The Interplay Of Language Policy,University Management And Language Practices:An Ethnography Of Myanmar Majors' Learning Experiences At A China's Border University

In light of the increasing prominence of China's Belt and Road(B&R)Initiatives and China's soft power projection to its neighboring countries,the development of less commonly-taught foreign languages in China comes into a revitalization era.There are over 50 less commonly-taught foreign languages being officially used in the countries along the route of China's B&R.Given the rapid development of less commonly-taught foreign languages and the national strategy of seeing language as a bridge linking China to the rest of the world,it is of necessity to cultivate qualified personnel majoring in less commonly-taught foreign languages for the promotion and realization of China's B&R.Informed by Spolsky's tripartite language policy framework(Spolsky 2004;2009),this study explores the interplay of the national policies of Myanmar language at macro-level,university management of educating Myanmar language learners at meso-level and Myanmar majors' learning experiences at micro-level.By adopting a sociolinguistic ethnography(Heller 2006,2011;Li 2017),the data were collected from a China's Border University(BU)through participant observation,semi-structured interviews,online interaction and the collection of linguistic autobiographies,other relevant documents and materials.The findings of the study indicate that at macro-level,learning Myanmar language has been discursively constructed via mass media and policy documents as significant for China's B&R and profitable for learners'employment prospect.However,when it comes to the actual implementation of managing Myanmar language program and learning Myanmar language at university-and individual-levels,there has emerged many challenges and tensions.These include:Myanmar majors' low identification with the values of learning Myanmar before their enrolment,limited resources available for them to enhance their language proficiency and their understanding of Myanmar culture.To overcome their learning difficulties,Myanmar majors have employed an array of learning strategies to enhance their language proficiency.To strengthen Myanmar majors'identification with Myanmar,BU has taken its advantage of learning resources shaping Myanmar majors'beliefs in learning Myanmar.Before their graduation,however,Myanmar majors have to be confronted with a series of structural constraints including their lack of English proficiency and other comprehensive skills,the limited job positions available in China,oversupply of Myanmar graduates,gendered selection of Myanmar personnel and Myanmar-oriented employment trajectory.Based on the findings mentioned above,the study suggests that given the rapid increasing of Myanmar language learners in China,it is imperative to consider the challenges and asymmetries at the three dimensions of Myanmar language policy and planning in China.The thesis concludes with recommendations for future research on the LPP of Myanmar education.