Pedagogical Features of LMOOCs for English as a Foreign Language in China: A Survey of Intercultural Communication Courses

Abstract

Although Language MOOCs (LMOOCs) now play a central role in China’s digital education system and have revolutionized English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, their potential for fostering the intercultural skills essential in our interconnected world remains underexplored. To bridge this gap, this study analyzes the pedagogical design of LMOOCs for EFL learning across three major platforms, including China University MOOC, XuetangX and UMOOCs. Using descriptive pedagogical documentation, we conducted a systematic survey of Intercultural Communication (IC) courses as they represent a critical component of China’s EFL curriculum. The results show that: (1) core instructional resources in most courses are short lecture videos and texts, while intercultural cases and slides are less frequently used. (2) Learning activities are largely passive, with minimal integration of interactive or immersive tools such as virtual simulations. (3) Assessment primarily centers on knowledge recall by automated quizzes, with discussions and peer-reviewed tasks being less frequently used. (4) The instructor-learner interaction is infrequent and mostly reactive, indicating limited instructor participation in the learning process. These findings reveal the prevalence of xMOOCs-style designs in Chinese LMOOCs for EFL learning, which fails to support the sociocultural engagement necessary for developing intercultural competence. In response, we propose a hybrid model blending AI-powered personalized learning with collaborative community-based activities. This model offers valuable insights for LMOOC developers, digital platform designers and education policy-makers both in China and globally.