'Simple Chinese Is Better than Broken English': A Nexus Analysis of Appropriation of Medium-of-Instruction Policy in Chinese as an Additional Language Classrooms
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| Title: | 'Simple Chinese Is Better than Broken English': A Nexus Analysis of Appropriation of Medium-of-Instruction Policy in Chinese as an Additional Language Classrooms |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Wendong Li (ORCID |
| Source: | Language Policy. 2026 25(1). |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 26 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Language of Instruction, Educational Policy, Second Language Learning, Foreign Countries, Mandarin Chinese, English (Second Language), Chinese, Teacher Attitudes, Teaching Assistants, Student Attitudes, Second Language Instruction |
| Geographic Terms: | Macau |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10993-025-09763-5 |
| ISSN: | 1568-4555 1573-1863 |
| Abstract: | While prior research examines medium-of-instruction (MOI) policy evolution and teacher agency, it often overlooks the nuanced, contested, and localized processes of policy enactment, potentially leading to over-simplified views of translanguaging and insufficient guidance for practitioners. Employing nexus analysis within a linguistic ethnography framework, this study investigates the appropriation of MOI policies at a Chinese language school in Macau. Data were collected through interviews with teachers, teaching assistants, and students, coupled with extensive ethnographic observations and analysis of institutional documents. Findings reveal that despite a clear mandate of Mandarin instruction, institutional discourses, stakeholders' lived experiences, and classroom interactions collaboratively shaped a de facto equivocal policy. The "Simple Chinese is better than broken English" principle, a crucial instance of grassroots policymaking, suggests an emergent mechanism for locally effective instruction by educational stakeholders. The study advocates for context-sensitive MOI guidelines and policy support that acknowledge practitioners' agency and address the practical demands of teaching and learning. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504384 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | While prior research examines medium-of-instruction (MOI) policy evolution and teacher agency, it often overlooks the nuanced, contested, and localized processes of policy enactment, potentially leading to over-simplified views of translanguaging and insufficient guidance for practitioners. Employing nexus analysis within a linguistic ethnography framework, this study investigates the appropriation of MOI policies at a Chinese language school in Macau. Data were collected through interviews with teachers, teaching assistants, and students, coupled with extensive ethnographic observations and analysis of institutional documents. Findings reveal that despite a clear mandate of Mandarin instruction, institutional discourses, stakeholders' lived experiences, and classroom interactions collaboratively shaped a de facto equivocal policy. The "Simple Chinese is better than broken English" principle, a crucial instance of grassroots policymaking, suggests an emergent mechanism for locally effective instruction by educational stakeholders. The study advocates for context-sensitive MOI guidelines and policy support that acknowledge practitioners' agency and address the practical demands of teaching and learning. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1568-4555 1573-1863 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10993-025-09763-5 |
