English-related linguistic creativity and language commodification are a constant topic of interest and analysis for scholars. This volume is intended to initiate a dialogue between these two domains of inquiry that have been abundantly addressed but rarely documented together or in relation to one another.
English as used in mainland China is presented as a case study where it remains rather unclear the extent to which the language is actually used in people’s lives, outside the domain of education. The volume enriches existing empirical studies by exploring the creative and innovative uses of English in people’s lives and its commodification at different language-centred economic spaces within China while also providing an update of our understanding of the sociolinguistic situation of English in China, a country undergoing rapid socio-economic transformation.
English in China is the first attempt to discuss the possible relationship, intersection, and tension between two seemingly inseparable research topics. The book is an important resource for students and scholars in the fields of Applied Linguistics, Bilingualism, Sociolinguistics, Translation, and Contemporary Chinese Studies.
Author(s): Songqing Li
Series: China Perspectives
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 180
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Figures
Tables
Contributors
Introduction
English in China
Linguistic Creativity
The Commodification of Language
Overview of Chapters
Notes
References
Part I Theoretical Framework
1 Linguistic Creativity and Language Commodification Research: An Intersectional Perspective
Introduction
What Is Intersectionality?
Intersections of Identity, Linguistic Creativity, and Language Commodification
Summary
References
2 The Politics of English as a Commodity in China: From Neoliberal Globalization to Neoliberal Nationalism
Introduction
Two Waves of Private ELT Enterprises in China
The ELT Industry and China’s Political Economy: Globalization, Neoliberalism, and Nationalism
English as Economic Resource: Some Features of the ELT Industry in China Today
English as Linguistic Capital: Unequal Englishes and Social Disparity
English as Patriotic Entrepreneurship: Towards Neoliberal Nationalism
Discussion and Conclusion
Note
References
Part II Creative Practices With English
3 Stylization in Chinese Online Communication: English as Resource for Creative Linguistic Practices
Language Use By Chinese Netizens
Digital Literacy Practices By Chinese Netizens
The Study
Findings
English-only Practices
English Abbreviations
Novel Chinese-English Code-Mixing
Transformation and Localization of English Expressions
English as a Resource for Taboo Language Use
So What?
Multilingual Awareness, Capability, and Beyond
Adoption of English for Language Play
Translocalization of Linguistic Resources
Future Research On Linguistic Creativity
Notes
References
4 Translational Creativity in the Linguistic Landscape of Shantou: Negotiating the Middle Ground Between...
Introduction
Linguistic Landscape and Translational Creativity
Materials and Methods
Results and Analysis
Transliteration Punning
Cultural Manipulation
Linguistic Hybridity
Discussion
Conclusion
References
5 Creative Uses of English in the Linguistic Landscape of Suzhou
Introduction
Ethnolinguistic Profile of Suzhou
Data and Methodology
Findings and Discussion
Inventive Portmanteaus
Transgressive Romanization
Bilingual Paronomasia
Exocentric Compounds
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
Notes
References
Part III English as Commodity
6 Teaching English On Douyin: Language Commodification and Translanguaging
Introduction
The Commodification of English
Translanguaging and Online Language Teaching
Authenticity in Online Informal ELT
The Data
Data Analysis
English as a Valuable Skill
Expertise in Online ELT
Discussion
Conclusion
Notes
References
7 Individualization of Chinese Society and Commodification of English: Appropriation of English as a Valuable...
Introduction
Linguistic Instrumentalism and China’s Shifting Contexts of Language Policy and Planning
Individuals and English Language Education in China
The Shifting Commodification and Appropriation of English By Individuals
Zhang Haidi as a Socialist Youth and Useful Member of Society in the 1980s
Li Yang as a Patriotic Learner in Pursuit of Self-Interest the 1990s
Luo Yonghao as a Committed Idealist and Nonconformist in the 2000s
Reflections and Conclusion
References
8 Exploring Commodification of English in Advertising...
Introduction
Booming Online ELT Tutoring Market in China
Previous Research On the Commodification of English in ELT Marketing Discourse
Methodology
Data Collection
Analytical Tools
Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Textual Elements
Visual Grammar Analysis of Pictorial Elements
Results and Analysis
Results for Textual Components of Advertising Posters
Selling Native-Speaking North American Teachers
Selling Language Learning Enjoyment
Selling English Speaking Skill
Results for Pictorial Elements of Advertising Posters
Representational Meaning
Interactive Meaning
Discussion and Conclusion
References
9 Displaying and Commodifying English On Shop Name Signs: Perspectives of Business Practitioners in China
Introduction
The Current Research
Research Sites
Research Instrument and Participants
Data Collection
Results and Findings
Visibility and Salience of English Signs
English Forms On Shop Name Signs
Overlapping Or Fragmentary English Names
Complementary English Names
Lookalike English Names
Wordplay in English Names
Marketers’ Perceptions of the Functions of English On Signs
English Competence of Business Runners
Motivations for Presenting English On Shop Name Signs
Discussion
Commodification of English On Commercial Signs
The English Fetish and China’s LL Policies
English and Identity Construction
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
References
Coda: New Perspectives On English in Contemporary China
Index
