This paper reports on an action research study using iPads during the teaching of Chinese idioms to heritage learners. A class of 12 second-year Chinese learners were engaged in a self-generated learning process focused on learning abstract and concrete idioms using iPads. Students' short-term and long-term learning was measured; feedback from a questionnaire and artifacts created during the learning process are also reported here. The results show that the textual and visual illustrations of the idioms created by the heritage learners facilitated their learning of the idioms. The results also show that the learners enjoyed this mobile way of learning. This study identified three keys areas that will need to be addressed in the next cycle of action research: learner collaboration, peer learning and assessment, and technological issues.