Event overview
Foreign languages as Cultural Capital: Empowering UK students from disadvantaged backgrounds through the learning of Chinese
In the UK, Chinese language teaching has begun to thrive in both independent and state schools as a modern foreign language (MFL). Chinese potentially represents a new source of cultural capital due to its economic value in the global market. Such cultural capital is particularly important for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as pointed out in the report on language skills in the UK (British Academy, 2013). It is therefore crucial that provision and pedagogies for teaching Chinese in state schools are well-researched to ensure equal opportunities and high achievement. The study presented here aims to investigate, through classroom ethnography, whether and how teachers and students consider Chinese to be cultural capital, and what pedagogies would support successful Chinese learning. The study builds on previous research about bilingual pedagogy for learners of Chinese from diverse backgrounds across mainstream and community contexts (Chen, 2010). The findings will serve as a reference for potential developments in policy and practice to support the achievement of disadvantaged students in language learning.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec 2017 | 4:15pm - 5:30pm |
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