Pathways to Collaboration: A case Study of Local and Foreign Teacher Relationships in a South-eastern Chinese university

• Main Author: Lee, Kathy Wing Yee
• Other Authors: Gagne, Antoinette
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: foreign and local teacher collaboration; native and non-native English speaking teachers; communities of practice; local and foreign teacher relationships; Chinese concept of face; Chinese university; 0530
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/18102

This qualitative case study explored the nature of the relationships between Local (English) Teachers (LTs) and Foreign (English) Teachers (FTs) who worked at the same English institute of a foreign studies university in south-eastern China. Employing the community of practice framework, this research drew insights from a questionnaire, interviews, and observations. The findings revealed that the teachers seldom interacted and, furthermore, were influenced by broader social structures that were not considered in the framework. Accordingly, the theory was extended to include other perspectives, such as native and non-native English speaking teacher issues and the Chinese concept of face, in order to determine the underlying reasons that inhibited their interaction. Notwithstanding these challenges, three cases of FT-LT collaboration were discovered, and the factors that enhanced their collaboration were analysed. The LT and FT participants provided suggestions to each other and the administrators on how collaboration could be improved in their institute.