English as a Global Language in China

This is a thought provoking and engaging investigation of English language education in China. It links English language education to important contemporary issues such as globalisation and draws on an impressive array of sources. Jeffrey Gil, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia In China over the past several decades, the English language has moved from being considered 'barbarian', a source of 'spiritual pollution' and 'the language of the enemy', to its current state as valued linguistic capital and the focus of a national project whereby over 400 million school-age children and adolescents study it. In this book, Lin Pan provides us with a great deal of insight into why matters have evolved in this way. Drawing on multiple data bases (documents, group discussions, interviews and questionnaires), she is able to examine, both synchronically and diachronically, the evolution of English language ideologies and the kinds of actions taken by individuals and collectives based on them. All of this against the backdrop of an increasingly globalized China, understood through the prism of Wallerstein's World-systems Theory. English as a Global Language in China is a must read for anyone interested in the policy and practice of English language education in contemporary China. David Block, Universitat de Lleida, Spain In this richly documented and theoretically astute study, Pan manifests herself as a member of a new generation of Chinese sociolinguists and applied linguists capable of tackling the complex sociolinguistics of China with an unprecedented level of accuracy and depth of insight. This is a blessing for scholarship worldwide. Jan Blommaert, Tilburg University, The Netherlands A fascinating and insightful look at the role of English in modern-day Chinese society, and of the dynamic relationship between globalisation and the politics of language teaching. Philip Seargeant, the Open University, UK

This book offers insight into the spread and impact of English language education in China within China’s broader educational, social, economic and political changes.This book offers insight into the spread and impact of English language education in China within China’s broader educational, social, economic and political changes. The author's critical perspective informs readers on the connections between language education and political ideologies in the context of globalizing China. The discussion of the implications concerning language education is of interest for current and future language policy makers, language educators and learners. Including both diachronic and synchronic accounts or China’s language education policy, this volume highlights how China as a modern nation-state has been seeking a more central position globally, and the role that English education and the promotion of such education played in that effort in recent decades.