Language policies and sociolinguistic domains in the context of minority groups in China

ABSTRACT

In mainland China, most ethnic minority students today face the challenge of learning three languages in schools, namely, their home language (L1), Mandarin Chinese (L2) and a foreign language, usually English (L3). Research into trilingual education for minority groups has been most active since the turn of the twenty-first century. This paper offers an overview of recent research, depicting major models adopted by minority schools and the contextual factors leading to the models in various minority regions in China. The paper begins with an account of state policies relevant to language provision for minority groups in China, which is followed by a discussion of the outcomes and models of trilingual education. A critical analysis is then made of contextual factors such as ethnolinguistic vitality, history, economy, geopolitics and the changing status of the three languages that affect trilingual education for minority groups. The paper argues that language policymaking in different domains including families, schools, regions and the state should be informed by research evidence on practical models that are effective in meeting the cognitive and affective needs of children from ethnic minority backgrounds.

KEYWORDS:

• Additive trilingualism
• sociolinguistic domains
• ethnolinguistic vitality
• language policy
• minority groups
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Anwei Feng is Professor in Language Education and Head of the School of Education, University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). He teaches, supervises and researches in bilingualism and bilingual education, intercultural and international studies in education, and languages in education for minority groups.

Bob Adamson holds the UNESCO Chair in Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Lifelong Learning at The Education University of Hong Kong, where he is also Chair Professor of Curriculum Reform and Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning Research and Development. He publishes in the areas of language policy, curriculum studies and comparative education.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the funding received from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (General Research Fund 840012) which supported a project on trilingual education in China, leading to the composition of this paper.