Strategies Used by Chinese Parents to Support English Language Learning

Abstract

The paper reports on parental involvement in Chinese students’ language learning which has emerged as a major finding from an interpretative enquiry into their English-learning experiences. The data confirm that Chinese parents and other family members are closely involved in the study participants’ language learning, in particular, their development as competent English learners. They are indirectly involved the participants’ development as English learners as language learning advocates, language learning facilitators, and language teachers’ collaborators. Furthermore, they are directly involved in their children’s development as language learning advisors, language learning coercers, and language learning nurturers. The findings suggest language teachers to be more proactive in establishing a school-family/teacher-parent partnership in learner development programs. Further research is also needed to support such a partnership.