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'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 0000-0002-0431-6235)
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
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  Data: 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.
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