Abstract:
Cultural knowledge and competence, crucial elements for Chinese heritage-language learners
in New Zealand, remain under-researched in Chinese heritage education. Understanding
Chinese heritage culture holds significance for two primary reasons. Firstly, cultural knowledge
allows learners to grasp the context behind words and sentence construction (D. F. Wang, 2022;
Fei, 2005; Kramsch, 1993; Lv, 1990; ). Secondly, cultural competence provides opportunities
for learners to discern the uniqueness and universality of heritage and local cultures. This, in
turn, helps them identify, integrate, and practice cultures within specific contexts, reducing
confusion when cultural conflicts arise (Y. Liu et al., 2020). In the New Zealand context, the
existing Chinese heritage education literature has predominantly focused on linguistic learning
and family involvement (e.g., Chan, 2018; S. Li, 2020), with limited attention to heritage
culture. The current study aims to address this gap by exploring parents’ perspectives and
expectations regarding their child’s cultural development. A qualitative thematic analysis
approach was employed to understand parents’ perspectives (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The study
involved semistructured interviews with 10 Chinese parents of primary school children in
Auckland, New Zealand. Based on the analysis of these interviews and drawing on the cultural
competence framework (Y. Liu et al., 2020), my thesis argues that most of these parents hold a
fluid and dynamic view regarding their child’s cultural development in both language learning
and cultural competence development. Their own insufficient heritage cultural knowledge and
children’s agency have been identified as the main challenges faced by parents.