Shifting Priorities in China’s English Language Education: Chinese Students’ Language Practices in English Classes at a Non-Top-Tier University

This study examines Chinese students’ language practices in two English classroom contexts at a non-top-tier university and their relationship with shifting priorities in China’s English language education. Drawing on translanguaging and Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the study found that the emerging priority of ‘telling China’s stories’ coexisted with established orientations towards native-speakerism and educational competition. English major students placed little value on using English for Chinese storytelling, while non-English majors learned China-related English vocabulary but relied on spoken Chinese in interaction. The study highlights the situated relationship between shifting priorities in China’s English language education and what students value and do with language in their classroom and institutional contexts.