Language Teaching Methodology as a Lived Experience: An Autoethnography from China

Abstract

Research in language pedagogy often falls into the positivist trap of taking a desirable methodology as the ontological center and evaluating teachers’ teaching against it. Inspired by Snider et al.’s (1992) enactment approach to curriculum development, this article takes language teaching methodology as the lived experiences of students and teachers. From multiple roles and perspectives, the author recollects his personal history with different methodologies in English education in China from the 1980s to 2010s. Through this autoethnographic exploration, the author reflects on the shifting landscape of English education in China through the lens of his pedagogical lived experiences. The article also aims to rectify methodology as a theoretical construct in language education research, arguing that the gap between planned methodology and enacted methodology is the most fruitful space for pedagogical research in language education.

The Chinese Educational Idioms That the Chinese Shall Live By

“…However, values are aspirations, not necessarily realities, just like New Year resolutions are good aspirations, but may not turn into desired actions. There are always gaps between the aspired education discourse and the practised education discourse (Liu, 2020), and that is unfortunately the typical state of affairs. '学而优 则仕 (Those most learned shall serve in governments).'…”

English Teachers’ Use of Resources in Chinese Public Schools

“…It is important to take teachers' teaching practices as the ontological center and have a deep understanding of where they are at. A gap between teachers' teaching and the ideals of the curriculum might be the norm, and how to narrow the gap should be taken as the best research question for applied linguistic studies (Liu, 2020). The expectation of teachers' quick compliance of the new curriculum ideas would deprive teachers of their ownership in teaching and thus be damaging.…”

Uncovering the Nexus between Language Culture and Identity Difference in the Context of Ethnic Self-Experience

“…It was selected in terms of examining the critical reflection of the author's personal experience by becoming reflective practitioners (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2011). This method is a form of personal narrative exploring the author's life experiences (Liu, 2020). Autoethnography research will be also used to construct the author's reflective inquiry, respect personal experience, and emphasize knowledge of social construction (Stanley, 2019).…”