Investigating children’s affective geographies of Chinese language and culture education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Educational research has been witnessing a ‘spatial turn’ and an ‘affective turn’ which have informed studies on pedagogy and foreign/second language acquisition. Drawing on a teacher-researcher ethnographic study, this paper examines the implications of primary students’ affective engagement in the space of Chinese language and culture learning in Australia. In seeking to make a contribution to the field of Children’s Geographies, the study, which used participant observation, journal entry and interview data, examined how a desire to learn is evoked. More specifically, the paper focuses on how affective geographies manifest in pedagogical encounters, with regard to students’ relational experiences with peers and educators. By placing the spotlight on the ways in which affect is integral to pedagogic instruction, we investigate not only how the dynamics within the microgeography of the classroom are imbued with affects but also their powerful potential to alleviate ‘large-scale’ tensions between two nation-states.