Myanmar Language Learning Experiences at China’s Frontier

Abstract

In the context of China’s implementation of Belt and Road Initiative, the development of LOTE (languages other than English) in China comes into a revitalization era. LOTE play important role acting as a bridge linking China to the other countries. Since 2009, Yunnan has been discursively constructed as a bridgehead for China to cooperate with Southeast Asian country and the education of LOTE with a particular focus on the Southeast Asian languages has experienced an unprecedented expansion size. This study explores the learning experiences of Chinese postgraduates majoring in Myanmar language in a Chinese border university in Yunnan. Findings reveal how Chinese students perceive the values of learning Myanmar language, what learning challenges they encounter and how they exert their agency to overcome their learning difficulties. The study reveals that Chinese students’ investment in learning Myanmar has been shaped by their access to various resources mediated in multiple social forces across time and space. The study can shed some lights on providing pedagogical implications for enhancing the learning outcomes of LOTE in China.