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Constructing identities and negotiating ideologies with Chinese popular culture in adult Mandarin learning

  • Sumin Fang EMAIL logo and Patricia A. Duff
Published/Copyright: March 28, 2018
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Abstract

Despite the emergence of Chinese as a global language, little research has been done to explore how learners of Chinese as an Additional Language (CAL), and Mandarin specifically, utilize semiotic resources in Chinese popular culture to negotiate their own and others’ language ideologies and identities. This study argues that popular culture is a rich site for ideological and identity work in which four sorts of questions can be explored: (1) Which language(s)? (2) Whose language? (3) Which texts and discourses? (4) What social implications? Employing this framework, this study draws on three focal adult participants’ reported experiences of engaging with Chinese popular culture as a means of improving their Mandarin proficiency. We discuss such themes as gender and heritage learner identity, and political ideologies and dispositions arising from the study. We conclude, briefly, with some implications for Chinese language education and for future research on this topic.

成人利用华文流行文化学习汉语中的身份和意识形态构建

摘要: 虽然中文正在成为一门国际性语言,但是关于海外的汉语学习者如何利用华文流行文化来学习汉语并且进行身份和意识形态构建的研究还处于不足状态。 根据 Luke (2005),Blommaert (2006) 和其他学者的研究,本文认为流行文化本身是身份和意识形态构建的丰富场所,可以从四个方面进行探讨:(1) 哪一种语言?(2) 谁的语言?(3)什么文本和话语?(4)有何社会影响? 本文采用这一研究框架,集中分析了三位成人汉语学习者自述的用华文流行文化学习汉语的经历。 本文分析讨论了性别、中文继承语学习者的身份、 政治意识形态和定位等,为未来相关主题研究提出了建议和方向。

Acknowledgement

We thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions and comments.

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Published Online: 2018-3-28
Published in Print: 2018-3-26

© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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