Critical Perspectives on Language Education

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Katie Dunworth, Grace Zhang

   Pages 1-7

3. Occupying the ‘Third Space’: Perspectives and Experiences of Asian English Language Teachers

   • Toni Dobinson

   Pages 9-27

4. Changing Perspectives of Literacy, Identity and Motivation: Implications for Language Education

   • Paul Mercieca

   Pages 29-48

5. Constructing Meaning from the Unfamiliar: Implications for Critical Intercultural Education

   • Ilan Zagoria

   Pages 49-70

6. Can Teachers Know Learners’ Minds? Teacher Empathy and Learner Body Language in English Language Teaching

   • Maggie McAlinden

   Pages 71-100

7. Code-Switching and Indigenous Workplace Learning: Cross-Cultural Competence Training or Cultural Assimilation?

   • Ellen Grote, Rhonda Oliver, Judith Rochecouste

   Pages 101-117

8. The Retention of Year 11/12 Chinese in Australian Schools: A Relevance Theory Perspective

   • Grace Zhang, Qian Gong

   Pages 119-140

9. Towards the Establishment of a WACE Examination in Japanese as a Heritage Language: Critical Perspectives

   • Hiroshi Hasegawa

   Pages 141-161

10. A Place for Second Generation Japanese Speaking Children in Perth: Can they Maintain Japanese as a Community Language?

    • Kyoko Kawasaki

    Pages 163-187

11. Tamil Language in Multilingual Singapore: Key Issues in Teaching and Maintaining a Minority Language

    • Rajeni Rajan

    Pages 189-208

12. Functional English and Chinese as Mediums of Instruction in a Higher Institution in Hong Kong

    • Zhichang Xu

    Pages 209-228

13. Back Matter

    Pages 229-231

    PDF

The studies in this volume investigate how multilingual education involves a critical engagement with questions of identity and culture, and a movement towards new ways of being and belonging. It addresses previously under-explored issues, in particular the integration of theories like ‘thirdness’, and practices of language education and maintenance with relevance to the Asia-Pacific region. The analyses reveal the delicate balance of interests of all stakeholders and offer detailed insights into the reality of multilingual education, with specific examples of Chinese, English, Japanese and Tamil. In a globalised world, effective language education has become increasingly important, and the studies presented here have the potential to inform and advance evidence-based multilingual education through adding important dimensions of theoretical exploration and refreshing empirical resources.

• Asian English language teachers
• Chinese in Australian schools
• Cross-cultural competence training
• Effective language education practices
• Functional English and Chinese as medium of in...
• Identity and culture in Asia Pacific
• Implications for critical intercultural education
• Implications for language education
• Intercultural teacher empathy
• Learner's emotional facial expressions adn body language in ELT
• MOI
• Practices of language education in Asia Pacific R...
• Second generation Japanese speaking children i...
• Tamil language in multilingual Singapore
• WACE examination in Japanese as a heritage la...
• Wellbeing and belonging Australasia Asia Pacific

“This book, which brings together several perspectives on language education, mostly from Western Australia, consists of eleven chapters. … this volume makes a useful addition to the scholarship about language education. Some of the chapters will be of particular interest to scholars interested in critical education, language contact and language maintenance.” (Achilleas I. Kostoulas, The Linguist List, July, 2015)

• Department of Education, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom

  Katie Dunworth

• Humanities Department, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia

  Grace Zhang

Policies and ethics