The Cultivation Of Bilingual And Bicultural People: An Anthropological Study On Bilingual Education In Xinjiang Minority Ethnic Groups

In the era of globalization, the minority ethnic groups are facing the dilemma between integrating into mainstream of the society and maintaining their own languages and cultures. The solution is no doubt Xinjiang bilingual education. The bilingual education has been going on well due to the need of promoting the development and unity of all ethnic groups.This study, taking T District and its attached W Primary School as an experimental core field, which overlaps with the educational regions around it, with the method so called"anatomizing sparrows", has tried to probe into and answer the questions like"What is Xinjiang Bilingual Education?""How is Xinjiang Bilingual Education going on?"and"What sort of bilingual education is a good one?"This dissertation acknowleges that the primary goal of Xinjiang bilingual education is to cultivate bilingual and bicultural people. Henceforth, "raising bilingual and bicultural people" is the core concept which underlies the whole thesis. In this way, this research paper is all about discussing and arguing why bilingual and bicultural people should be cultivated and how they should be cultivated in Xinjiang. This study consists of six sections. In Chapter One, the introduction answers the question why there is a need for a study of bilingual education in Xinjiang; it also provides a definition of bilingual education and the literature review.Chapter Two focuses on the introduction of Xinjiang cultural conditions for bilingual education, that of the nature, society and culture of Urumqi and its attached region, T District.Chapter Three aims at an objective description of the present conditions in the experimental school, W Primary School, and the main factors which have hindered the development of Xinjiang bilingual education.Chapter Four analyzes the four core factors——teachers; teaching materials, students sources and the study modes. In addition, it provides the authoress'personal reflections and viewpoints on the four factors.Chapter Five brings forward four conceptions based on the investigation of the factors affecting Xinjiang bilingual education, among which, the first three are part of the core objective—"cultivating bilingual and bicultural people", the fourth regarding the aim of the service for"boosting the education quality of minority ethnic groups"In the concluding remarks, the authoress gives the readers a thorough summation of the study reaffirming the theme——cultivating bilingual and bicultural people based upon the need in Xinjiang.Xinjiang bilingual education is of utmost importance for both the development of minority ethnic groups, the unity of all ethnic groups and the stability of the country. It is hopedthat bilingual and bicultural education can bring about a sready and health development of a unified and harmonious Xinjiang. It is certain that Xinjiang is now, and will always be the warm homestead of all ethnic groups and one of the world's cultural treasures.