Comments on: Peripheral language learners and the romance of Thai

By: Hallyu and Korean language learning – Language on the Move

Hallyu and Korean language learning – Language on the Move — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 06:20:33 +0000

[…] (2021). Peripheral language learners and the romance of Thai. Language on the Move. Retrieved from https://languageonthemove.com/peripheral-language-learners-and-the-romance-of-thai/ Ma, Y. (2020). Empowerment of Chinese Muslim women through Arabic? Language on the Move. Retrieved […]

By: Lizamhel Mendoza

Lizamhel Mendoza — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 14:59:25 +0000

With the development of China’s trans-Asia railway, we can see that their neighboring countries began to see the educational and economic advantages of learning Chinese. Professor Li Jia offers a different view of how students can learn a language through informal means or outside the classroom. The process of Lao students studying Thai to learn Chinese and Chinese students learning Thai through Zhuang is fascinating because these students are doing this through Chinese dramas and films. We can see here that the rise of such media can help facilitate language learning among its audience.

By: Ingrid Piller

Ingrid Piller — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 05:08:20 +0000

In reply to Shiyi.ke. Thanks, Shiyi! Chinese is definitely becoming more and more valuable, particularly in contexts like Laos.

By: Shiyi.ke

Shiyi.ke — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:02:54 +0000

As far as I know，Laos is adjacent to China, and its economy is not well developed, but it is rich in tourism resources. Every year, many Chinese people travel to Laos. Chinese tourists travel to Laos, driving the development of the local economy. Many Chinese tourists find that many young Laotians can speak Chinese when they travel to Laos. My friend told me that as long as the employees can speak Chinese in Laos, the salary will be much higher than that of the same age.Many companies in Laos are recruiting and require applicants to be able to speak Chinese. Laos and China have frequent trade exchanges. A large number of Chinese travel to Laos, and Laos imports a large number of goods from China. Many Chinese will invest and set up factories in Laos, and the economic ties between the two countries have become increasingly close.

By: Hongmei Yang

Hongmei Yang — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 09:16:23 +0000

The opening of the China-Laos railway is an astonishing work of engineering. It brings both opportunities and challenges. I appreciated Professor Li Jia for presenting us with more possibilities of cultural integration from the perspective of language learners’ learning experience. Now we should focus on the necessity and importance of developing intercultural communication skills for the future political, economic and cultural development of the two countries, and language definitely plays a crucial role. Taking the advantage of the relevance between different languages sounds like a reasonable and effective way to learn a language. It might prompt us to dig out similarities or differences between two languages to increase our interest in language learning.

By: Meng Yingjie

Meng Yingjie — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 09:03:43 +0000

The emergence of more and more novel social mediums undoubtedly provide more channels and opportunities for language learners. The recently opened railway between China and Laos makes a great difference to peripheral language learners. It’s a good chance for them to enhance their social upward mobility and transnational employment prospects by learning Chinese language and culture. Interlanguage is also a good way for international students from Laos and ethnic minority youths with Zhuang background to master the target language. Meanwhile, some points need to be paid attention to. For example, the culture of the target language reflected through interlanguage is not comprehensive and may be one-sided and even distorted. Additionally, peripheral language learners should be concerned and offered more opportunities and facilities to acquire Chinese language.

By: Li Zhongmo

Li Zhongmo — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 13:43:35 +0000

What an important role Thai language plays as the mediated language of Chinese and Laos. The proficiency in Thai can not only help the international students from Laos but ethnic minority youths with a Zhuang background, which gives me a new understanding of the relevance of language. And much more attention should be paied to Marginal languages.

By: Zhijuan Ni

Zhijuan Ni — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 13:18:31 +0000

Both Laos and Zhuang students’ informal language learning experiences are fascinating. Laos students turn to Thai language to learn Chinese and their courses, which may not be anticipated by policy makers or educational institutions. Although Van has got empowered, still questions should be asked: What policy can be implemented for foreign students’ learning dilemma? How to improve the current language teaching methods? Chinese ethnic minority students learn Thai through watching TV series and have received better employment. Language learning for academic advance is not sufficient for today’s young language learners’ need. From my Myanmar participants, I also discover the significant role of social media in informal language learning experiences. This kind of bottom-up language learning method may be the only way for grassroots to learn foreign languages and achieve their upward mobility. However, it has not been paid enough attention so far and more stories about peripheral languages and marginalized speakers should be told.

By: Danxia Ling

Danxia Ling — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 02:08:56 +0000

As one of the postgraduate students under the supervision of Professor Li jia, I am always deeply impressed by her passion and high efficiency in academic research and her keen insight for gathering useful information from different stories and experiences of the participants. As a PhD candidate who is also doing the studies related to multilingual education of ethnic minority groups in a China’s border region, I am so excited about the opening of China-Laos Railway as I witnessed how my participants from border region struggle with their dilemma through making use of their linguistic repertoire and culture to empower themselves and their great expectation for being included into the connection between China and Southeast Asian countries especially in the context of China’s BRI.