Language, Teaching, and Politics in Arabic and Chinese

This book investigates political and ideological perspectives on the Arabic and Chinese languages through studies of language teaching, linguistic values, identities, education, political discourse, and translation in diverse contexts. Language, Teaching, and Politics in Arabic and Chinese places these two languages side by side, seeking to highlight potential points of connection across various domains as well as common trends and processes. The book addresses teaching practices, didactic tools, and ideological stances, with attention to standard varieties, local dialects, and minority languages, alongside the political dimensions of education and the functions of political language and its translation, through the lenses of different disciplines and relevant methodologies. The 14 chapters engage with a variety of timely and relevant issues for contemporary society, including language teaching, language variation, language identity, language ideologies, language policies, political discourse, translation, and, more broadly, the role of language in conveying political and ideological views. The studies are rooted in disciplines such as theoretical and applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, language education, and translation studies, and they draw upon a range of approaches and methodologies. This volume will appeal to instructors, scholars, researchers, and students interested in second language pedagogy and linguistics, as well as the interrelations between language, teaching, ideology, and politics within and beyond Arabic and Chinese language studies.

Chiara Bertulessi, PhD University of Milan, is an Assistant Professor of Chinese Language and Culture at the University of Insubria, Italy. Her research, grounded in discourse analysis, explores the interconnections between language, discourse, and ideology, with a focus on contemporary Chinese political and media discourses, as well as lexicography. Marco Aurelio Golfetto, PhD Ca' Foscari University of Venice, is lecturer of Arabic language and culture at the University of Milan, Italy. His research interests encompass applied linguistics and Islamic studies. He has addressed research on TAFL, heritage students' motivation and needs, and the language of politics through corpus linguistics, topics on which he has published widely.

Introducing the Interrelations Between Language, Teaching, and Politics: Perspectives from Arabic and Chinese Part 1: Language Varieties, Teaching, and Ideologies 1. Linguistic Value Orientations: Learning and Using the Standard in the Chinese-Speaking World 2. Living in Modern Standard Arabic? Limits of an Ideology 3. Different Versus One Chinese Linguistic Variety to Teach: What's Behind the Question? 4. Variation in Arabic in the Light of ICT Development 5. Putonghua and the Languages of the Minorities in China's Language Space. A Review of Some Official Documents on China's LPP and LEP (1999-2022) 6. A Radical Issue: Ishtiqaq From the Perspective of Arabic, Arab, and Islamic Linguistics 7. Multilingualism, Handwritten Signature, and Identity: The Case of Palestinian Multilingual Arabs in Israel Part 2: Politics, Teaching, and Translation 8. A Comprehensive Approach to Teaching Arabic as One Language. Insights from Dis/Continuities in Political Vocabulary 9. Teaching Politics to China's Youth: A Textual and Visual Analysis of Xi Jinping Thought Textbooks 10. Ideologies in Chinese Language Textbooks for Foreign Students in Mao's China 11. Translating Syrian Politics: Teaching Activities Based on Dima Wannous's Writings 12. Genres and Keywords in Chinese Political Language Translation. A Teaching Perspective 13. Translating Chinese Political Language: A Case Study on Yang Jisheng's Tombstone 14. The PRC's Narratives on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict in Regular MFA Press Conferences