English language teaching in China as preparation for study beyond China

The teaching of English in university contexts in China has become an integral element in China’s push to contest its own linguistic borders and reach beyond into the world of globalized English. As part of this process collaborative initiatives have been established between Chinese universities and universities in countries such as England, the USA and also Australia. One such initiative ( Collaborating for Success) provides the context for the research reported in this paper. The paper draws on extensive qualitative data, collected in China and in Australia, to build a picture of the experiences and issues associated with English language teaching (ELT) as preparation for study abroad. The voices of academics and postgraduate students, interviewed as part of the study, provide a nuanced picture of cultural and linguistic complexities, and how these impact English language learning in China and English language use in academic and social discourses within Australia. The paper also reports on support initiatives that have been developed as part of this collaborative projec