Modernization Discourse, Academic Advocacy, and Vested Interests: The Promotion of English-Medium Instruction in Chinese Schools

Abstract

Like many other developing countries around the world, China is witnessing a growing prominence of English in its school system. One immensely popular form of English provision in the country is Chinese–English bilingual education for majority-language students, which involves the varying use of English as a medium of instruction in the teaching of various school subjects. An overview of this recent development was presented in an earlier article (Hu, 2010). As its sequel, this article presents a critical analysis of the major driving forces behind the current craze for English-medium instruction in China.