Representations of Chinese Language Learning in Contemporary English-language News Media: Hope, Hype, and Fear

Abstract

The growing body of research on Chinese as an international (or “global”) language examines linguistic, psycholinguistic, social-psychological, and orthographic aspects of acquisition primarily. There has been relatively little critical discussion or analysis of the larger social context and discourses in which Chinese language education is embedded. However, recently sociocultural, discursive, and critical aspects of the teaching, learning, and use of Chinese as an additional language have begun to receive more attention. This study analyzes circulating discourses, ideologies, and tropes related to Chinese in news media, as one means by which information and perspectives are spread by media and by which public attitudes and policy decisions are (recursively) shaped or reproduced. To this end, a large sample of English-medium news reports of Chinese language education in three Anglophone countries was created and analyzed for the years 2004 to 2012. The findings revealed that reports dealing with Chinese education tended to fall into one of several major tropes, which we have roughly classified as “hope,” “hype,” and “fear,” distinctions that parallel existing models of cyclical or amplified media coverage of innovations or otherwise newsworthy events. The sociopolitically and socioeconomically motivated occurrence of these tropes in the media, combined with the novelty of the Chinese language itself, a historically less frequently taught language in comparison with various European languages, constituted a consistent and recurring narrative. Thus, the shifting representations of Chinese learning in the media tended to appear as corollaries or “side stories” servicing the needs of larger geopolitical events and perceived or desired changes in public sentiment. These trends and their significance are illustrated and discussed in relation to Global Chinese.

Commentary: Motivation for Learning Languages Other Than English in an English‐Dominant World

“…Nor does English have a monopoly in being considered a language of high instrumental value in the current economy. Discourse surrounding the learning of Mandarin Chinese, for example, whether in media portrayals of the benefits of learning the language or in learners’ own accounts, often also focuses on opportunities associated with the “rise of China,” in the world of business especially (e.g., Duff et al., ; Duff et al., ; Li & Duff, ; Mizuta, ; Sharma, in press; see also, Ushioda, , this issue). This discourse affects both heritage and non‐heritage learners of Chinese, though each somewhat differently.…”

“…This discourse affects both heritage and non‐heritage learners of Chinese, though each somewhat differently. But perceived exoticness, difficulty, and novelty of the target language—from their own point of view and that of others aware of their learning of that language—is often a driving force that learners of Chinese cite for motivating their study (Duff et al., , ). Raising these sociopolitical, economic, and language‐ideological issues in relation to learners’ motivation to learn English and/or LOTEs is essential, particularly with the decline in the formal voluntary and obligatory study of LOTEs in both Anglophone and non‐Anglophone educational contexts.…”

Exploring Evolving Motivation to Learn Two Languages Simultaneously in a Study‐Abroad Context

“…This perception of the rise of China on the world stage is often seen as a driving force for studying Chinese (e.g., Duff, 2017;Duff et al, 2013Duff et al, , 2015, and this was very much on Haruka's mind when choosing her L3. Though she did have a choice to go to mainland China for her SA, where she could also have learned Chinese, she opted for Taiwan due to it being in close proximity to Japan and to its image of having a friendlier relationship with Japan from a political perspective.…”

Ideologies of the Chinese language in Finland

“…In the wake of the growth of the Chinese language teaching and learning, there is a growing body of research on Chinese as a second/foreign language. Researchers (Duff et al 2015) have noticed that existing research has mainly focused on the linguistic, psycholinguistic, socialpsychological, and orthographic aspects of the acquisition of the Chinese language. Studies informed by sociological, anthropological, and sociocultural theory and focusing on the contexts and meanings of learning and using the Chinese language is relatively rare.…”

“…Language ideologies, as "mediating links between social forms and forms of talk" (Woolard, 1998, p. 3), is a useful concept to help understand how linguistic phenomena are imbued with particular meanings and values in discourse (Milani, 2013). Existing studies that touch upon ideologies of Chinese as a second language (Duff at al., 2015;Duff et al, 2013;Li, 2015) have mainly focused on major English-speaking countries such as the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Canada. How small countries (in terms of size and international weight), where English is not the first language, deal with the rise of China and the Chinese language is yet to be explored.…”