Contested Notions of Bilingualism and Trilingualism in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the current scholarship and debates about the phenomena of bilingualism and trilingualism. It discusses the implications of the research and debates for language education for the majority Han and minority groups and future research into language use. The history of bilingualism and bilingual education in China can be traced back to the third century when the country was united under the Qin Dynasty and the Han majority group began to colonize remote areas of the country. The impact of English–Chinese bilingual education on indigenous minority education is immeasurable. Although issues under debate in English–Chinese bilingual education and bilingualism differ hugely from those related to trilingual education and trilingualism for minority groups, they reveal the intrinsic relationship between language and politics, language and society, language and power, and language and identity.

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