https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2606-5350
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ABSTRACT
Private English education has been expanding rapidly across China during the past three decades. This study investigates the resignification of English through the linguistic landscape of a private English training centre in Datong, a small and less-developed city of China. The findings show that the centre draws from both neoliberal discourse and other discourses to give rise to a particular resignification of English that becomes relevant to the specific context of Datong. English is appropriated symbolically in the linguistic landscape to invoke positive associations of professionalism for the centre, despite various errors found in the linguistic landscape. In addition, English is packaged as a valuable skill and English learning is constructed as a route for linguistic entrepreneurship, to the neglect of the role of social class in students’ access to English education resources. At the same time, English learning in the language school also serves the purpose of transmitting national values and moral principles. Such a hybrid construction also reveals the national-global tensions in China’s English education and constructs a flexible nationalism which views English learners as figures of good citizenship in contemporary China.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele and anonymous reviewers for their insightful and helpful feedback. Special thanks go to Professor Joseph Sung-Yul Park, Professor Chen Meihua, and Professor Xu Daming for their support of various kinds. Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 English translation of the Chinese text is as follows: The highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is self-realization. The purpose of learning in this school is to realise self. Students achieve efficient self-learning, self-management, and self-achievement through group division and assignment of different positions such as class monitor, class representative in charge of studies, group leader, group leader of spoken English, group leader of pronunciation, class representative in charge of discipline, class representative in charge of public health. According to 3H teaching philosophy, we need not only to meet basic learning needs of most students, but also to provide challenging tasks for high-achieving students. We need to satisfy the above two needs to keep a balance, increase students’ participation, ask each student to answer questions, pay full attention to inactive students, involve them in class, and foster a sense of security and confidence for students at all levels.
2 English translation of the Chinese text is as follows: If the youth are strong, so will be China. So the duty of today falls upon none other than the youth. If the youth are wise, so will be their country. If the youth are rich, so will be their country. If the youth are strong, so will be their country. If the youth are independent, so will be their country. If the youth are free, so will be their country. If the youth are progressive, so will be their country. If the youth are superior to Europe, so will be the country. If the youth stand majestically on the globe, so will their country. The red sun is just rising, the way ahead is bathed in its brilliant rays. The Yellow River pours out from hidden currents, and runs right into the vast sea. The occult dragon soars from the abyss, with its scales and paws flying in the air. The tiger cub roars in the valley, hundreds of beasts are shocked and scared. The eaglet tries its wings, and wind with dust whirls in a vehement way. A prodigious flower in bud is fragrant and lustrous. The sword ganjiang, whetted sharp, flashes its light far and near. Overhead is the azure sky, underfoot is the yellow earth. Longitudinally, China counts thousands of years. Horizontally, China boasts a huge territory. Her future is as broad as seas. Her days ahead are infinitely long. Wonderful! My youthful China, as Heaven, will never be old. Marvelous! My youth of China, as their country, will have a future that knows no bounds! (Xie Citation2014, 681–683).