Formative Quizzes in L2 Chinese Classrooms: Effects on Summative Assessment Outcomes

Abstract

The interest in learning Chinese has surged globally since Mainland China became the world's second-largest economy, heightening the need for effective assessment strategies in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) education. This study investigates whether implementing regular formative quizzes can improve learners’ final examination performance in a CFL classroom. To address this question, a controlled teaching experiment was conducted with nine adult Chinese L2 learners, divided into an experimental group that received weekly quizzes and a control group that did not. Both groups underwent the same instruction and completed an identical final exam at the end of the course. The results showed no significant difference in final exam scores between the quiz group and the no-quiz group, indicating that the inclusion of periodic quizzes did not directly boost summative learning outcomes in this context. This finding suggests that other factors—particularly affective and individual factors such as learner motivation, age, and learning environment—may exert a stronger influence on final performance than the frequency of testing. In conclusion, simply increasing the number of tests may not automatically enhance language learning outcomes. Teachers should, therefore, pay close attention to Chinese L2 learners’ ongoing engagement and motivational needs, using formative assessments as just one of multiple tools to support learning. This study contributes to the understanding of formative assessment’s role in CFL learning and provides practical insights, cautioning educators not to rely solely on test frequency but to also foster positive learning attitudes and provide supportive instructional adjustments for improved student achievement.