Becoming a Chinese Language Teacher

This book presents a longitudinal study which tracks the changes in pre-service teachers’ professional identity and provides a nuanced perspective to understanding the journey of becoming a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) teacher. By situating this study within the framework of teacher identity, this book contributes to the ongoing conversations in applied linguistics and teacher education regarding how professional identities are constructed, challenged, and redefined over time. This book contributes to the existing literature through its detailed description of the dynamics and complex nature of pre-service CFL teachers’ identities and its full exploration of the factors shaping these teachers' identities. It also investigates how these factors impact their motivation and commitment to the profession of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. As a mark of difference from most existing literature, which often focuses on skill acquisition and pedagogical knowledge, this book emphasises personal, social, and contextual aspects of identity formation. It explores how the unique social, cultural, and educational contexts of CFL teaching deeply impact the way pre-service teachers navigate their professional identities.This book enables readers to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to become a CFL teacher in a rapidly evolving field, and it also suggests practical recommendations for teacher education programmes to support identity development in ways that foster both personal and professional growth. By advancing the understanding of identity development in Chinese language teaching, this book makes a meaningful contribution to the fields of teacher education and applied linguistics, providing valuable insights into supporting the next generation of language educators.