Exploring Pre- and In-Service Teachers’ Ideologies Regarding Chinese Varieties: A Shift Toward Equity Through Education

• In Event: Teachers' Beliefs and Ideologies in Bilingual Education Settings

Abstract

We explore the evolving perceptions of Mandarin Chinese pre- and in-service teachers in a U.S. language education program. Thirty participants were each interviewed twice to probe their views regarding Chinese varieties. Themes identified included: what constitutes a language versus a dialect, bilingualism and bidialectalism, consideration of power dynamics and regional identity associated with Chinese varieties or fāngyán, mutual intelligibility, socio-political and educational policy, language varieties as a resource, and concerns regarding the actual and potential loss of language and associated subcultures. Findings show that with exposure to sociolinguists’ views of language, teachers can clarify terminology and become sensitized to issues of equity so that they can more effectively present language to students, design curricula, and consider policy alternatives.

Authors

• Chencen Cai, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

• Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, New York University