Li - Language Management and Its Impact: Policies and Practices of Confucius Institutes

This book provides a comprehensive account of language management and planning at Confucius Institutes in the UK, implementing an ethnographic approach grounded in language management theory. As a global language promotion organisation, Confucius Institutes have previously been discussed in the literature with respect to socio-political issues, but this volume will shed particular light on their role in shaping and informing Chinese language policy at both the institutional and individual classroom levels. The book focuses specifically on Confucius Institutes in the UK, demonstrating how language teaching practice in these organisations is informed and shaped not only by organisational paradigms but also local language needs and institutional attitudes of host institutions. In turn, Li highlights how these organisations unique position in a multilingual region such as the UK can offer new insights into language management by illustrating their roles as platforms for both individuals and institutions to become involved in the making and implementation of language policy. This volume will be of particular interest to students and researchers in language policy and planning, language education, applied linguistics, and Chinese linguistics.

Linda Mingfang Li is Principal Lecturer and Subject Group Leader for Chinese, Russian, and Japanese in the Regents Institute of Languages and Culture at Regents University London, UK.

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Edited by sta Hauks, Camilla Bjrke and Magne Dypedahl

Language Management and Its Impact

The Policies and Practices of Confucius Institutes

Linda Mingfang Li

For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-in-Applied-Linguistics/book-series/RSAL

Linda Mingfang Li

First published 2019

by Routledge

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ISBN: 978-1-138-48001-8 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-351-06406-4 (ebk)

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First of all, I would like to thank all the participants who took part in the research: directors, teachers seconded from Hanban and employed locally, and students studying in the two Confucius Institutes where I conducted the field study.

I am most grateful to professor Li Wei and Professor Zhu Hua, who despite a very busy schedule never failed to provide me timely advice and guidance. It was their encouragement and support that helped me to tide over times when I had to struggle between full-time work, family and many other commitments, and the study. On this, I should also thank Regents University London and colleagues there for their support and encouragement.

I also owe a great deal to my husband George Xinsheng Zhang, our sons Jialiang Luke Zhang and Jialu Louis Zhang for their continuous support and help so that I could concentrate on my work and research. Without their sacrifice and support, it would not have been possible at all for me even to contemplate the idea of doing this research in the first place.

Finally, I thank Elysse Propesi, who not only encouraged me to turn the research into the current book format but also provided me with the much-needed expertise, advice, and guidance during the process; and Routledge for making my research available to anyone interested in the still being debated but awesome phenomenon of Confucius Institute. The completion of this research is only a beginning, as there are many interesting areas that can be further explored on Confucius Institute. I hope my research contributes, from a fresh perspective of language management, to the discussions on Confucius Institute which seems to have an interesting path ahead.