You Had to Work Hard 'Cause You Didn't Know Whether You Were Going to Wear Shoes or Straw Sandals!

Gao, Xuesong

doi:10.1080/15348450802237798

Cited by 43 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(71 reference statements)

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“…It is crucial for language learners to access these resources in their pursuit of English competence in various contexts. This is particularly so for English learners on the Chinese mainland as a result of the growing public enthusiasm for learning English (Gao 2008(Gao , 2010Wang and Gao 2008).…”

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confidence: 95%

“…These 'elite' families, with their easy access to material and social resources, are committed to giving their offspring an early start in the race to learn English. As a result, the promotion of English and enthusiastic investment in the learning of English have exacerbated the gap in learning English between 'those who have' and 'those who have not' (Nunan 2003, 605; also see Gao 2008). Since family settings are regarded as crucial sites for the transmission of cultural capital (Reay 2000), there is a need to explore how parents have been involved in children's learning of English in contexts such as the Chinese mainland.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…Parental involvement and the learning of English on the Chinese mainland Chinese parents have been often portrayed as being closely involved in their children's education largely due to the societal values attached to educational efforts in Chinese contexts (Bai 2005;Gao 2008). Education occupies a central position in the Chinese cultural tradition and remains a top priority among Chinese people's concerns (Elman 2000;Lee 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Parental strategies in supporting Chinese children’s learning of English vocabulary

Gao

2012

Research Papers in Education

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confidence: 95%

Section: Please Scroll Down For Articlementioning

confidence: 97%

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confidence: 99%

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Parental strategies in supporting Chinese children’s learning of English vocabulary

Gao

2012

Research Papers in Education

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“…Having realized the power and influence of English in the global context and its indispensable role in the ever accelerating process of globalization, Chinese administrators, researchers, and teaching practitioners have been making efforts to promote English in education so as to widen and deepen China's participation in political, economic, and cultural activities in the international arena (Chang 2006). The authorities hold citizens' English competence as a valuable resource for China's modernization drive and as the key cornerstone of China's sustained economic development in the globalization process (Cortazzi and Jin 1996;Gao 2008). English proficiency has also been regarded as a key to a wide range of socioeconomic and educational opportunities, including admission into higher education, study abroad, and recruitment to higher-paid positions in foreign companies or joint ventures (Cortazzi and Jin 1996;Gao 2008;Hu 2003).…”

Section: English Language Teaching In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authorities hold citizens' English competence as a valuable resource for China's modernization drive and as the key cornerstone of China's sustained economic development in the globalization process (Cortazzi and Jin 1996;Gao 2008). English proficiency has also been regarded as a key to a wide range of socioeconomic and educational opportunities, including admission into higher education, study abroad, and recruitment to higher-paid positions in foreign companies or joint ventures (Cortazzi and Jin 1996;Gao 2008;Hu 2003). There is little wonder, then, that English should be given a prominent role in Chinese students' schooling experience.…”

Section: English Language Teaching In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

An inquiry into Chinese learners' English-learning motivational self-images: ENL learner or ELF user?

Zheng

2013

Journal of English as a Lingua Franca

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This paper reports on findings of a qualitative study that aimed to explore the relevance of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) to English Language Teaching (ELT) practices by closely examining Chinese learners' English learning from the perspective of the L2 Motivational Self System. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted during an academic year to probe into eight Chinese university students' situated experiences of learning and using English in their life context. Qualitative data analysis revealed that the participants tended to construct the Ought-to and Ideal L2 Self around native-speaker norms under the influence of the deeply ingrained native-speaker model in the ELT classroom and the global spread of (native) English cultural products. However, these selfimages turned out to be unrealistic and unattainable as they clashed with the immediate life context the learners were embedded in, and eventually failed to generate sufficient motivational power to foster continued English learning. The findings serve as counter evidence for the assumed importance of promoting a salient self-image as a competent and legitimate ELF user among non-native learners to sustain long-term motivation. Findings call for a re-evaluation of the dominant native-speaker norms, and suggestions are provided on how to relate ELF to the English classroom.Keywords: English as a lingua franca; English as a native language; motivational self-images; English language teaching 中国英语学习者的动机自我意识：英语作为本族语的学习者还是英语作为通用语的使用者？摘要本文旨在从二语动机自我系统的视角深度剖析中国英语学习者的英语动机自我意识，探讨英语作为通用语研究与英语语言教学间的关联。本研究在一学年间进行三次半结构性访谈，采访了八名中国在校大学生日常学习与使用英语的经历并进行定性数据分析。结果显示，由于受到深植于英语教学中的英美本族语者模式与英语文化产品全球传播的影响，八名参与者基于英美本族语者的形象建构"应该自我"与"理想自我"的动机自我意识。然而由于此类自我意识与参与者所处的真实环境冲突，变得不现实且无法达成，最终无法产生足够动机支 Brought to you by |

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Learning English in the Shadows: Understanding Chinese Learners' Experiences of Private Tutoring

Yung

2014

TESOL Quarterly

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Given that private tutoring has received increasing attention in research as a global educational phenomenon with significant implications for educational practices, it has become necessary for TESOL researchers and practitioners to become aware of its impact on language learning and pedagogy. This study investigated the learning experience and reflections of 14 Chinese learners who had received English private tutoring (EPT) during their secondary education in Hong Kong. Each participant completed a background questionnaire and participated in a one-to-one semistructured interview. The analysis revealed participants' ambivalent and paradoxical attitudes toward EPT. Although they considered EPT indispensable for secondary education, they did not regard it as an effective way to increase their English proficiency because of its excessive focus on examination skills instead of the use of English as a language of global communication. The findings were interpreted with reference to contextual conditions where learning for assessment and competitions prevail. This study sheds light on the world of shadow education that exists beyond the boundaries of mainstream classroom settings. Further research on shadow TESOL practices is needed to help researchers and practitioners in TESOL appreciate the unintended consequences of educational changes and their profound impact on learning as mediated by sociocultural conditions. 2014, p. viii; see also Bray, 2009). Defined as fee-paying teaching of academic subjects outside school hours, private tutoring is a form of "shadow education," whose content mimics and is parallel to mainstream education (Bray, 2009, p. 11). Driven by the hope that investments in private tutoring may help children achieve educational successes and social mobility, enthusiastic parents have made private tutoring a major industry across the globe (Bray & Kwo, 2014;Bray & Lykins, 2012;Bray, Mazawi, & Sultana, 2013; Buchmann, Condron, & Roscigno, 2010;Dawson, 2010;Forsey, 2013). In many contexts, English language is one of the major subjects offered by tutorial institutes and an increasing number of learners participate in English private tutoring (EPT) as one of the most important out-of-class learning activities, with the intention to improve their English results in mainstream education and high-stakes examinations. However, little is known about these learners' experiences and reflections. Because EPT significantly impacts student experiences, attitudes, and motivations in English learning (Hamid, Sussex, & Khan, 2009), it has become necessary for TESOL researchers and practitioners to have a better understanding of language learners' participation in EPT. Without considering these experiences, teachers, researchers, and policymakers "would only see a partial picture of [students'] real English-learning experiences and proficiency" (Lee, 2010, p. 70) and miss "alternative perspectives on the meaning of, and social and cognitive processes involved in, language learning and teaching" (Benson & Reinders,...

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You Had to Work Hard 'Cause You Didn't Know Whether You Were Going to Wear Shoes or Straw Sandals!

Cited by 43 publications

References 46 publications

Parental strategies in supporting Chinese children’s learning of English vocabulary

Parental strategies in supporting Chinese children’s learning of English vocabulary

An inquiry into Chinese learners' English-learning motivational self-images: ENL learner or ELF user?

Learning English in the Shadows: Understanding Chinese Learners' Experiences of Private Tutoring

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