Introduction
While discussing globalization, people frequently include the global economy, politics, policy, language, environment, population, and education. Countries have experienced significant changes in technology, aviation, culture, language, and education, along with the growth of the global economy. Globalization is a double-edged sword for nations, businesses, and leaders that presents opportunities and problems. China has gained popularity in recent years due to its growing economic might and worldwide standing, and more than 60 nations now provide Chinese language instruction in their national education systems. Chinese will be included in university exams in Ireland starting in 2020, and Mandarin Chinese has surged to become Australia’s second most popular language. This article will discuss how China’s educational policies have affected the spread of the Chinese language worldwide, define linguistic globalization, examine how China’s population and economic growth have influenced the development of international schools, use a specific international school in Guangzhou as an example, and showcase its innovative methods for teaching foreign students and teaching language. Since 2012, the author has been the head of designing language products and courses for an international school. As a result of her observations of the efforts and modifications made by global school leaders in developing the school’s language policy, the author combined language class attendance with the efficiency of learning Chinese among international students in this article, critically discussed the development of Chinese curriculum among international schools, and finally, the author concluded that the development of Chinese curriculum among international schools needed to be more carefully considered.
Definition for globalization
Globalization is the increased interconnection between nations; it typically focuses on the economic, political, demographic, cultural, technological, American, environmental, linguistic, energy, and other areas. Because globalization is such a broad concept, it is crucial to take some time to consider what it means. The phrase “globalization” is broad and conceals several meanings, some of which may not fit together well. Globalization affects national governments, establishes policy mediations, and directly impacts educational institutions.
Diverse literature illustrates what the term globalization means; there are generally significant variations when scholars try to define the meaning of globalization. Various people have different understandings of globalization. Lauder et al. (2006) suggest that globalization is holistic and cannot be categorized by defined themes but as the spatial transformation of organizations regarding their social relations, particularly transnationally.
Globalization is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, and its definition can vary depending on the observer’s perspective. Some scholars, such as Hargreaves (2003), view globalization primarily as an economic process that impacts all aspects of society. Others, like Scholte (2002), argue that globalization is simply a rebranding of previously used terms, such as internationalization or Westernization. Soros (2002) acknowledges the significance of economic globalization and highlights the importance of political and cultural globalization. However, he cautions that economic globalization can have adverse effects, especially for developing countries, by exacerbating the gap between rich and poor nations. Overall, the definition and impact of globalization are complex and contested issues that require careful consideration and analysis.
Although there are many other methods to classify globalization, they are not all equally valid, and the economic, political, and demographic forms are addressed more than others. Compared to other forms of globalization, these three are the most prevalent. According to the author, globalization is inextricably linked to the economy, politics, and demographics. Labor is the productive force that can encourage economic development and impact national politics. Demographics is the basis for national development, and economic globalization will significantly affect national politics. The economy is the basis for determining international trade.
Linguistic globalization
Linguistic globalization is often associated with the spread of English as a global language (American). English has become the language of international business, science, diplomacy, and entertainment, making it a crucial skill for individuals who seek to improve their professional and social status. Ardavani and Durrant (2015) note that language learning is essential for various reasons, such as enhancing career opportunities, accessing the benefits of the international community, improving social mobility, and facilitating migration. For instance, immigrants often learn English to integrate and participate in their host communities. Additionally, English proficiency is considered a critical asset in many countries for individuals seeking upward mobility and better educational and job opportunities. Overall, the importance of English language skills in the context of globalization underscores the need for effective language education policies and programs that enable individuals to develop the necessary language proficiency and cultural competencies for success in an interconnected world (Sanei Taraneh, 2022).
The widespread adoption of English as the universal language of communication is a manifestation of linguistic globalization. In his book English as a Global Language (1997), David Crystal notes that 90% of published articles are written in English, at least 85% of the world’s cinema business is in English, and 85% of international organizations utilize its official purposes. More than 80% of all scientific papers have their first publication in English, and more than half of all technical and scientific periodicals are published in English, according to Du Hui. Furthermore, five of the largest broadcasters in the world (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, and CBC) reach a potential audience of about 300 million people through English broadcasts. In addition, computer software and manuals are often supplied only in English; 85% of international telephone conversations are conducted in English. English is the language of medicine, electronics, space, and the Olympics” (2001, pg. 130). rgued that due to the emergence of China as an economic powerhouse, Mandarin, as the officially recognized standard language and the Lingua franca of the overseas-educated Chinese diaspora, is widely believed to be the most likely candidate among the world’s language to attain the status of a language second only to English（Vaish, 2009) therefore, in the next decade, Chinese might be the global language to replace the role of English. Language through the internet and social media can spread quickly, and with the widespread use of smart mobile devices, some popular languages will meet its “boom” time. China is a large population country; more people online in China than in the US, and there are also many Chinese people living overseas who have contributed to the global spread of the Chinese language. Meanwhile, more and more foreigners are learning Chinese; they want to come to China to work, emigrate or have trade links with China, and learning Chinese gives them more possibilities.
Demographic globalization
Globalization is a complicated process involving the integration of markets, cultures, and societies worldwide. The population is essential to this process because demographic shifts significantly impact the viability of the economy, the social order, and the environment. The issue of population aging decreased fertility rates and their impact on globalization has been a significant worry in recent years.
The gap between the young and the old widens as the world’s population ages. The elderly have more medical and social welfare needs, which strains the government’s resources. At the same time, fewer young people are available to fund these programs due to dropping fertility rates. Due to the changing demographics, pension insurance is receiving more attention, taking funds away from economic growth and education.
Moreover, an aging population has important implications for economic development and productivity. Some businesses can have a labor shortage since fewer young people enter the workforce. This can lead to decreased economic output and slower growth, which can have a cascading impact on other areas of the economy. Furthermore, decreased fertility rates could eventually result in a smaller workforce, exacerbating these problems.
Rapid population expansion might lead to challenges to sustainable development. High population growth rates can strain resources, aggravate environmental deterioration, and make achieving poverty reduction and other development goals more challenging. A balance between population expansion and economic, social, and environmental sustainability is necessary for sustainable development. To overcome these difficulties, policymakers must adopt a holistic approach considering the complex interplay between demographic shifts and globalization. This could entail making investments in healthcare and education, advocating for gender equality, and putting policies in place that support long-term economic growth. By tackling these concerns, governments can achieve sustainable development while guaranteeing that their citizens can survive and succeed in the globalized world.
Population Aging and Globalization
The critical component of globalization is population. Mike Bottery (2006) states it is developing friction between progressively aged populations and those with a much younger profile. The problem of aging populations is now generally acknowledged in the developed West and the Asian tiger states, becoming so in developing countries. Since more and more individuals live longer, its nature and effects are alarming. This demonstrates that aging populations are a majority in society, and population aging is a substantial percentage of the population.
Nonetheless, the fertility rate is declining; Global Population Prospects 2022 indicates that fertility in several nations has decreased substantially in recent decades. Two-thirds of the world’s population lives with fertility rates below an average of 2.1 children per woman over a lifetime. Studies reveal that an aging population has forced nations to spend most of their resources on pension insurance for the elderly, a significant portion of government funds are used to provide retirement protection for the elderly, and the government lacks the financial resources to support economic development and education. Moreover, what is worst， several young people are unwilling to engage in low-earned human labor, which has left many factories without workers and construction sites without construction workers (Bottery, 2006). More and more young people are reluctant to have children, and lower birth rates may lead to a smaller world population.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, population growth, and sustainable development are complex and multidimensional. Excessive population growth will make efforts to eradicate poverty, combat hunger and malnutrition, and expand access to health and education more difficult. In contrast, accomplishing the goals of sustainable development, especially those relating to health, education, and gender equality, will help reduce fertility numbers and lessen the global population
Globalization and Education
Education and globalization are strongly intertwined. The expansion of the global economy has led to the globalization of education, and the competitiveness of education among countries has become a key strength of nations. If we hope to maintain a world-class economy… we will require world-class schools, according to Liu Zhenmin (2022).
US President Obama spoke at an education round table discussion on July 18, 2011, ‘A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining whether our kids can compete for the best jobs and whether America can out-compete countries around the world’ (Spring, 2008). Every government in the world provides education to its citizens; Spring Joel uses this as an example in his book. This education system is managed by a central ministry of education and is provided through a network of schools. Internally, every school has classrooms run by certified professional teachers.
Students follow a generally consistent curriculum according to their own national and cultural context. This example explains that globalization has a noticeable impact on education. Every country wants an education system that can deliver good quality courses to students. Moreover, many countries are increasing performance benchmarking, looking to market-based policies, and advocation an increased role for private schools (Spring, 2008). Private schools, especially international schools, teach in small classes and prepare global citizens and the world’s top; they offer programs that bridge the gap between education in many countries, such as IB, AP, and a-level.
Learning Community and Learning Organization
Globalization begins to determine the nature of schools everywhere. Building up the learning community and learning organization can help schools respond to the current situation of globalization. “Global changes and competitiveness prompted a paradigm shift in business thought, coupled with new concepts of business executives and workers.” Casey (1995, Pg. 43) suggests that the worker’s ability to learn and adapt is more important than his past training’. Part of this change would be achieved by espousing transformational leadership theories; leaders would lead the new workers through this new paradigm. However, all within the organization would need to participate in such change.” (Leithwood et al., 2004, pg. 143)
Leaders can create continuous learning opportunities and promote continuous dialogue and inquiry between members, create climates within which people feel encouraged to share ideas and collaborate on developing new ones, establish systems that would ‘capture’ and further distribute such learning, empower people towards the articulation and embrace of collective visions, and last, recognize the need to understand, interact and adapt to a constant change environment.
To develop a learning organization, schools need to make apparent personal capacities and dreams, critique and overturn deeply held personal beliefs, recognize the mental models, make public, instantiate new ways of thinking, encourage team learning, and collaborate in developing and sharing knowledge in small groups. Share visions with staff, build collective dreams which can then be used to guide future actions, and last, pay attention to systems thinking, see the need for employees to develop the ability to place and understand their views or actions within a significant organization perspective, and to accept that there is a fundamental inter-connectivity between their actions and all others within the organization. Stewart argues that leaders and managers should change their job from POEM（plan, organize, execute, and measure) to DNA（define, nurture, allocate) ( Bottery, 2006).
Moreover, leaders also need to develop more sensitive and flexible education and training systems for staff and create a suitable workplace that will be more organic, more empowering, more democratic, and more collaborative. Staff who have intellectual capital will be paid and highly prized. However, staff needing more intellectual capital are allowed to develop it. Therefore, building up the learning community and learning organization is the critical solution for leaders to achieve respect and gain excellent outcomes in the trend of globalization.
Distributed Leadership a Fundamental to the Realization of Globalization
Distributed leadership has become viewed globally as the way forward. Leadership within this approach is ‘fluid and emergent rather than as a fixed phenomenon’ (Nye, 2002, p. 324). It involves teachers at various times as leaders and followers work together to solve problems and accomplish tasks. Research evidence from school improvement projects internationally is cited as proof of the success of teacher leaders in improving school and classroom practice (Harris, 2002). The practice of distributed leadership is also viewed as fundamental to realizing another global concept, that of schools as ‘learning organizations. School leaders need to consider various elements under the globalization challenge and opportunity, effective leadership is structured and supported by various factors, but most factors, especially in the twenty-first century, effective leadership are influenced by school effectiveness and student learning (Leithwood et al., 2004). Therefore, it is important to know the leadership quality, understand how the leader operates, and how it can be designed in practice. Leadership is stretched across leaders, followers, and context; leadership is pointing to any concrete, specific persons or individual actions, casts a wider conceptual net, promoting a unique perspective, and views all leadership activity as inherently “distributed” or “stretched over” the interactions of leaders and followers as they unfold within a specific social context (Spillane et al., 2004). The distributed perspective emphasizes the practice and activity of leadership, the actions of and interactions among students, teachers, administrators, and other school community members. (Taylor & Francis Group, 2016) To sum up， leaders usually mention not only principals and heads of schools but also means administrators, specialists, and teachers( they are also followers); they can be leaders in their professional fields and be followers to complete the tasks under the same target. Leaders and followers take tools, show skills, and follow routines in specific structures and situations.
Distributed leadership showed that leaders came to see different roles and embrace new definitions for and boundaries around their leaders’ practices. Moreover, in the tense of globalization, leaders take action to support the school programs, build up the school framework and missions, and encourage teachers and staff to achieve better outcomes; in the meanwhile, they design courses which suitable for students to learn and to develop skills that can help students to be competitive in the real world. Distributed leadership also provides training and structures to support school leaders’ collaborative efforts to build leadership capacity more effectively in their schools. Leaders motivate and support teachers and students to learn and build up a learning community and learning organizations.
Cultural Webs in Organizations
The Cultural Web is a representation of taken-for-granted assumptions of an organization. It includes stories, myths, symbols, power structures, organization structures, control systems, and rituals & routines. It helps management to focus on the critical factors of culture and their impact on strategic issues and can identify blockages to and facilitators of change in order to improve performance and competitive advantage. The organization’s culture influences an organization’s strategy, but this can cause problems when the need for change arises. Management can tighten controls and improve operational performance to implement change. If this fails, they might make strategic changes within the existing ways of doing things.
These changes include changes in curriculum, changes in the mission of teachers, changes in organizational structure, changes in the division of labor, and even changes in the school’s mission, the composition of leadership, and the restructuring of the board of directors. McLean encourages leaders to apply cognitive rather than mechanistic approaches to understanding and attempting to change the organizational culture (Hugh, 2015). Managers can find themselves trapped in the organization’s routines, assumptions, or politics, with the familiar ways of doing things still being done within a different application. To better understand fluctuations, disorder, and change, leaders should consider and look into the cultural webs in organizations. As weavers of organizational cultural webs, leaders and managers should try to understand threads made up of semiotics, semantics, structure, and people—— and to change them. Leadership seeks to effect change in organizational culture.
Global International Schools Development Status
Since the 21st century, international schools have emerged globally, with the number of international schools and student enrollment reaching record highs. In 2000 there was a total of 2,584 international schools worldwide, with an enrollment of about 1 million students; in 2010, the number of international schools worldwide reached 5,600, and their enrollment reached about 2.5 million, an increase of 117% and 150%, respectively, compared to 2000. In 2018, there were 9,605 international schools and 5.1 million students, an increase of 72% and 104%, respectively, compared to 2010. At the same time, international schools are forecast to continue their strong growth over the next decade, with the total number of international schools worldwide expected to exceed 16,000 by 2028, with an enrollment of nearly 10 million students, up 67% and 96%, respectively, year-over-year from 2018. (as cited in China International School Industry Strategy Research Report）.
In terms of the distribution of international schools, Dubai leads the way with 306 international schools, followed by Shanghai, Abuja, and Beijing with 169, 160, and 142 international schools, respectively, while Buenos Aires, Doha, Phnom Penh, Singapore, and Tokyo also have a large number of international schools, mostly between 120 and 140. About one-third of international school enrollment is concentrated in four major markets in Asia: the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, and India, with 642,200, 489,300, 300,500, and 296,400 students enrolled, respectively. （as cited in China International School Industry Strategy Research Report).
China’s International School Development Between 2018 to 2022
According to the statistics and accounting of Ariadne Consulting, as of August 31, 2018, there were 1,309 international schools in China, with an average enrollment of 392 students per school and a total enrollment of 513,000 students (accounting for only 0.23% of the total K-12 enrollment nationwide) with an average annual tuition (including pure tuition, excluding miscellaneous fees such as accommodation, meals, uniforms, transportation, etc.) of RMB 108,000 per student. This means that international schools in China’s market size reached at least RMB 55.4 billion in 2018.
China added only 12 new international schools between 2010 and 2020, while in 2022, a whopping 15 international schools will be enrolled, open, or newly built for the first time, according to New School TalkIndustry Public Articles） as of December 2022, there is 15 first-time or new international school in mainland China, Guangzhou has the largest number of a new international school, with six schools.
International School Development Under the Influence of Policy
China is very policy-oriented; the school operation and the development of enterprises will be changed according to the national policy. Over the past two years, a variety of policies have had an impact on the growth of international schools. Here is a brief introduction to three policies that significantly impact the Chinese language programs of international schools.
First, the 20th Party Congress Report states, “Promote a high level of openness to the outside world.” International schools are essential to education, opening to the outside world and actively attempting to “internationalize locally.” In July 2022, the Ministry of Education implemented a unique governance of training institutions involved in foreign courses. This action has triggered a strong reaction from international schools. The target of this unique governance is mainly international high schools that are held in violation of the law. In the short term, it will eliminate irregularities in the industry and protect the rights of students from being violated; in the long term, it will improve the governance of private schools and the management of curriculum and teaching materials by systematizing and standardizing the construction of a sound ecology of education. For the schools themselves, curriculum regulation is more conducive to strengthening and enhancing their international curriculum implementation and teaching quality assurance capabilities, especially since the curriculum system and corresponding teacher and teaching resource allocations account for a larger share of the school’s operating costs.
Secondly, the release of the “Double Reduction” Policy in 2021， “Double Reduction” policy in China was introduced to reduce the academic burden of primary and secondary school students, ease their parents’ education anxiety, enhance education equity, and curb the phenomenon of education involution. This double reduction and accompanying facilities are for students in the nine-year compulsory education system for Chinese citizens, so international schools are unaffected. Some parents and students with foreign status have more options under the double reduction. On the other hand, the impact of the double reduction policy on international schools for expatriate children is not significant and, in other ways, is even more beneficial to international school enrollment for expatriate children.
Finally, with the accelerated pace of international education, relevant departments have introduced some policies one after another: bilingual international schools that can enroll Chinese nationals must offer the Chinese national curriculum in the nine-year compulsory education stage and add compulsory education courses such as the Humanities version of the language, the Humanities version of mathematics, ideology, and morality, and Chinese history. The IBO official recently announced that it would add compulsory education courses to the IB curriculum at the primary and junior high school levels. This shows that the future education model combining compulsory education and international curriculum will be a new trend.
These policies show that international schools should emphasize the Chinese characteristics and heritage of education and establish specific and unique Chinese curricula to accommodate the policies.
Economic Development Impact the Curriculum Among International Schools
As the integration of Chinese and Western cultures and educational philosophies intensifies, international schools are paying more and more attention to issues such as the development of student’s abilities, personality development, and physical and mental health education, and the application of school-based programs is increasing. It is worth noting that more schools emphasize integrated education, and steam courses are increasingly used in teaching and learning, becoming the primary curriculum. In addition to the content of the courses, the competition extends to the educational philosophy and hardware equipment. Some schools use forms and mean such as project-based and credit-based systems to urge students to participate and acquire appropriate skills. This approach will be increasingly used in international courses. In this way, it becomes one of the critical elements of competition, increasing attractiveness and contributing to the diversification of quality education.
Along with keywords such as critical thinking, whole-person education, and lifelong education around education, new concepts represented by new words such as new consensus education and natural education have gradually emerged. In the future, international schools will have greater autonomy in setting majors, offering curricula, selecting teaching materials, enrolling students, recruiting teachers and other staff, optimizing the cost of schooling, and better promoting quality education.
International Chinese language teaching should distinguish more accurately between teaching and learning objectives, improve teaching and learning arrangements, strengthen the comparative study of Chinese and Chinese learners’ native languages, and give full play to the role of new media to create a set of localized and distinctive Chinese education models. Many international schools provide quality Chinese language teaching to students, allowing them to experience the beauty of the language in a multicultural atmosphere.
Schools should carefully design learning content for each year group and revisit the materials to match the school’s termly themes and the student’s learning pace. Every Chinese New Year, schools can hold a grand New Year celebration where the whole school and parents can enjoy Chinese culture to the fullest. In addition, they can host various cultural events at the Mid-Autumn Festival and Dragon Boat Festival each year to give students a more immersive experience.
Steps Taken by International School Leaders in the Face of Globalization
International schools typically have a high foreign teacher-to-student ratio due to economic and educational advancement. While private international schools only have 32 students with one foreign teacher and international public classes have more than 23 students with one foreign teacher, the average foreign teacher-to-student ratio in international schools is about 9.1:1.
There must be more foreign teachers despite the recent rise in international schools worldwide. In addition to being in short supply, international teachers receive significant salaries and benefits. Several international schools for expatriates pay a significant portion of their operational costs from the salaries and benefits of their foreign teachers.
It is typical for international schools to employ a certain proportion of Chinese-speaking bilingual teachers who, while improving their ability to relate to local kids, also help to spread the expense of teacher salaries. Moreover, some Chinese curricula may be used at public and private international schools, which might result in a sizable proportion of foreign teacher students.
In order to preserve a balance between the needs of native instructors and foreign teachers while promoting tolerance for all cultures, leaders, and managers should make an effort. To create a suitable curriculum for every child, international school leaders should adapt to various situations and research them. For instance, by observing, recording, analyzing, following, and researching each student’s daily performance, teachers might establish a “personal development record” for each student. Three common questions might be posed to students during the first lesson for newcomers: Are you the same as everyone else? Do you enjoy standing out from the crowd? What sets you apart from others? So that they can more effectively use their talents and make up for their deficiencies to develop into well-rounded individuals, teachers help pupils understand their uniqueness from the very beginning. The idea that every student will always be self-assured and demonstrate their individuality in their life path is based on these three questions, which pupils think about every day at school. In their educational procedures, administrators should consistently uphold the idea that “every student is unique” and carry out follow-up research on students with various personal qualities, which helps them to tailor their education to their needs.
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