Introduction

This chapter introduces the book Researching Chinese Language Education: Functional Linguistic Perspectives edited by Mark Shiu-kee Shum and Peter Mickan. The purpose of the book is to report recent functional linguistic studies undertaken in researching and teaching Chinese as a first language (L1) or a second language (L2) in Hong Kong and in Australia. The chapter points out that the significance of the book lies in its contribution to the relatively new domain of applying functional linguistics to Chinese language education. It provides a brief introduction to functional linguistic perspectives and an overview of the chapters in three areas, namely effective pedagogies, curriculum and material design, and text analysis. The studies in the book represent the work of more than a decade, with responses to major local curriculum reforms and the rapid growth of International Baccalaureate programmes worldwide. It demonstrates the new approach of applying functional linguistics to assess student performance so as to inform teaching and learning of Chinese and to design curriculum and teaching materials.