"For me, it is important to maintain self while adapting". Understanding Chinese foreign language teachers' identity in an Intercultural context
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2024Metadata
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Original version
Asia Pacific Journal of Education. 2024, online first . 10.1080/02188791.2024.2342550Abstract
This qualitative exploratory study addresses how Chinese as a foreign
language (CFL) teachers perceive their identity in an intercultural context
in the Netherlands. In this study with twenty-one native Chinese-speaking
language teachers, empirical data was collected through semi-structured
interviews. Foucault’s poststructuralist view of identity is employed to
conceptualize teachers’ identity. The findings show teachers’ perceptions
of their identity are shaped by their cultural and educational background,
as well as their teaching experiences in an intercultural context. CFL
teachers’ professional identity adapts during the process of interacting
with students from another cultural background. Although CFL teachers
sometimes struggle during this process of transformation, they generally
showed willingness to adjust. The findings indicated that even if teachers’
identity reconstruction is inevitable in the cross-cultural setting, most CFL
teachers hold onto their primary Chinese identity. Implications for teacher
professional development and teaching Chinese in intercultural settings
are discussed, for instance, the need for pedagogical courses that fit the
Dutch educational context and consider the Chinese language’s specific
features, and for the creation of a collaborative CFL teaching community.