EXAMINING THE ROLE OF EXTRACURRICULAR AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT IN SHAPING CHINESE LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND CLASSROOM LEARNING AMONG NIGERIAN LEARNERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

The global expansion of Mandarin Chinese as a language of diplomacy, trade, and education has generated growing interest in Chinese language learning across sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria, home to some of the continent’s most active Confucius Institutes (CIs) and a substantial population of Chinese language learners at the tertiary level, represents a strategically significant but understudied context within the wider Chinese-as-a-foreign-language (CFL) literature. This systematic review examines the role of extracurricular and cultural engagement in shaping Chinese language acquisition among Nigerian learners. It interrogates the extent to which out-of-class experiences including language clubs, cultural festivals, competition programs, and CI-facilitated informal activities contribute to proficiency, motivation, and intercultural competence. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, a systematic search was conducted across five academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Google Scholar, and AJOL). After screening and eligibility assessment, 53 peer-reviewed studies, theses, and book chapters published between 2005 and 2026 were included for thematic synthesis. Five major themes emerged: learner motivation is driven by scholarship and economic incentives; cultural and extracurricular participation serves as a supplement to formal instruction; Confucius Institutes function as sociocultural learning spaces; persistent challenges include teacher shortages and learner anxiety; and substantial research gaps remain in the existing African CFL literature.