China English in World Englishes: Education and Use in the Professional World

224 Pages·2020·4.808 MB·English

by  Deyuan He

Asia in Transition 12
Deyuan He
China English
in World
Englishes
Education and Use in the Professional
World
Asia in Transition
Volume 12
Series Editor
Bruno Jetin, Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong,
Brunei Darussalam
Editorial Board
Jonathan Rigg, Asia Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
Victor T. King, Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong,
Brunei Darussalam
LianKwenFee,InstituteofAsianStudies,UniversitiBruneiDarussalam,Gadong,
Brunei Darussalam
Zawawi Ibrahim, The Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam,
Gadong, Brunei Darussalam
Noor Hasharina Haji Hassan, Institute of Asian Studies, Universiti Brunei
Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam
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Deyuan He
China English in World
Englishes
Education and Use in the Professional World
123
Deyuan He
Faculty of Arts andSocial Sciences
Universiti BruneiDarussalam
Gadong,Brunei Darussalam
ISSN 2364-8252 ISSN 2364-8260 (electronic)
Asiain Transition
ISBN978-981-15-8186-1 ISBN978-981-15-8187-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8187-8
©SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2020
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To Kevin He, my son
Foreword
ChinaisacountrywiththelargestnumberofEnglishlanguagelearners(morethan
400million) andtheselearnersinvestagreatamountoftime, money,andeffortin
learningthelanguage,buttheirlearningeffectivenessishardlysatisfactory.Against
this background, more research is needed to study the use and development of
English in mainland China (hereafter China), and this book is such an effort. By
focusing on the ideal pedagogic model of university English, this book explores
university teachers’ and students’ perceptions toward China English in the context
ofworldEnglishes,aswellastheirviewstowardintroducingChinaEnglishaspart
of the teaching model and the possibility of including China English and world
Englishes into the existing curriculum. This book also extends its focus from the
educational arena to the professional use of English in China’s workplace. These
twoareasarecloselyrelated toeachother astheuseofEnglishintheprofessional
world will partly be influenced by and exerts considerable influence on English
languageteaching.Specifically,thefollowingissuesconcerningtheuseofEnglish
by working professionals in China are explored: (1) the language choice at the
workplace, (2) the frequency of the use of English, (3) the importance of
Chinese/Englishandthechangesintheimportance,(4)theuseofEnglishbytypes
of organization, ownership of company and industries, and (5) the relationships
between participants’ frequency of English use and self-rated English ability and
the importance of English.
Theauthoremployedthreemethodsincludingquestionnairesurveys,match-guise
technique,andinterviews(groupandindividual)toinvestigatetheperceptionsand
viewsasconceivedbynon-EnglishmajorsandtheirChineseteachersofEnglish,and
theprofessionalswhouseEnglishattheirworkplaceaswell.
Taken together, the data obtained from the three research methods yield (to a
greaterorlesserextent)informativefindingssuggestingthatstandardizedEnglishes
are still perceived by university students in China as the most desirable models of
English. This is believed to have significant implications for the teaching of uni-
versity English in China. The book suggests that China English should be well
codifiedandpromotedbeforebeingadoptedasthepedagogicmodelsothatChina’s
English learners may develop a stronger sense of ownership of the language and
vii
viii Foreword
have more integrative learning motivation. In addition, it proposes that the cur-
riculum design of university English should include an introduction to the
well-defined characteristics of China English and world Englishes. Last but by no
means least, the book demonstrates that English has been used more widely and
frequently in the professional world than before and has become increasingly
important in China, and so university English should be taught more productively
as a tool of communication and further personal development rather than merely a
subject for examinations.
David C. S. Li
Head, Department of Chinese
and Bilingual Studies
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, China
Acknowledgements
A monograph would only become a reality with the support and help from many
people, especially the professional and efficient guidance from Ms. Rebecca Zhu
andherSpringereditorialteam,andhencemypublicationofthisbookhasbecome
an enjoyable experience.
Firstandforemost,IacknowledgemydeepestgratitudetoProf.DavidC.S.Li,
for his continuing encouragement, valuable suggestions and feedback, careful
reading, and critical comments while reviewing many sections of the book. I’m
enormously indebted to Prof. Kingsley Bolton, Prof. David Deterding, Prof. Tony
Hung,Dr.BrunoJetin,Prof.AndyKirkpatrick,Prof.AngelLin,Dr.GrahamLock,
Dr. Wai King Tsang, Prof. Lian-Hee Wee, Dr. Zhichang Xu, among many others,
andmydearcolleaguesatUniversitiBruneiDarussalamfortheirkindsupportand
willingness to share ideas and feelings, and their generous help and valuable
suggestions in my book writing.
My heartfelt thanks go to all the participants in China. Their views and com-
mentsgavemeboundlessinspirations.Withouttheircooperationandcontributions,
this book would never have been possible. Special thanks go to Yongchang Fu,
Zijuan Gao, Shoubin Liu, Ying Liu, Manding Luo, Jie Song, Tianqin Yan,
Shenghua Yao, Yi Zeng, Wei Zhang, Dr. Linghui Zhu, and my former students in
Shanghai who helped me get into contact with my participants.
Last, but by no means least, I wish to express my profound gratitude to my
extended family. They have been so supportive and encouraging that I can always
feel their deep care and love for me although we are thousands of miles apart. I’m
particularlythankfultomywifeCandiceandmysonKevin,whosedeepandwarm
love is the most important source of courage and motivation for me to pursue my
dream.Beingsothoughtfulandbeingalwaysthereforme,theyhavehelpedmein
the most special and tender way!
ix
Introduction
Tothereaderswhoarenotspecializinginsociolinguistics,Imayneedtointroduce
ChinaEnglishasakeyconceptofthisbookfromtheverybeginning(pleasereferto
Chap.2formorediscussiononthisterm).Inthisbook,ChinaEnglishisdefinedas
a performance variety of English which has standardized Englishes as its core but
colored with characteristic features of Chinese phonology, lexis, syntax, and
discourse-pragmatics, and which is particularly suited for expressing content ideas
specific to Chinese culture through such means as transliteration and loan transla-
tion. However, it should be pointed out that China English is still a developing
variety of English, which is not a well-developed variety like Indian English,
Singaporean English, and Brunei English, let alone a standardized variety like
British English and American English.
This book is concerned with the educational arena and professional world of
China English in the context of World Englishes. More specifically, it focuses on
university students’ and teachers’ perceptions of China English in the context of
World Englishes, their views about introducing China English as part of the ped-
agogic model together with Standardized Englishes, the possibility of including
select features of China English and World Englishes into the existing curriculum,
andstudents’preferenceofteachersforuniversityEnglishinmainlandChina.This
book also extends its focus from the educational arena to the professional use of
English in China’s workplace.
Research Background
Moderntechnologyhasturnedtheworldintoasmallvillage.TheInternetcancarry
English,thegloballanguage,toeverycorneroftheworld.SinceChinaadoptedthe
Open Door Policy in the year of 1978, especially after her joining WTO in 2001,
moreandmoreprofessionalswithproficientEnglishareneeded.Underthiscontext,
both the teachers and students in China have spent a considerable quantity of time
and energy in the teaching and learning of English. However, many previous
xi