Naming practices in Chinese private language schools: insights into English language Ideologies and teaching approaches.
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| Title: | Naming practices in Chinese private language schools: insights into English language Ideologies and teaching approaches. |
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| Authors: | Fenwei, Chen1 (AUTHOR) chenfane.br@gmail.com |
| Source: | Pedagogy, Culture & Society. Jan2026, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p177-198. 22p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Language schools, *Attitudes toward language, *Teaching methods, *Foreign language education, Signage, Sociocultural factors, Social status |
| Geographic Terms: | China, Chengdu (China) |
| Abstract: | While private English language schools have emerged as a significant arena for research on English language teaching in China, there is a paucity of studies that take private English language schools' names on signage as a starting point. In fact, the signage function as a critical way to convey language ideological beliefs and pedagogical choices. Informed by Trumper-Hecht's three-dimensional spatial practice, this study elucidates the ideological beliefs about English and pedagogical orientations of private English language schools and other stakeholders. To this end, 52 signboards from private language schools in Chengdu have been analysed, complemented by on-site interviews. The findings reveal Western political, economic, and cultural influence has imbued English with considerable symbolic value, prompting private language schools to use bilingual signage in Chinese and English as a marketing strategy to attract potential clients, catering to their aspirations for enhanced social status. While these private schools deliberately incorporated white Anglophone names on their signage, emphasising foreign teachers and American English, stakeholders also espoused the superiority of native English varieties and marginalised local teachers. The findings indicate a preference for the native-speaker oriented pedagogy, where classrooms are led by native English-speaking teachers in a monolingual way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Pedagogy, Culture & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 190232218 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Naming practices in Chinese private language schools: insights into English language Ideologies and teaching approaches. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fenwei%2C+Chen%22">Fenwei, Chen</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> chenfane.br@gmail.com</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Pedagogy%2C+Culture+%26+Society%22">Pedagogy, Culture & Society</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p177-198. 22p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+schools%22">Language schools</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+language%22">Attitudes toward language</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+methods%22">Teaching methods</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+language+education%22">Foreign language education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Signage%22">Signage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sociocultural+factors%22">Sociocultural factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+status%22">Social status</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chengdu+%28China%29%22">Chengdu (China)</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: While private English language schools have emerged as a significant arena for research on English language teaching in China, there is a paucity of studies that take private English language schools' names on signage as a starting point. In fact, the signage function as a critical way to convey language ideological beliefs and pedagogical choices. Informed by Trumper-Hecht's three-dimensional spatial practice, this study elucidates the ideological beliefs about English and pedagogical orientations of private English language schools and other stakeholders. To this end, 52 signboards from private language schools in Chengdu have been analysed, complemented by on-site interviews. The findings reveal Western political, economic, and cultural influence has imbued English with considerable symbolic value, prompting private language schools to use bilingual signage in Chinese and English as a marketing strategy to attract potential clients, catering to their aspirations for enhanced social status. While these private schools deliberately incorporated white Anglophone names on their signage, emphasising foreign teachers and American English, stakeholders also espoused the superiority of native English varieties and marginalised local teachers. The findings indicate a preference for the native-speaker oriented pedagogy, where classrooms are led by native English-speaking teachers in a monolingual way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Pedagogy, Culture & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/14681366.2025.2475097 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 22 StartPage: 177 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Language schools Type: general – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward language Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign language education Type: general – SubjectFull: Signage Type: general – SubjectFull: Sociocultural factors Type: general – SubjectFull: Social status Type: general – SubjectFull: China Type: general – SubjectFull: Chengdu (China) Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Naming practices in Chinese private language schools: insights into English language Ideologies and teaching approaches. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Fenwei, Chen IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Jan2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 14681366 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 34 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Pedagogy, Culture & Society Type: main |
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