Cover not available

In:Learning Chinese in Diasporic Communities: Many pathways to being Chinese
Edited by Xiao Lan Curdt-Christiansen and Andy Hancock
[AILA Applied Linguistics Series 12] 2014
► pp. 181–200

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

Chapter 9. Chinese language teaching in Australia

 | University of Newcastle
 | University of Newcastle, Australia
Published online: 10 July 2014
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.12.10che
Located in the Asian-Pacific region, Australia is a unique example an English speaking country which has progressive language policies to promote Asian languages, Chinese in particular. History has witnessed three stages of development of Chinese language teaching. In the first stage, Chinese language learning was initiated and organised by local Chinese community schools featured with different curricula decided by various sub-groups. Secondly, the Australian government’s multicultural and language policies have further promoted and supported Chinese language learning in community schools. Finally, the Chinese language teaching has expanded to the mainstream schools on the basis of state-based curricula. A national unified curriculum is being developed in order to meet the needs of the fast growing number of learners of Chinese in schools all over the nation. The research described in this chapter on Chinese language teaching in community schools and mainstream schools is based on a policy study of Australia and a case study through qualitative investigations at three universities in the state of New South Wales. The research has revealed some pedagogical problems of Chinese language teaching in the social and cultural context of Australia and provided some suggestions to improve the current performance of Chinese language teaching and learning.
References (29)
References
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2012, 12 December 2012). Cultural Diversity in Australia . <[URL]> (29 January 2013)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2006. Language Spoken at Home by Sex-1996, 2001, 2006 by State and Statistical Division .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) 2013. Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia . [URL] (29 January 2013)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
ACPEA (Australian Council on Population and Ethnic Affairs) 1982. Multiculturalism for all Australians: Our Developing Nationhood . Canberra: Australian Government Public Service.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
BOS (Board of Studies), NSW 2012. HSC (Chinese) syllabi.
BOS (Board of Studies), NSW 2003. Chinese K-10 syllabus guide.
Chang, P., Mackerras, A. & Yu, H. 1985. Hanyu 1: Chinese for Beginners . Melbourne: Griffith University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1986. Hanyu 2: Chinese for Beginners . Melbourne: Griffith University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1990. Hanyu 3: Chinese for Beginners . Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Clyne, M. 2005. Australia’s Language Potential . Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Clyne, M. & Kipp, S. 1997. Trends and changes in home language use and shift in Australia, 1986-1996. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 18(6): 451–473. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
COAG 1994. Asian Languages and Australia’s Economic Future: A Report Prepared for the Council of Australian Government on a Proposed National Asian Languages/Studies Strategy for Australian Schools (Rudd Report) . Brisbane: Queensland Government Printer.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Office of Multicultural Affairs, July 1989. National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia: Sharing Our Future . Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Services.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
DEET 1991. Australia's Language: The Australian Language and Literacy Policy . Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Services.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
DIMIA (Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs). 2006. Multicultural Australia: United in Diversity . Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Services.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Galbally, F. 1978. Migrant Services and Programs: Report of the Review of Post-arrival Programs and Services for Migrants . Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hatoss, A. 2005. Sustainable Multilingualism as an Essential Characteristic of Multicultural Societies: The Case of Australia . Paper presented at Language, Attitudes and Education in Multilingual Cities, 27–29 May 2004, Brussels, Belgium.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ingram, D.E. 2002. Language and Culture Policy in Multicultural Australia . Brisbane: Centre for Applied Linguistics and Languages, Griffith University.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lo Bianco, J. 1987. National Policy on Languages. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2003. A Site for Debate, Negotiation and Contest of National Identity: Language Policy in Australia , Strasbourg: Council of Europe.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lo Bianco, J. & Liu G. 2007. Australias language policy and ecology of Chinese language education. Chinese Teaching in the World ( Shi jie Hanyu jiao xue) 3: 120–131.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lo Bianco, J. & Slaughter, Y. 2009. S econd Languages and Australian Schooling . Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Orton, J. 2010. The Current State of Chinese Language Education in Australian Schools . Melbourne: The University of Melbourne.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ozolins, U. 2004. Language policy and its rationales. Current Issues in Language Planning 5(4): 361–375. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pietsch, J, Graetz, B & McAllister, I. 2010. Dimensions of Australian Society . Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ruíz, R. 1984. Orientations in language planning. NABE: The Journal for the National Association for Bilingual Education , 8(2), 15–34.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Smith, D., Chin, N.B., Louie, K. & Makeras, C. 1993. Unlocking Australia’s Language Potential , Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia, Vol.2: Chinese . Canberra: National Languages and Literacy Institute of Australia.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sun, H. 2007. 海外华人教育 The Education of Chinese Language from Abroad . Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wang, S.C. 2008. The ecology of the Chinese language in the United States. In Encyclopaedia of Language and Education, Vol. 9: Ecology of Language , A. Creese, P. Martin & N.H. Hornberger (eds), 169–181. Dordrecht: Springer.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (12)

Cited by 12 other publications

Nguyen, Tin Pham
2025. Digital Access to Asia: An Analysis of the Coverage of Digital Asia Collections in Australian University Libraries. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association 74:1 ► pp. 115 ff. DOI logo
Wang, Yining & Linlin Jia
2025. Heritage language performance and identity manifestation of 1.5 generation Chinese Australians: age of migration perspective. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Wang, Yining & Jie Zhang
2025. From erosion to fluency: reversing language shift in Chinese Australian households. Frontiers in Psychology 16 DOI logo
Chen, Ningyang & Chunxia Zhou
2024. Making sense of a new language: authenticity and semiotics in additional language learning. Language and Semiotic Studies 10:3 ► pp. 317 ff. DOI logo
Wang, Yining & Jia Li
2024. Changing discourses of Chinese language maintenance in Australia: unpacking language ideologies of first-generation Chinese immigrant parents from People’s Republic of China. Frontiers in Psychology 14 DOI logo
Lee, Sherman
2022. The Chinese Diaspora: Language Maintenance and Loss. In The Cambridge Handbook of Language Contact, ► pp. 690 ff. DOI logo
Yang, Yilu
2022. Introduction. In Chinese Language Use by School-Aged Chinese Australians, ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Yang, Yilu
2022. In-between Chinese and English: Chinese Language Learning Process. In Chinese Language Use by School-Aged Chinese Australians, ► pp. 105 ff. DOI logo
Ganassin, Sara & Prue Holmes
2020. ‘I Was Surprised to See You in a Chinese School’: Researching Multilingually Opportunities and Challenges in Community-Based Research. Applied Linguistics 41:6 ► pp. 827 ff. DOI logo
Panagiotopoulou, Julie A. & Lisa Rosen
2019. Recently Arrived Migrants as Teachers in Greek Complementary Schools in Montreal: Views on Multilingualism. In 'New' Migration of Families from Greece to Europe and Canada [Inklusion und Bildung in Migrationsgesellschaften, ], ► pp. 221 ff. DOI logo
Xu, Jianwei & Hui Huang
2019. ‘Thousands in gold in a family count far less than a skill one possesses’: socializing cultural competence in Chinese heritage language learning. Multicultural Education Review 11:4 ► pp. 296 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2022. Language Diasporas. In The Cambridge Handbook of Language Contact, ► pp. 611 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 11 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue