Peer Interaction, Inclusion And Affective Engagement: in Chinese as a Second Language Classrooms

This book explores how Chinese language education can be reimagined within the multilingual realities of contemporary Europe. Drawing on sociocultural theory, plurilingual education, heritage language research and recent developments in language pedagogy, it examines the role of peer interaction, inclusion and affective engagement in Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) classrooms. The volume challenges deficit-oriented and native-speaker-centred perspectives, proposing a relational approach to language learning based on mediation, distributed expertise and collaborative meaning-making. Combining theoretical reflection and pedagogical implications, it offers a new framework for inclusive Chinese language education in multilingual settings.

Ambra Collino is a lecturer of Chinese language and culture and holds a PhD in Development Economics, specializing in migration dynamics in China and the study of Chinese communities in Italy. For over fifteen years, she has travelled and worked between Italy and China, developing expertise in Chinese language education, intercultural communication, and Sino-European relations. Her research and teaching focus on the relationship between language, pragmatics, and intercultural communication, with particular attention to multilingual and inclusive learning environments. She is also the founder of an innovative educational startup that collaborates with Chinese partners to develop experiential and learner-centred approaches to Chinese language teaching.