Understanding undergraduates of Chinese heritage in the UK: Motivations and challenges

Abstract

A growing number of British universities are offering degree programs in the Chinese language. While students of ethnic Chinese background have endured as a steady source of students studying for a degree in Chinese at British universities, they remain an uncharted terrain of research. The aim of this study is to fill this research gap. With a goal of helping to more effectively tap the potential of heritage learners to meet the urgent language need, this study draws on an analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses and follow-up interviews to explore both the motivations behind the choice of heritage learners to pursue a degree in Chinese and the specific challenges that they face during their studies.