Co-constructing discourse and practice: an agency-oriented study of Chinese language education policy in Britain

Wang, Xuan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6227-6008 2025. Co-constructing discourse and practice: an agency-oriented study of Chinese language education policy in Britain. Journal of Language Situation and Language Service Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Agency provides an important theoretical lens for researching language policy and planning. The Chinese language education policy in Britain provides a case in point, showing how language policy is simultaneously shaped and diversified by agentive mechanisms through relevant educational discourses and practices across the macro, meso, and micro levels. Drawing on an ethnographic approach, this study reveals the dynamic processes of negotiation and adaptation in the multi-level implementation of Chinese language education policy. At the macro level, examination syllabi, regional education policies, European language standards, and standards set by China collectively construct the discursive environment, establishing the curricular status and developmental trajectory of Chinese within the British context of modern foreign language education. At the meso level, educational institutions such as universities, secondary schools, primary schools, and community Chinese schools act as mediators, adjusting policy through curriculum design, teacher deployment, and textbook selection. At the micro level, Chinese language teachers exercise agency by adapting curricula, modifying teaching materials, and integrating digital resources, thereby translating abstract policy frameworks into concrete classroom practices and lived learning experiences. Within the multilingual and multicultural context of Britain, Chinese language education policy exhibits features of adaptability, dynamism, and emergence. Looking ahead, the future of global Chinese education lies in balancing standardization with the advocacy of shared core principles, particularly multilingual coexistence and the cultivation of intercultural understanding, while enhancing the active participation of educational administrators and teachers in policy processes.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Modern Languages
Language other than English:	Chinese
Publisher:	Hong Kong Information Education Publishing Company Limited
ISSN:	3078-3755
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 November 2025
Date of Acceptance:	24 October 2025
Last Modified:	11 Nov 2025 15:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182337

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