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“In a Foreign Bubble” in China: Language Use Among International Students During China’s Belt and Road

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Crossing Boundaries in Researching, Understanding, and Improving Language Education

Part of the book series: Educational Linguistics ((EDUL,volume 58))

Abstract

This study examines ideologies about language use and policy among international students studying in China against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Drawing from ethnographic and interview data collected at an international business program in Shanghai, this chapter investigates how institutional language ideologies become contested in international students’ academic experience in China. Data collection spanned the course of 6 months and included interviews, classroom and participant observations, and artifacts. Findings showed that, due to the belief of English being the international language, students formed a so-called English-speaking “foreign bubble” environment to justify the avoidance of Chinese. Yet, their belief of English as an international language was challenged by the faculty and staff’s assumption that Chinese is necessary for studying in China. These results shed light on the linguistic dilemmas and tensions in the attempt to enhance China’s soft power through study abroad using English.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level III) can communicate in Chinese at a basic level in their daily, academic and professional lives (retrieved from https://www.chinaeducenter.com/en/hsk/hsklevel3.php). For students who apply for Chinese-medium programs, more than HSK (Level V) is required. Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level V) can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, enjoy Chinese films and plays, and give a full-length speech in Chinese.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Asian & Asian American Studies, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Yi Wang

  2. Department of East Asian Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Wenhao Diao

Authors
  1. Yi Wang
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  2. Wenhao Diao
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Correspondence to Yi Wang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Dongbo Zhang

  2. Department of English, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Ryan T. Miller

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Wang, Y., Diao, W. (2023). “In a Foreign Bubble” in China: Language Use Among International Students During China’s Belt and Road. In: Zhang, D., Miller, R.T. (eds) Crossing Boundaries in Researching, Understanding, and Improving Language Education. Educational Linguistics, vol 58. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24078-2_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24078-2_15

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-24078-2

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