Racism in China’s English language teaching industry: English as a race-making technology

Abstract

This article argues that racism is pervasive in China's English language teaching (ELT) industry, yet it is often ignored. It presents that English language education in China should be understood historically in a way that recognizes English as a racializing technology. As a race-making technology, English has continued making modern Chinese subjects while also posing a threat to Chineseness in the 21st century. This intertwining of race and the English language has translated into a massive ELT industry in China that reproduces whiteness, influencing hiring practices and preferences for White English teachers. Additionally, race intersects with gender, nationality, and class, leading to a highly racialized and gendered ELT industry, exemplified in discourses of “foreign experts” and “foreign trash” popular in China's context. The article concludes by asserting that the English language, as a race-making technology, has structured the ELT industry, and discussing its implications for future research and practical changes to challenge intersectional racism in the industry.

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