Article published In:
Australian Review of Applied Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Teaching culture in a competitive market

The introduction of VCE Chinese Language, Culture, and Society

ORCID logo | Monash University
| Monash University
| Monash University

In 2012, the White Paper Australia in the Asian Century urged governments across Australia to improve access to Asian studies in schools. Despite this, schools still struggle to maintain interest and success for secondary students, particularly those without an Asian family background. In response to the low numbers of non-Chinese-background students graduating from secondary schools with proficiency in Chinese language, the Victorian government launched a new Chinese Language, Culture, and Society subject in 2017. This study focuses on the teaching of this subject, which is taken in the last two years of secondary schooling during the pre-tertiary Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). Drawing upon interview data with administrators, teachers and students during the first years of its implementation, the article presents the views and challenges of stakeholders involved in this subject and argues that the inherent limitations of the VCE system will make it difficult for the new subject to achieve its stated aims.

Keywords: Chinese as a second language, Chinese-language background, non-Chinese-language background and learning, intercultural competence, Chinese culture, Victorian Certificate of Education
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review and research context
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1The project
    • 3.2An overview of the Chinese Language and Culture Studies course (CLCS)
  • 4.Findings
    • 4.1Student voice
    • 4.2Teacher voice
    • 4.3Philosophy and pedagogy
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 December 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.22019.ben
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