‘Sorry, but they don’t want Chinese Americans to participate’: a case study of tracking in an Ivy League Chinese language programme

This study examines a Chinese language programme in an Ivy League institution through the lens of Tracking to re-conceptualise the achievement gap between Chinese heritage language learners (CHLLs) and non-heritage language learners. Like most prestigious universities in the U.S., Chinese language learners in this case study are put on one of two tracks: Chinese heritage or non-heritage. This study reveals that CHLLs obtain a lower level of Chinese language proficiency despite their cultural background and language advantages. Scholars have tended to analyse CHLLs’ academic performance through linguistic or cultural perspectives. Drawing on research studies of tracking systems, this study compares the dual-track system in a Chinese language programme with the tracking system in place at American K-12 schools. This comparison allows for a deeper understanding of how CHLLs’ status as a minority in American language classrooms makes it more difficult for CHLLs to learn Chinese. This study examines the cultural processes and structural forces that shape the learning environment of CHLLs. It focuses on factors that contribute to CHLLs’ academic struggles, including school culture, institutional structures, and individual’s agency, to offer foreign language teachers and scholars new ways of thinking about improving the language proficiencies of heritage language learners.