The Positioning and Predicaments of Chinese Language Education in an English-immersion Program: A Case Study of HFI

Journal of Chinese Language Education and Evaluation

JCLEE, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2026, pp.147-159.

Print ISSN: 3078-283X; Online ISSN: 3104-5030

Journal homepage: https://www.cleejournal.com

DOI：https://doi.org/10.64058/jc1ee260112ppcle

The Positioning and Predicaments of Chinese Language Education in an English-immersion Program: A Case Study of HFI

刘珈亦（Liu Jiayi）

Abstract: This case study examines how Chinese language education is situated within an English-immersion international school in China and what implications this positioning has for bilingual development and intercultural competence. Drawing on a three-month institutional internship, classroom observation, and information from the school's official website, the study addresses three research questions: (1) How does HFI integrate Chinese language and culture into an English-immersion programme? (2) What challenges does Chinese language education face in this bilingual context? and (3) What practical implications can be drawn to improve Chinese language education in similar settings? Findings show that HFI implements a curricular integration that retains core Chinese high-school courses alongside an AP programme. In addition, the school links Chinese cultural study to international activities to foster bilingual and bicultural competence. However, the teaching practice in international schools where English is the main medium of instruction often leads to the marginalization of Chinese in assessment and daily academic use, students negotiate contrasting classroom cultures, and L2 dominance poses risks to certain dimensions of L1 development. Building on bilingualism and translanguaging literature, this study puts forward improvement suggestions for curriculum design, teaching methods and at the school level. The study contributes to scholarship on internationalised schooling in China, fills the gap of insufficient attention to Chinese language education in the field of international schools, and provides operational strategies for maintaining bilingual balance.

Keywords: Chinese language education; bilingual education; English-immersion programs

Author Biography: Liu Jiayi, Ph.D. candidate, Faculty of English Language and Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, specializing in British and American literature. E-mail: liu_jiayi2022@163.com

标题：英语浸入式背景下中文教育的定位与困境——基于华附国际部的个案研究

摘要：本研究以一英语沉浸式国际学校（华附国际部HFI）为案例，探讨中文课程在国际化学校体系中的定位及其对学生双语发展和跨文化能力的影响。研究基于在为期三个月的实习、课堂观察与该学校的官方网站信息，围绕三个研究问题展开：（1）HFI如何在英语沉浸式环境中整合中文语言与文化，以培养学生的双语能力？（2）在双语教育环境中，中文教育面临哪些结构性与教学层面的挑战？（3）可从该案例中提炼哪些有助于改进国际学校中文教育的实践启示？研究结果表明，HFI 通过保留中国高中基础必修课程、与 AP 课程并行实施、并将中华文化学习融入国际交流活动，以促进学生的双语与双文化发展。然而，国际学校以英语为主要教学语言的教学实践导致汉语在评估和日常学术使用中经常被边缘化，第二语言的提升对母语发展的某些方面可能造成消极影响。基于此，本研究提出课程设计、教学法及学校层面的改进建议。研究的意义在于弥补国际学校领域对中文教育关注不足的缺口，并为维持双语均衡提供了可操作的策略，为中国国际化教育的研究做出了贡献。