An Investigation of Subject-specific Language Challenges for Chinese Music Students in the UK: A Case Study
Hang Li, University of York
ABSTRACT
Comprising a significant part of UK university student population, Chinese international students receive extensive research interest. In HE music education, existing scholarship has examined Chinese student-teachers’ intercultural experiences, with a particular focus on pedagogical adaptation. However, the linguistic challenges faced by Chinese music education students, especially in relation to their teaching and learning practices, remain underexplored. As learners with English as an additional language, these students require specialist language support that centralised support mechanisms, designed for heterogenous student population, may not adequately provide. This gap underscores the need for subject-specific language support facilitated by discipline specialists – an area that has yet to receive critical attention in the field. This presentation introduces the researcher’s doctoral thesis – a case study of Chinese students on MA Music Education: Instrumental and Vocal Teaching at the University of York, which consists of three Subunit studies to examine Chinese pre-service instrumental/vocal teachers’ subject-specific language challenges and the provision of targeted support on the programme. Data was collected through observations, interviews, and questionnaires, incorporating perspectives from both students and staff. Findings contribute empirical insights into the language challenges of Chinese MA music education students and highlight the critical need for discipline-based language support, offering broader implications for inclusivity in multicultural music classrooms.
Keywords: Music teachers, Chinese Students, Subject-specific Language