A Systematic Review of Studies on English Learning for Ethnic Minority Students in China: 2010–2019

Abstract

In the past ten years, the research on English learning as EFL (English as Foreign Language) for ethnic minority students in China has made significant progress. It would be beneficial to review what has been done and what needs to be explored further. This paper performs a content analysis on English learning as EFL among ethnic minority students in China. It covers articles published from 2010 to 2019 to glimpse the research trends regarding the research progress and significant themes explored in the field. Thirty-two articles published in key journals in China were identified and selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Six aspects of research in the field were examined, namely: (1) the annual publication trend, (2) themes, (3) ethnic minority groups and regional distribution, (4) subject educational level, (5) research instruments, and, (6) regional distribution of the research sites. Three limitations with the extant studies were delineated: (1) biased coverage on the research subjects, (2) singularity and lack of triangulation of research methods, (3) lack of broad and in-depth research findings. The findings may give insights to future research on the EFL teaching and learning among ethnic minorities in China and research projects of the exact nature.