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ERIC Number: EJ1046340
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1542-7587
EISSN: N/A
Elementary English Education: An Arena of Social Struggle for Professional Chinese Parents
Chao, Xia; Xue, Mo; Xu, Ming
Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, v11 n4 p252-272 2014
In response to the national and individual needs for English instruction, China mandated English provision in elementary schools in 2001. Grounded in the work of Bourdieu, this study examines professional Chinese parents' language attitudes in relation to their social positions. It draws data from interviews with 20 professional Chinese parents and joint classroom observations with their children in an urban public elementary school in Beijing, China. The findings of this study include that professional Chinese parents hold the instrumental, integrative, and affective language attitudes. Elementary English education is an arena for socioeconomic struggle. It is a field of competition in terms of educational resources and parents' social positions. This study highlights that English is a carrier of inequality and injustice. It is a means of escaping social injustice in China. The study indicates contradictions and conflicts among the English language policy for elementary schools, parental language attitudes, private tutoring, and children's English learning.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China (Beijing)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A