Do English Names Build Bridges for Chinese Students?

T. Leo SchmittCUNY Graduate Center and BMCC

Overview

• Introduction• Onomastics in Linguistics• Chinese Names• Adopting English names• China-West interface

Overview

• Research Questions• Methodology• Survey Organization• Results• Discussion

Introduction

• Personal Anecdotes• Chinese have been adopting English names at

least since the 1980s (earlier outside of Mainland China).

• Americans may see this as accommodating the English-speaking world or succumbing to linguistic imperialism.

Onomastics in Linguistics

• Names are a unique linguistic category– Other parts of speech change between languages

but not necessarily names. • Names have clear Semantic roles in language

(e.g. Rymes, 1998), but also Phonological (e.g. Valentin, Brennan, and Bredart, 1996) and Syntactic (e.g. Matushansky, 2009) roles as well.

Value of Names

• Names are universal• Kripke (1972) argues names have no

connotations only references.• But Bailey and Lie (2013) argue that names

have an indexical quality. • The name “Hitler” may be theoretically only

referential, but practically it is clearly indexical.

Economic Value of Names

• Language is directly relevant to economics – “Unification of the Market” (Bourdieu, 1991)

• So too are names (e.g. Valentine et al. 1996)• Names vary in their memorability. Those that

are easily forgotten are easily discarded.• Even in academia, names make a difference

(Milkman, Akinola, and Chugh, 2014)

Chinese Names

• Family name plus personal name– Family names are fewer and much older than in

most of the world• Personal names can come from virtually any

morpheme in the language (e.g. 強 qiang-strong, or 愛 ai-love)– Much more likely to be unique

• Family names are virtually never changed• Personal names are very flexible

Changing Chinese Names

• Chinese have traditionally changed personal names over the course of their lifetimes for multiple reasons.– Monastery names, school names, business names,

posthumous names, “mean” names, etc.

Practice of choosing English names

• As Chinese may adopt other names, so they have adopted “English” names when dealing with non-Chinese.

• In the U.S., official English names only began in 1940s.• In Indonesia, the practice is tied to communal unrest in

1960s• In China, it is tied to 1980s and opening to the

international community• It now seems to be the practice of the majority of

those with contact with non-Chinese.

Making choices on English Names

• Often done because non-Chinese may not be able to pronounce the Chinese name

• Names are sometimes assigned and sometimes chosen– Assigned names are usually given by English teachers.

• Chosen names:– Translations from Chinese, phonologically similar, from

a list of names, aspirational names, popular people, auspicious Chinese meaning, playful names, or a combination of these.

Usage of English Names

• English names may be used in China using Chinese, but are often used when speaking with non-Chinese or out of China

• English names may evade some of the Chinese cultural expectations in name/title usage

• English names may also create a barrier for the person

China-West interface

• China’s growing economic, cultural, political, and military position in the world indicates that there are many factors affecting the international dialogue today

• The adoption of English names is a small part of a much larger interaction that will have ramifications for billions of people for generations to come

China-West interface

• A spoof news report, purporting to be from the State-run TV service, gave advice on choosing names. Its relevance took in such news services as CNN, The Guardian, and The Straits Times.

• Avoiding “old”, “sexual”, “food”, “mythological”, and “famous” names were all cited as potentially problematic. These satirical suggestions give insights into how Chinese and non-Chinese see English names.

Impermanence

• As a comparatively recent phenomenon, the adoption of English names introduces a new element to Anglo-Chinese interaction

• The ever-changing aspects of language and culture will be affected by this element along with a myriad of others

Research Questions

• Previous research indicates that the vast majority of Chinese who interact with non-Chinese now adopt English names (Duthie 2002, Edwards 2006, and McPherron 2009).

• These names are more often chosen by the individual but are also frequently assigned by teachers.

• These names come from a variety of sources– Translations from Chinese, phonologically similar, from a list of names, aspirational

names, popular people, auspicious Chinese meaning, playful names, or a

combination of these.

Research Questions

• RQ1: Do the motivations for the adoption of English names cited by Duthie 2002, Edwards 2006, and McPherron 2009 hold for more recent cohorts of Chinese students studying in the United States?

• RQ2: Is there a shift away from the adoption of an English name by Chinese students?

• RQ3: Looking at the central elements of Chinese adoption of English names, are there any social or attitudinal factors that might influence the non-adoption or the types of English names that get adopted?

METHODOLOGY

• A survey was distributed to Chinese students at five universities and via social media (N=54)

• At the end of the survey, participants were invited to participate in a follow-up interview.

Survey Organization

• Adoption of Names– Questions were asked about whether and what names

were adopted• Use of Names– Questions were asked about when and where the

names were used• Attitudes toward China and the United States– Questions were asked about how they regarded China,

Chinese, the US, and English• Demographics

Participants

• Out of 135 who started the survey, 54 were selected as PRC nationals who answered all (or almost all) questions

• Most (77%) were female and under 28 (87%)• Over half (55%) spoke Mandarin as their first

and only dialect• Most came from modest backgrounds

Do you use an English name now?

# Answer Response %1 Yes 45 83%2 No 9 17%

Total 54 100%

Thinking about the English name you use now, where did it come from?# Answer Response %1 I chose it myself 26 54%2 It was given by an English

teacher (Chinese National)

4 8%

3 It was given by an English teacher (Foreigner)

11 23%

4 Other 7 15%Total 48 100%

What factors were important in choosing your English name?

# Answer Response %1 It sounds like, or is similar to, my

Chinese name14 42%

2 It is the name of a person I respect (actor/singer/politician, etc)

8 24%

3 It is a common English name 4 12%4 It is an unusual or unique name 8 24%5 It relates to me in another way

(please explain)5 15%

6 Other 3 9%

Did English pronunciation issues play a role in your choice of English name (e.g. avoiding names with /th/ or /v/ sounds)?

# Answer Response %1 Yes 19 40%2 No 29 60%

Total 48 100%

What do you think about your Chinese name?

# Question Strongly Agree

Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Total Responses

Mean

1 I love my Chinese name

29 19 2 4 0 54 1.65

2 My Chinese name reflects who I want to be

17 17 16 2 1 53 2.11

3 My Chinese name is my real name

30 17 4 1 0 52 1.54

When do you use your English name?

# Question Always Most of the Time

Sometimes Rarely Never Total Responses

Mean

1 In China, with other Chinese speakers

7 2 9 16 13 47 3.55

2 In China, with foreigners

21 12 7 5 3 48 2.10

3 Outside of China, with other Chinese speakers

14 9 8 6 10 47 2.77

4 Outside of China, with foreigners

29 7 2 4 5 47 1.91

Please respond to the following statements regarding your English name?

# Question Strongly Agree

Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Total Responses

Mean

1 Using an English name makes it easier for me to work with foreigners

14 26 4 4 0 48 1.96

2 Using an English name increases my prestige in the United States

3 9 21 13 2 48 3.04

3 Using an English name increases my prestige in China

2 3 22 16 5 48 3.40

4 Using an English name increases my prestige in the rest of the world

2 7 21 14 4 48 3.23

Summary

• 1. The majority of the respondents have an English name

• 2. Most chose this name themselves• 3. Phonological considerations played an

important role in this choice• 4. The function of English names for most was

to facilitate interactions with foreigners in China and abroad.

Conclusion

• RQ1: The general trends of high adoption chosen by the individual with phonological similarities to their Chinese name seem to hold.

• RQ2: There is no definitive evidence that a trend is underway. However, preliminary interviews indicate that there is a move away from the practice. Further interviews should help clarify the picture.

• RQ3: The sample size is too small to find clear factors. However, with more data, it is hoped that an answer can be found. I hope to work with several institutions to expand the response rate.

Discussion

• The practice of adopting English names among Chinese continues. Its current trajectory is unclear, but it will clearly affect identity as well as Chinese-American interaction

• Better understanding this practice will help not only with improved pedagogical resources, but also cultural, economic, and political interactions on a grand scale

Limitations

• Fewer than half of the respondents could be included.– Many respondents did not want to complete all sections.

• The data numbers are small. An increased number can be obtained by expanding the pool. I hope to contact more institutions and to ensure that the survey can be easily accessed electronically.

• Proposed interviews are not included above, but individual narratives should give a fuller picture to the question

• Questions, Suggestions, Comments?