Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Political Competition and Educational Equity: “Language Game” and TCSOL Medium Instruction

Ying WangFaculty of Chinese Language and Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, 510420, China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

This paper discusses the medium of instruction in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL), analyzing its use in teaching Chinese as a foreign language alongside Wittgenstein's Theory of "Language Game". It explores the fairness of education from a linguistic perspective, arguing that the “forms of life” in various countries can impact educational fairness through processes of mutual integration and resistance. Moreover, factors affecting educational equity within the educational system can also influence fairness globally by affecting these “forms of life”. In other words, addressing educational equity in the context of global political competition necessitates an examination of political factors. In TCSOL, teachers predominantly use English as the medium of instruction. This can lead to issues of medium failure when interacting with learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Educational inequity arises for students lacking English proficiency, which serves as a mediating language. This work begins by introducing Confucius Institutes and discussing their role in promoting international education and cultural exchange within the context of economic globalization. It then provides a detailed analysis of the relationship between educational equity and language, explaining how language inequality contributes to educational inequity and affects global communication. It is often assumed that resolving global political, economic, and cultural imbalances is a prerequisite for addressing educational equity. However, education itself possesses a degree of self-regulation and can focus on the equity of its own processes. Equity in education reflects the balanced development of human politics, economics and culture.

Keywords: Confucius Institute; Educational Equity; TCSOL; Medium of Instruction
Published: April 7, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2024.21731
Volume: CHR Vol.55
pp. 162-170
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