Soft Power and the Worldwide Promotion of Chinese Language Learning
Subtitle: The Confucius Institute Project
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 130
ISBN-13: 9781783098064
Subjects: Chinese language; Language and culture; China, social life and customs
Description: 'The Confucius Institute Project' - consisting of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms, the posting of Chinese language teachers to overseas schools and universities and the Chinese Bridge language competition - represents an attempt by China to extend its influence globally through the use of soft power. Facilitated by a rapidly increasing demand for Chinese language learning, it has established a presence across the globe and made valuable contributions to the learning and teaching of Chinese. However, this has not necessarily led to an increasingly positive view of China, either at a political or a societal level. Through an analysis of official documents, interviews with those involved, a survey of Chinese-language learners and a study of academic and media sources, the author evaluates the aims of the project, and discusses whether these aims are being met.