This article aims to demonstrate how the use of an online journal, a bilingual blog, can contribute to filling in the language and cultural gaps of foreign language learners. This case study focuses on the participation, interaction, motivation, language acquisition, feedback and cultural input improved by students of Spanish as a Foreign Language…

In the context of social expectation and identification, it is worthy of studying the construction of new teacher's role identity. As a case study, this paper adopted the methods of observation, interview, and open-ended questionnaire to examine a new teacher's daily life in schooling context. It has been found that the new teacher's role-identity…

This study analyzes the structural reform of local governments funding for early childhood education (ECE) as the general public still casts doubts about the fairness of ECE system in China. A particular case in point is the Shenzhen Municipal Government's reform on their ECE funding system. Because the reform efforts are more about restructuring…

Global student mobility is one of the fastest growing phenomena in higher education in the twenty-first century. Over three million students are currently mobile, crossing geographic, cultural, digital, and educational borders in the pursuit of an international education--a movement that has significant consequences for higher education…

This article reports on one aspect of a larger study which aimed to explore the context-specific experiences of English teachers at tertiary institutions in China (Wette & Barkhuizen, 2007). Data were collected during a professional development program run in the summer of 2006. The program aimed to cover recent trends in the field of second…

This article investigates the home literacy practices of two immigrant families, one each of Lebanese and Chinese descent. It explores the consequences of mismatches between home and school literacy practices in relation to mainstream academic outcomes. Two mothers of the families in this study are interviewed about their beliefs and parenting…

The system of Chinese universities R&D as a branch of the system of the whole country R&D, has a great effect on the development and innovation of the country's science and technique. Consequently, it's important to construct an effective management team with high diathesis for University R&D management. Based on the statistics of the…

Through case study methods, we examine a vocational university in China to ascertain if and the extent to which industrial modernization, the global economy and economic market forces, and state planning have altered this institution. We focus specifically upon a vocational university in China, as these institutions comprise the newest higher…

This paper is a research in the second Language acquisition (SLA) with its focus on the role of input, interaction and output in the development of oral fluency in the EFL context from both a theoretical point of view and a case study. Two instruments were used: tests of oral fluency and face-to-face interviews. The findings showed that non-native…

In the last three decennia, many governments have introduced market mechanisms in education. They have done so by enhancing parental choice and encouraging school competition, through policies like abolishing catchment areas, creating voucher programmes and setting up charter schools. These market mechanisms have given rise to fierce debates in…

This book challenges the assumption that creativity is culture-free. Fostering creativity in the young has gained unprecedented attention in China, one of the most vigorous world economies today. This book examines Chinese kindergarten teachers' interpretations of creativity in relation to their ideas of children's learning and cognition, using…

Weblogs are beginning to be used in educational settings in China, sending hope for changes in both learning and assessment. This article summarizes two recent Weblogs studies involving new ideas of student assessment in China. While these case studies focus on how Weblogs could facilitate innovation in the assessment field, they simultaneously…

This paper explores the possibilities for building research-oriented, school-engaged teacher education through the professional learning of volunteer teacher-researchers. Volunteerism in education covers a broad spectrum of people and activities ranging from working in school canteens to supporting language and literacy programs. This paper…

Globalization affects all the areas of the world economy, nations, countries, institutions and people (Armstrong, 2007; Suarez-Orozco, 2004). Meaning of this complex phenomenon is understood differently by leaders and the people involved in activities related to global economies. Higher education institutions such as universities are in the midst…

Mother tongue education in separate schools has been in the norm for several of China's large minorities since 1949. In recent years, however, the shift in minority parental demand, media focus on low educational outcomes of mother tongue education combined with government concerns about separatism have led to the development of mixed schools for…