Chinese Cultural Aphasia in English Language Education: A Systematic Review and Trans-cultural Reconstruction Framework

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts (FELA), INTI International University, Malaysia

2 Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts (FELA), INTI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, Nilai, Malaysia

3 Student Affairs Department, Guangzhou Huashang Vocational College, Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Chinese cultural aphasia is used to describe a common issue among Chinese English learners: they struggle to convey domestic culture accurately in English. While research on this issue has accumulated more than 2 decades following the introduction of this term in 2000, no systematic review has been conducted to synthesize this literature. To address this gap, this paper analyzes 52 key studies published from 2000 to 2025 to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the phenomenon. The results show that both students and teachers have a good command of Chinese cultural knowledge, yet lack the competence to express it in English. Meanwhile, existing English teaching materials and course arrangements also show obvious systemic shortcomings. The causes span five dimensions: historical-social factors, educational policies, textbooks and curricula, teacher and student competencies, and deeper discourse rules. Proposed countermeasures have evolved from fragmented suggestions into a systematic six-pronged approach encompassing macro-level policy, curriculum and textbook reform, pedagogical innovation, teacher development, assessment reform, and discourse system construction. Building on these findings, the study further proposes a Trans-cultural Reconstruction Framework (TRF) that integrates institutional, pedagogical, and discourse dimensions, with discourse autonomy as the ultimate goal. The implications are threefold: it clarifies a key theoretical distinction, offers practical guidance for pedagogical reform, and provides a replicable methodology for similar reviews. Future research should continue to advance in areas such as longitudinal tracking in basic education, long-term teacher development mechanisms, systematic textbook development, further exploration of discourse system construction, outcome tracking, and integration of information technology.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Applied Research on English Language

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 September 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 11 August 2026
  • Revise Date: 10 September 2026
  • Accept Date: 14 September 2026

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