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Yujuan Wu, Simon Fraser University, CanadaAbstract
Mainland China (hereafter “China”) is an important player in the global spread of English as English is increasingly emphasized as a priority foreign language and a compulsory subject at all levels of education. The national zeal for learning English does not exclude rural China. In contrast with cities where English might be used as a contact language, in rural areas English does not serve as a communication tool. This paper is therefore intended for examining what make(s) China strive for a universal provision of English language education. More specifically, I attempt to explore in what ways English has been legitimized as a required school course in rural China and why it is more likely to perpetuate the urban-rural educational inequalities. I use the concept of “hegemonic spread of English” as a blend on the one hand of the global spread of English as suggested above, and the current hegemony of English on the other hand. I begin this paper by describing a pervasive belief in the global spread of English, trying to link it with how English has been taken up in China. I then describe the myth that English language acquisition equals upward social mobility, discussing how rural students tend to have access only to “low-mobility form of English” which makes their reliance on school success for social transformation becomes difficult. I conclude by arguing critical pedagogical approaches that takes the hegemonic spread of English into account should be introduced and practiced in English language classrooms in rural China.
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Conference: ACLL2018Stream: New classrooms
Published: Monday April 9, 2018
This paper is part of the ACLL2018 Conference Proceedings (View)
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