Chinese Language Education in Vietnam: Structural Drivers, Constraints, and the Reconstruction of "Chinese+" for Integrated Human Capital Development

Hien Nguyen Thi

International Journal of Literature, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies, 2026, vol. 2, issue 1, 94-108

Abstract: Chinese language teaching in Southeast Asia has developed rapidly due to deepening economic cooperation with China, growing workforce demands, and increasing institutional support. However, its role in cultivating quality human capital remains insufficiently examined. Existing scholarship has predominantly focused on pedagogical methods, curriculum adjustment, and workforce requirements, with limited attention to the integration of language instruction into broader human capital development frameworks. This study addresses this gap by analyzing Chinese language education from the perspective of Human Capital Theory, supplemented by Language Economics, Institutional Theory, and Cultural Proximity Theory. Employing a qualitative narrative review of representative publications analyzed through thematic analysis, the findings reveal three structural factors contributing to educational growth: workforce demand, institutional backing, and cultural affinity. Additionally, four principal challenges are identified: instructional capacity, curriculum and knowledge infrastructure, digital integration, and education-industry linkages. Based on these findings, the study proposes a reconceptualization of the "Chinese+" model as a competency-based system integrating linguistic, professional, digital, and intercultural competencies within a collaborative educational framework. This research contributes by situating Chinese language education within the strategic context of human capital development, offering an integrated analytical framework, and presenting a novel conceptual interpretation of "Chinese+" to guide future scholarship and policy formulation.

Keywords: chinese language education; chinese plus; human capital theory; human capital development; international chinese education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://pinnaclepubs.com/index.php/IJLLCS/article/view/996/954 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dba:ijllcs:v:2:y:2026:i:1:p:94-108

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Literature, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies from Pinnacle Academic Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Joseph Clark ().