Aims and objectives: This article concerns the interdisciplinary scholarship on language, migration, and gender in a trading community in Yiwu, China. Approach: I adopt a poststructuralist approach and draw on stories of two Arab women – Nadeen and Yiyi – to consider L2 investment as a way to negotiate different identities, of gender and of being a migrant, in a new country away from home. Data and analysis: The ethnographic data, including observation, fieldnotes, casual chats, in-depth interviews, and artefacts, were analysed thematically. Findings/conclusion: The results show that Chinese was imagined as a means to pursue personal fulfilments and resist feminised roles imposed by the mainstream society, as both participants agentively invested in Chinese language learning. Importantly, the findings reveal gendered access to L2 resources beyond the home, which led women’s limited opportunities to practice Chinese and the reproduction of unequal gender relations within family. Originality: This study brings a nuanced understanding of gender into gender-blindness Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) education research. Significance: The significance and contribution of this article centre on extending our understanding of the relationship between gender, migration and L2 learning in an under-research context. It also throws light on how language can empower migrant women to resist the domination that stems from unequal gender and social relations in South-South migration.

ABSTRACT The role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education has received a surge of scholarly attention in the past decade. However, the emotional aspect of adopting AI in multilingual education has been overlooked. To fill the gap, this study aimed to examine Chinese multilingual language learners’ perceptions about AI-induced emotional challenges and their regulation by drawing on the second wave of positive psychology (PP) 2.0. Forty multilingual students from different countries, each fluent in at least three languages and studying Chinese at universities in China, were interviewed. The results of thematic analysis demonstrated four common emotional challenges involved in AI-mediated language education and four regulation strategies to manage them. It was found that AI caused emotional challenges by increasing negative emotions, isolating and reducing interpersonal communication skills, threatening multilingual and multicultural identity, and over-relying on AI tools and reducing self-efficacy among learners. To regulate such challenges, the participants suggested acknowledging negative emotions, balancing the use of AI tools with human interaction, talking and sharing experiences with others, and taking breaks and setting realistic goals. The study discusses each theme and provides implications for multilingual learners and teachers to better understand and regulate AI-induced emotional challenges in AI-mediated classes.

In the context of rapid digitalization, social media has become an important channel for Thai undergraduates to access diverse cultures and engage in intercultural communication. For students majoring in Chinese, social media not only provides opportunities for language input and cultural experience but may also influence the development of their intercultural communicative competence. This study targeted undergraduate students majoring in Chinese at a university in Thailand and collected data using a questionnaire survey, yielding 416 valid responses. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Through regression analysis, this study examined the predictive effect of social media use frequency on intercultural communicative competence. The findings reveal that the frequency of using social media has a significant positive impact on students' intercultural communication competence and can accurately predict their performance in cultural understanding, intercultural sensitivity, and communication strategies. From a digital learning perspective, this study reveals the relationship between social media use and intercultural communicative competence and provides empirical implications for Chinese language teaching and intercultural education in Thai universities.

ABSTRACT Against the backdrop of the widespread application of GenAI in language education, the cognitive processes and perceptions of pre‐service Chinese language teachers when using GenAI tools for lesson planning remain relatively underexplored. Based on think‐aloud and interview data obtained from 12 pre‐service Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong, we revealed that pre‐service teachers’ AI‐assisted lesson planning placed a particular focus on teaching components such as learning activities and language content. Notably, the high frequency of reflection on lesson planning was also observed. Additionally, two major patterns of AI‐teacher interaction were identified: AI‐dominant and human intelligence‐dominant lesson planners. A mixed view emerged regarding the perceptions of pre‐service teachers. On the one hand, ChatGPT can offer a wide range of pedagogical and content knowledge and shows its proficiency in translating Chinese classical texts. On the other hand, ChatGPT posed challenges in fully capturing the cultural nuances and connotations of classical Chinese, potentially leading to misinterpretations. Moreover, its inability to customize content to meet the specific needs of student teachers was a significant drawback. Finally, the pedagogical implications for teacher education were also discussed.

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the interrelation between Japanese language learning motivation and acculturation processes experienced by Chinese sojourners in Japan. There exists a conspicuous body of literature around the role of ideologies and stereotyping among Chinese immigrants in Japan in light of past historical tensions between the People’s Republic of China and Japan. Although relationships between the two country populations have been changing over time – especially amongst new generations, new studies are urged to concurrently investigate Chinese sojourners’ motivation in learning Japanese and their acculturation processes when living in Japan. Departing from Yashima’s (2002) international posture conceptualisation of second language learners’ openness to intercultural dialogue and genuine interest in other cultures and customs, our study explores Chinese sojourners’ identity tensions between ‘preserving the[ir] Chinese language and culture’ and celebrating ‘the values and customs of other cultures’. Inferential quantitative data analysis outcomes shed new light onto the struggles experienced by Chinese sojourners while constructing a new respectful multilingual and multicultural identity which takes distance from simplistic nationalistic positions. The identification of four main factors helps delving into sojourners’ language learning and intercultural experiences, including integrative goals to ‘feel at ease in Japan’ and ‘better understand the Japanese culture and society’.

Retraction Note: Impact of English-Speaking Environments and Chinese Language Pronunciation on the Speaking Proficiency of English Learners in China: A Comprehensive Study.

While both the importance of learner engagement and the role of design features have been acknowledged in the literature as key for realizing the potential of e-portfolios in language education, the relationship between learner engagement and teachers’ instructional design awaits further examination. To address this research gap, we conducted a qualitative case study at an international school in Hong Kong within the context of Chinese language education. Two groups of secondary students participated in this study, each utilizing e-portfolios as a learning tool under the guidance of two teachers. Major data sources included focus-group interviews with 8 students from one class and 12 from another. Other supplementary data sources included an online survey filled out by 19 students, collected excerpts from learners’ e-portfolios, and individual interviews with the two teachers. The analysis first involved identifying and categorizing learner engagement with e-portfolios, followed by thematic analysis of the relationship between teachers’ design choices and different patterns of learner engagement. The study found that while all four dimensions of learner engagement were identified among the learners, the specific types of engagement under each dimension differed significantly between the two groups. These patterns of learner engagement were shaped by teachers’ instructional design, especially how e-portfolios were integrated into teaching and learning, the emphasis placed on reflection and revision, and the purposes for using technology. This study contributes valuable insights for language educators aiming to implement e-portfolios effectively in their teaching.

Drawing on Spolsky’s (2004) language policy framework and Kim’s (2001) theory of cross-cultural adaptation, this study explores how ethnic Chinese students from Southeast Asia experience linguistic preparedness, intercultural challenges, and identity negotiation at a university in China. A qualitative case study approach was used with semi-structured interviews of three students from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Findings show that home-country Chinese education policies shape proficiency, confidence, and identity before arrival. Xie, from Malaysia’s structured system, arrived with high fluency but faced discipline-specific terminology gaps. Ada, from Indonesia’s restrictive setting, displayed fragmented preparation, multilingual coping, and double exclusion. Wong, from Thailand’s peripheral system, had basic proficiency, relied on English and international peers, and withdrew when over-accommodation heightened discomfort. Across cases, identity negotiation was uneven and influenced by policy legacies, gaps between everyday and academic competence, and institutional conditions such as limited transport, scarce counseling, and reduced cultural programs. These results extend Spolsky’s and Kim’s frameworks by showing how national policies travel across borders to produce multiple adaptation pathways. They also indicate that discipline-specific bridging courses, stronger infrastructure and mental-health support, and expanded intercultural opportunities can transform identity negotiation into deeper engagement and enhance the inclusiveness of Chinese higher education.

Enhancing the global reach and pedagogical diversity of online Chinese language education across cultural contexts: Evidence from Anglophone West Africa.

Previous scholarship has explored the Buddhist perspective on war and peace in Early Buddhism, offering valuable insights into Buddhist attitudes toward war. However, the specific ways in which warriors were persuaded through arguments to convert to Buddhism, and the prevalence of warfare-related allusions in Buddhist teachings, are still a topic underexplored that has not received sufficient attention in previous scholarship. This study examines the significance of references to the war context in the Pāli Canon. Comparing it with Brahmanical prose and Jain scriptures and contrasting the transmission of Buddhist thought into the Chinese language, this study demonstrates the narratives on the spiritual contest and the Buddhist warriors’ proclamation of Brahminical terms and ideals for royal patronage. This article discusses the significance of the relationship between the war context in the Nikāyas and the historical implications of incorporating the ideals and archetypes of Aryan warriors into Buddhist teachings.

Amid the increasingly mature cultural exchanges between China and the international community, the discipline of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (TCFL) has progressively developed into a more systematic and diversified field. As the global demand for Chinese language education expands, learner populations have become more heterogeneous, necessitating pedagogical approaches that are context-sensitive and learner-specific. In particular, the instruction of Chinese at the primary and secondary level presents distinct challenges and demands targeted strategies that differ from those applied in higher education or adult learning contexts. This study examines the current state of Chinese language instruction in primary and secondary schools affiliated with a Romanian institution of higher education, serving as a representative case for analyzing broader issues within the region. Focusing on three core dimensions—namely, teacher resources, the utilization and adaptation of instructional materials, and pedagogical methodologies—the paper investigates the principal obstacles hindering effective Chinese language teaching and learning at these educational levels.

Traditional Chinese painting has become an increasingly important visual resource in contemporary illustration, particularly within branding, digital media, and the cultural and creative industries. However, existing studies tend to treat traditional motifs and styles as decorative add-ons or analyse them through art-historical case studies, offering limited insight into how such visual elements shape audiences’ aesthetic and behavioral responses. This paper develops a conceptual framework that explains how the innovative integration of traditional Chinese painting's visual language in modern illustration influences audience reactions. Drawing on a narrative review of literature on visual communication, aesthetic quality, cultural identity, and consumer behavior, the study first identifies four core dimensions of traditional painting visual language in illustration: line and brushwork, composition and spatial organization, color schemes and tonality, and symbolic imagery and motifs. It then theorizes how these dimensions jointly contribute to perceived aesthetic quality and culturally grounded interpretations, which in turn foster emotional attachment, cultural pride, and supportive behavioral intentions such as purchasing, using, sharing, or recommending illustration-based cultural products. The paper formulates a set of propositions regarding these relationships and highlights key moderating conditions, including cultural familiarity and artistic involvement. By articulating these pathways, the framework bridges the aesthetic and behavioral perspectives in design research, providing a theoretical foundation for future empirical studies that test and refine the proposed model.

Over the past decade, Chinese language education in Zambia expanded rapidly, largely because of the establishment and growth of the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia (CIUNZA). As China deepened its economic, political, and cultural ties with Zambia, Mandarin emerged as an important linguistic resource for academic mobility, employment, and cross-cultural communication. Despite this expansion, empirical evidence remained limited on the learner motivations. Zambia’s language policy environment further complicates implementation, as policies prioritize mother tongue instruction in early grades while interest in foreign languages continues to rise. A convergent mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected via structured surveys of CIUNZA learners and alumni and were analysed with descriptive statistics in SPSS to identify trends in motivations, perceptions, and programme reach. Qualitative data comprised semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with Zambian and Chinese instructors, CIUNZA administrators, Ministry officials, and selected employers; these data were analysed thematically to surface institutional, pedagogical, and sociocultural dynamics. Findings from both strands were integrated during interpretation. The major finding being that there is a strong instrumental and integrative learner motivation with over 80% of surveyed learners cited employment, scholarships, or career mobility as primary motives. Stakeholders called for increased local ownership, curriculum localisation, and stronger alignment with national education policy. This sentiment extended to institutional investment, where 56.7% strongly supported the idea that Zambia should develop its own Mandarin teaching infrastructure. Mandarin education in Zambia has, however, achieved notable reach and relevance, but its long-term sustainability requires strengthened management structures, systematic teacher development, and policies that balance external support with national educational priorities. The study recommends that those who train in teaching a foreign language should have exchange programmes and experience the culture in other countries. The enumeration should be more attractive in order to attract more students.

Purpose. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the field of comparative constructions. This study analyzes the comparative constructions with the lexeme 如同 rútóng ‘to resemble’ in Chinese. The research material comprised works by 18 contemporary Chinese writers, collected through continuous sampling from the novels of Mo Yan, as well as from the National Corpus of the Chinese Language. The purpose of this study is to identify the structural and semantic features of comparative constructions with the lexeme 如同 rútóng ‘to resemble’, as well as the methods of their translation. Results. The findings of the study indicate that comparative constructions with the lexeme 如同 rútóng ‘to resemble’ express simulative and equative relations between two objects or events. The comparative parameter, denoting the shared characteristics of the compared objects or events, is most often not explicitly expressed but implied. The study reveals specific features in the usage of the lexeme 如同 rútóng ‘to resemble’ across different types of constructions. Conclusion. Our results show the most frequent type of constructions, and comparative constructions with the lexeme 如同 rútóng ‘to resemble’ are typically translated from Russian into Chinese using free translation methods. This approach ensures accessibility for Russian readers while achieving communicative objectives without altering the original meaning.

Against the backdrop of the deep integration of digital transformation in education and the Rural Revitalization Strategy, digital technologies are playing an increasingly important role in rural primary school education. By breaking geographical barriers to educational resources, adapting to students' individual differences, building professional development platforms for teachers, and innovating teaching evaluation mechanisms, digital technologies provide a new multi-dimensional and collaborative approach to Chinese language teaching in rural primary schools. This approach effectively responds to long-standing problems, including insufficient educational resources, a weak teaching faculty, and rigid teaching methods. Based on the current development status of rural education and the characteristics of Chinese language teaching in primary schools, and combined with the application practices of digital technologies in the field of education, this paper analyzes the practical value and core advantages of digital empowerment for Chinese language teaching in rural primary schools. It constructs optimization paths from four dimensions, namely resource supply, teaching implementation, teacher development and evaluation system, and puts forward targeted innovative strategies, aiming to provide practical references for promoting the high-quality development of Chinese language teaching in rural primary schools and advancing educational equity.

Against the backdrop of generative artificial intelligence driving the digital transformation of education, high school Chinese oral teaching faces long-term challenges of insufficient interactive depth and limited personalized guidance. This article primarily addresses how human-machine collaboration can reconstruct the teacher-student interaction mode in high school Chinese language classrooms to improve the quality and effectiveness of oral teaching. The study focuses on the reconstruction of the tripartite interactive relationship between "teacher student Artificial Intelligence (AI)" as the central theoretical thread, and systematically sorts out the changing characteristics of classroom interaction in terms of subject role division, interactive structure form, and teaching scene extension under the background of intelligent technology empowerment. The key technologies represented by speech recognition and education models have changed the interactive mechanism of oral teaching by providing instant feedback, generating contextualized content, and supporting multidimensional dialogue. Although notable progress has been achieved in practical applications, this study also points out that there are still practical challenges such as insufficient technological adaptability, lagging teacher professional development, and the urban-rural "digital divide". Therefore, in the future, efforts need to be made to develop subject specific intelligent agents, establish a normalized teacher collaborative development mechanism, and establish scientific ethical and evaluation standards to promote the integration of human-computer collaboration from "demonstrative applications" to "normalized and deep" classroom ecology, ultimately serving the comprehensive improvement of students' language construction and application core literacy.

Introduction. In the field of second language acquisition, there has been sufficient research to demonstrate the challenges faced by cross-linguistic phonetic learning, but the dynamic relationship between Chinese learners' perception and production of Russian plosives has not been fully explored. This study aims to investigate the perception and production patterns of Russian plosives among Chinese L2 learners, with a focus on exploring the influence of proficiency level, articulatory position, and contextual factors on acquisition outcomes. Methodology and sources. This study conducted a perception and production experiment involving 40 Chinese Russian language learners and 5 native Russian speakers, using Praat speech analysis and R language visualization analysis to measure the voice onset time (VOT) through acoustic measurements. Results and discussion. Research has found that there is a three-level difference in perceptual accuracy between labial plosives, alveolar plosives and soft palate plosives, with voiceless plosives being perceived better than voiced plosives; The performance of senior learners in dual tasks is significantly better than that of junior learners, confirming that learning experience has a promoting effect on the acquisition of Russian plosives; The error rate produced in flow of speech is higher than that of isolated words, reflecting the interference effect of semantic processing on plosive production. It is worth noting that the perception and production of voiceless plosives show a significant positive correlation, while voiced plosives exhibit a perception production separation pattern, which challenges the holistic view of traditional phonological processing. Conclusion. The above findings expand the “speech learning model” and establish a hierarchical effect based on pronunciation parts in the second language acquisition of plosives. At the same time, they provide empirical evidence for implementing pronunciation part sequence training strategies and contextualized training methods in Russian phonetic teaching.

ABSTRACT Amid the global expansion of international education, Hong Kong presents a layered context shaped by postcolonial legacies, multilingual policies, and diverse educational logics. This study examines how Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong’s international schools negotiate professional identity and agency across stratified institutional settings. Using Bourdieu’s Outline of a Theory of Practice, it analyses how habitus, field, and symbolic capital interact to shape teachers’ experiences in five culturally varied schools. Based on interviews with 24 teachers, the analysis identifies six dimensions of institutional norms: doxa rigidity, habitus alignment, symbolic violence, intra-group cohesion, leadership inclusion, and enabling conditions for agency. Findings show that agency emerges unconsciously through alignment or friction with institutional recognition. In Western-oriented schools, symbolic hierarchies constrained agency by framing Chinese pedagogical knowledge as less legitimate. In more inclusive environments, consistent values and cultural recognition enabled fuller participation through practices resonant with dispositions. The study extends Bourdieu’s framework in international education, showing how institutional norms shape teacher identity and conditions that foster culturally grounded agency.

In the context of globalization, international Chinese language education is no longer merely language teaching, but a comprehensive education that takes into account language proficiency development and cultural dissemination. Regional culture is an important part of Chinese culture, containing unique historical accumulation, folk customs and values, and is an important resource for enriching the content of international Chinese language teaching and improving the quality of teaching. Based on the close connection between regional culture and international Chinese language education, this article comprehensively analyzes the core value of the application of regional culture in international Chinese language education, explores specific ways to integrate regional culture into international Chinese language education, with the aim of providing theoretical references and practical lessons for improving the quality of international Chinese language education and promoting the multi-dimensional overseas dissemination of Chinese culture.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) played an essential role in the development of Chinese-language education worldwide, while opening new avenues for its incorporation across different disciplines. In this regard, Chinese language education in the Vietnamese higher education system developed in response to Vietnamese society's demand for the Chinese language, the growing bilateral relations between Vietnam and China, friendly governmental policies, and the international Chinese language education system. Vietnamese universities have begun implementing integrated training models, in particular athe "Chinese +" and "China Studies" models, in which Chinese language education is integrated and aligned with the nation's economic, cultural, and academic needs. Despite the developments above, numerous challenges remain to be addressed. Curriculum realignment in Chinese language education is the first and most important step toward meeting the labour market needs of Vietnamese society. The education in Chinese must be used to provide specialized training for personnel to teach Vietnamese culture in Chinese. The unadapted, or even insufficiently adapted, learning materials for Vietnamese society must be addressed. The purpose of this study is to identify the orientation and state of Chinese education in universities in Vietnam in the context of BRI, identify the new and emerging trends to understand the BRI structural constraints, and provide some recommendations to align the education of the Vietnamese society in the Chinese language with the education of the Chinese language. The findings are expected to contribute to the primary goal of sustaining and contextually developing the education of the Chinese language in Vietnam.