This book seeks for an alternative perspective in analysing cultural phenomena to supplement the norm of Western dominant theorising and conceptualisation. It engages notions and concepts of culture developed by Chinese cultural theorists when addressing Chinese teachers' cross-cultural experiences in Australian school settings. This alternative approach acknowledges the fact that the generation and development of cultural theories is contextually based. Through the reciprocated theory-data examination, it enables the arguments: Chinese culture is rooted in its written language ( hanzi ) which makes culture inseparable from language teaching; the core of the culture is linked back to, streamlined with and continues from China's elongated history; this core has been consistently influential on these teachers' practices and the observable cultural shift in them could be non-genuine mimicry for survival. Document analysis witnesses the current political push for the culture's stability and continuity through the national education system across sectors. This book provides background information for teachers with cultural backgrounds different from their students', and draws on a bank of practice-based evidence to suggest ways to enhance teacher-student relationships in cross-cultural settings.

Addresses the relationship between Chinese language teachers and their Western students Engages Chinese concepts of culture and identifies the limitations that Western monolingual cultural theorising might have in understanding cultural phenomena of others Provides evidence-based suggestions of ways to understand language teachers' cultural being and culture-embedded language knowledge

Autorentext

Jinghe Han is Associate Professor at the School of Education, Western Sydney University, Australia. Her research interests include Language Pedagogy, English Medium Instruction, Discourse, Cultural Studies and Pedagogy of Research Education.

Inhalt
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Culture through Chinese Theorising: Human Transforming and Transforming Human.- Chapter 3: Hanzi the Foundation of Chinese Culture.- Chapter 4: The Human-Human Dimension of Culture: Chinese Teachers in Relation to Australian Students.- Chapter 5: Impact Factors of Chinese Culture and Globalisation.- Chapter 6: Conclusion: Characteristics of Chinese Culture.