of the participants’ perceived OLE on their IM and engagement in Chinese learning.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled Chinese international education to swiftly move online. Conducted in late 2021, this survey study collected self-reported data on online learning environments, student engagement, Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learning achievement, and student satisfaction among 440 international students in Chinese higher education institutions. Based on the configuration perspective, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to explore the multiple concurrent paths of the online learning environment (the accessibility of online learning resources, student interaction, teacher support, course organization), student engagement, and learning achievement affecting international students’ online CFL learning satisfaction. The results indicate that satisfactory teacher support combined with student engagement was an important path leading to international students’ satisfaction with online CFL learning. Meanwhile, the inadequate accessibility of online learning resources combined with the absence of learning achievement was likely to trigger international students’ dissatisfaction with online CFL learning.

Learning environment and student engagement (SE) are widely considered valuable to foreign language learning, but how they influence foreign language achievement (LA) remains underexplored. Drawing on sociocultural theory, this survey study explored the impact of the online learning environment (OLE) on LA of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) and the mediating role of SE among 447 international students in China by using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that: (1) the participants had favorable perceptions toward OLE, SE and LA; (2) OLE factors, i.e., accessibility of online learning materials, student interaction, and course organization significantly positively influenced LA, whereas teacher support did not influence LA; (3) SE mediated the positive effects of all the OLE factors on LA. The results suggest that enhancing online learning environment and increasing student engagement are effective means to improve online CFL learning achievement.