Policy-driven expansion and implementation gaps
A document analysis of Chinese language education in UAE public K–12 schools
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23310871 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emad A S Abu-Ayyash (0000-0002-6860-3233, British University, corresponding author), Tendai Charles (0000-0002-0253-5960, British University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-24 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Issues in Language Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1466-4208 • E-ISSN: 1747-7506 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14664208.2026.2704766 |
| OpenAlex | W7169792052 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
This study examines the current state and development of Chinese language education in the UAE's public K-12 schools, addressing the gap in systematic, cross-validated document analysis of this rapidly expanding programme by using qualitative document analysis of multi-source materials. The study identifies four interrelated characteristics: (1) policy-driven expansion, embedded in diplomatic strategies and the ‘Hundred Schools Project,' shifting from rapid growth to consolidation; (2) developed curricula and textbooks but weak vertical articulation with higher education; (3) a fully expatriate teaching workforce facing supply, workload, and intercultural adaptation pressures, making teachers' intercultural communicative competence (ICC) structurally central; and (4) regional imbalances, with Abu Dhabi concentrating the majority of schools and learners. The findings imply that sustainable development requires evidence-informed governance, enhanced teacher support, vertical learner pathways, regionally differentiated planning, and explicit ICC attention. This study provides an empirically grounded analytical framework, rooted in the Gulf context, for understanding policy-practice gaps, and offers methodological and conceptual implications for evaluating language policies and theorising teachers’ ICC in multilingual societies.
Articulation (sociology) · Competence (human resources) · Curriculum · Discourse analysis · Expatriate · Intercultural Competence · Language policy · Native-language instruction · Qualitative research · Workforce · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Socioeconomic Development in MENA
Language Planning
Language Policy
Negotiating Language Policies in Schools
Conducting a Qualitative Document Analysis
Single screening versus conventional double screening for study selection in systematic reviews
Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence‐Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review
Transl[iter]ating Dubai’s linguistic landscape
Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Enacting Chinese-ness on Arab Land
Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method
Linguistic diversity and inclusion in Abu Dhabi’s linguistic landscape during the Covid-19 period
Chinese language education policies in the Arabian Gulf
Al-Hay As-Sini’ explored
Panda diplomacy’ and the subtle rise of a Chinese language ecology in Qatar
A third player
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |