Exploring Intercultural Teaching in International Chinese Language Education: A Qualitative Study at a Chinese University

Abstract

This qualitative study employs a social constructionist approach to examine how intercultural language education (ILE) is manifested in the teaching materials and classroom practices of International Chinese Language Education (ICLE) at a Chinese university. The research contributes to understanding how ILE can be implemented in the Chinese context, drawing on empirical data from textbook analysis, teacher interviews, and classroom observations.
Several key findings emerged from this research. First, while the textbook texts provided opportunities for learners to experience cultures through language, they represented a fixed understanding of culture. This limited perspective potentially overlooks the complexity of social realities and restricts the variety of cultures that students can explore, offering few opportunities for students to interpret culture within historical and social contexts. Second, the textbook tasks focus primarily on acquiring factual cultural knowledge about specific groups, with limited potential for reflection or deeper understanding of intercultural interactions. Third, teachers’ understanding of language, culture, and their relationship (which is foundational for interpreting ILE) reflects a cultural orientation in teaching. This approach tends to view learners as outsiders to Chinese culture, rather than adopting an intercultural orientation that emphasises the interaction between languages and cultures as a dynamic process of meaning-making (Liddicoat & Scarino, 2013). Fourth, in practice, teachers’ intercultural language teaching appears to be shaped by their understanding, leading to a content-as-culture approach that aligns with a cultural orientation when introducing cultural content. Overall, this study identifies potentials for enhancing ILE in textbooks, teachers’ understanding, and teaching practices, and offers suggestions for moving toward an intercultural approach further.
The findings offer valuable insights into the current state of ILE in ICLE classes within Chinese higher education. They provide practical implications for textbook designers, Chinese language teachers, and teacher educators who aim to integrate ILE theories into practice.