ABSTRACT
This chapter situates the inquiry of English for research publication purposes (ERPP) in the Chinese academic context. By investigating the language beliefs and practices of Chinese scholars in English-language related disciplines, this study aims to explore the complex language dynamics in research communication. A questionnaire survey consisting of closed multiple choice and open-ended questions was distributed to the scholars in English literature and linguistic studies in six national foreign-language universities in China, and 210 questionnaires were collected. The quantitative analysis of the data was complemented with a qualitative content analysis of open-ended comments. The findings showed that the Chinese scholars preferred an English-Chinese biliteracy approach to research communication, and they did not perceive ERPP as a threat to Chinese as an academic language. It is argued that their beliefs were probably influenced by the macro-level policy narrative as well as their strong professional and ethnolinguistic identity. We contrast the findings with previous research conducted in the European contexts and discuss possible policy implications for ERPP research in general.
