English Language Education Across Greater China

Edited by Dr. Anwei Feng

Publication date:

01 February 2011

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

210x148mm
6x8"

ISBN-13: 9781847693501

This volume is the first to offer a comprehensive and, at the same time, in-depth examination of the spread of English and English language education across Greater China. It consists of two parts. Part 1 presents rich sociolinguistic data for easy comparisons between mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, while Part 2 explores in depth the phenomena inside mainland China to provide contrastive analysis of English language use and education in economically booming areas such as Shanghai and Guangdong and underdeveloped regions like Xinjiang and Yunnan. With the descriptive, comparative and analytical accounts of different territories ranging from nation-states to small villages in remote areas, theories on the spread of English, second/third language acquisition and identity are challenged with new concepts proposed and established.

Foreword - David Crystal

Chapter 1 – Introduction: The Apex of ‘the Third Wave’ – English Language across Greater China - Anwei FENG

Part I – Sociolinguistic Profiles of Countries and Regions across Greater China

Chapter 2 – The English language in China: A sociolinguistic profile - Jeffrey GIL and Bob ADAMSON

Chapter 3 – English-knowing bilingualism in Singapore: Economic pragmatism, ethnic relations and class - T. Ruanni F. TUPAS

Chapter 4 – English language in Taiwan: An examination of its use in society and education in schools - Irene Wen-ling CHEN and Jessie Ju-Chen HSIEH

Chapter 5 – Improving the standards and promoting the use of English in Hong Kong: Issues, problems and prospects - David C.S. LI

Chapter 6 – English use and education in Macao - Ming Yee Carissa YOUNG

Part II – Convergence and Divergence of English Language Use and Education in Different Regions in Mainland China

Chapter 7 – The ‘English Curriculum Standards’ in China: Rationales and issues - Xiaotang CHENG

Chapter 8 – Primary school English teaching in South China: Past, present and future - Yuefeng Zhang and Jinjun WANG

Chapter 9 – English immersion in China - Haiyan QIANG, Xiaodan HUANG, Linda SIEGEL and Barbara TRUBE

Chapter 10 – Family background and English learning at compulsory stage in Shanghai - Weicheng ZOU and Shaolin ZHANG

Chapter 11 – Economic development and the growing importance of the English language in Guangxi - Binlan HUANG

Chapter 12 – Trilingual education policy ideals and realities for the Naxi in Yunnan - Dongyan Ru BLACHFORD and Marion JONES

Chapter 13 – Learning English as L3 by Uyghur students in Xinjiang: A blessing in disguise? - Mamtimyn SUNUODULA and Anwei FENG

This impressive collection brings together 21 international scholars who provide a fascinating in-depth look at English language teaching and use across the linguistically and culturally complex area called Greater China. Not only do these authors provide valuable documentation of the history, implementation and impact of language policies and English teaching in different countries and diverse regions of Mainland China, but collectively they also challenge us to rethink many of the theories, models, and concepts which have long dominated the fields of English language teaching, applied linguistics, and bilingual education. As such, this book makes a most significant and valuable contribution.