Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Policy Logic, Curriculum Articulation and Practical Dilemmas of Chinese Language Education: A Study Based on New Zealand's 2025 Release on Developing a National Languages Strategy

Yingying Chai*
Xiamen University

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Facing the long-standing absence of curriculum articulation and overall planning in foreign language teaching in New Zealand, the Ministry of Education of New Zealand released the action plan Release of a National Languages Strategy (Update) in 2025, and simultaneously introduced the Chinese Curriculum Syllabus . These developments respond, to some extent, to growing social expectations for a national languages strategy. Drawing on the development background of New Zealand's national languages strategy and combined with the historical evolution of its language education policies, this paper analyzes the main contents of these two documents. The action plan clarifies five major goals of foreign language learning in terms of learning resources, Māori language curriculum provision, language proficiency recognition, teaching quality and curriculum system articulation. It also positions Chinese as a strategically significant language at the national level, providing policy guidance for Chinese language learning and the development of related educational resources. organized around the two stages of Novice and Emergent, sets relatively clear expectations for learners' language competence and cultural understanding. It also lays the groundwork for students to progress toward Chinese language learning aligned with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at the senior secondary level, thereby addressing the long-standing lack of continuity between primary and secondary Chinese language curricula in New Zealand. Nevertheless, foreign languages including Chinese education currently still adopt non-mandatory moderate measures of encouraging support, and mostly remain at the description of overall goals. More specific language standards and operable teaching requirements still need to be further refined.

Keywords: New Zealand; National Languages Strategy; Chinese language education; language policy; curriculum syllabus
Published: October 20, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.HT37768
Volume: CHR Vol.106
pp. 243-251
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