Diversity and Inclusiveness in Chinese as a Second Language Education

This edited volume represents a collaborative effort from over 20 authors worldwide, who generously shared their expertise and insights on diversity and inclusiveness in Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) education. It critically examines a wide range of acquisitional, curricular, and pedagogical issues related to inclusive practices in diverse CSL educational settings across various geographical contexts, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It focuses on students with varied linguistic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and learning abilities, drawing on a comprehensive collection of original empirical studies. The book is structured into two parts. Part I addresses research on linguistic and learner diversity in CSL education by exploring the challenges faced by different types of CSL learners, acquisition strategies, and assessment methods. Part II delves into the practical implementation of inclusivity in curriculum design and pedagogical practices across diverse CSL teaching contexts. The book offers a research-informed understanding of diversity in CSL education, promoting inclusive teaching practices and methods to effectively engage learners of all backgrounds. CSL practitioners, educators, leaders, curriculum designers, and researchers will find this book to be a useful resource for supporting their research and practice.

Yuan Liang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese Language Studies and the Director of the Centre for Research on Chinese Language and Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests focus on Chinese linguistics and CSL education. Zhen Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chinese Language Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong. She is the author of the monograph titled Identity of Chinese Heritage Language Learners in a Global Era, published by Routledge in 2022.

Part I: Linguistic and learner diversity in CSL Education 1 A comparative study of Chinese character handwriting among L1 and L2 beginners Yuan Liang and Yutong Cai 2 L1 diversity in Chinese character recognition among CSL learners: From a corpus perspective Yongyi Wu and Cheng Wang 3 Are they able to understand the same story? Examining reading performance and process in CFL and CHL learners from an Australian university Xinxin Li 4 Task-based interactions in inclusive education: A comparative study of oral interaction patterns among primary six non-Chinese-speaking and Chinese-speaking students in Hong Kong Jing Yan, Shek Kam Tse, and Chaoyang Jin 5 Enhancing inclusive Chinese language education for NCS children in Hong Kong: A dynamic assessment approach for triaging Dustin Kai-Yan Lau and Fiona Po-Ching Cheng Part II: Curricular and pedagogical inclusiveness in CSL education 6 The ideal teaching materials: Perceptions of heritage and non-heritage learners of Chinese Xiaoping Gao and Peisong Xu 7 CSL/CFL students' learning achievement and perceptions of using Putonghua-only or translanguaging as a medium of instruction Denggao Zeng and Anita Y. K. Poon 8 Improving low-proficiency students' Chinese listening performance and metacognitive awareness Suan Fong Foo and Limei Zhang 9 Inclusive teaching strategies and proprioceptive learning methods for migrants in acquiring basic Chinese Felicia Zhang and Chin-Chin Tseng 10 Intercultural sensitivity in young people: Perspectives from diverse Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners in an English secondary school classroom Jane Woo, Sin Manw Sophia Lam, and Fotini Diamantidaki 11 Acculturation strategies of international Central Asian students in Chinese higher education Yue Zhang and Zhen Li