Look Who’s Talking: Language Choices and Culture of Learning in UK Chinese Classrooms

Abstract

The focus of this paper is the ‘culture of learning’ in Chinese complementary schools. The term ‘culture’ refers to the norms, attitudes, values and beliefs of the participants in these schools. Using data collected through multiple research methods from Chinese community schools in Britain, this paper takes a glimpse at cultural negotiation by examining the language choice in these schools. It briefly reviews the situation of learning Chinese as a community language, including outlining the general setting of Chinese schools in the UK. The paper then looks at examples of the language choices of the participants as a result of their cultural language traditions, their experiences and attitudes. It argues that ‘culture of learning’ should be considered not only in classrooms, but also in the wider societal and institutional context. It invites further discussions on community language practices and ideologies in community schools.