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HUAN Yibin
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DOI:10.17265/2161-623X/2026.03.008
Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, China
This study designs and evaluates a five-module virtual simulation course framework aimed at enhancing Chinese EFL undergraduates’ knowledge of the Tao Te Ching and intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, Byram’s ICC model, and scaffolded instruction theory, the framework was implemented over nine weeks with 40 English major undergraduates at a Chinese university. Using a mixed methods design, quantitative results revealed statistically significant gains in both philosophical knowledge (d = 2.96) and ICC (d = 1.71), while qualitative findings identified four facilitative mechanisms: immersive historical engagement, scaffolded conceptual articulation, communicative simulation, and critical intercultural reflection. Findings suggest that virtual simulation offers distinctive pedagogical affordances for cultivating students’ capacity to narrate Chinese classical heritage in international contexts, with implications for EFL curriculum design and intercultural education in Chinese higher education.
virtual simulation, Tao Te Ching, intercultural communicative competence, experiential learning, EFL, heritage education
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