Search

A Corpus-Assisted Discourse Study on Identity Construction of Chinese Overseas Students in News Media

Author(s)

Luyu Yue, Jialing Wu, Ruinan Zhao*

Affiliation(s)

School of Foreign Languages, Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangzhou, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examines the representation of Chinese overseas students in South China Morning Post (SCMP) coverage from 1992 to 2024 using a corpus-assisted discourse approach. Drawing on a purpose-built corpus, the analysis identifies patterns of media attention and recurring discursive domains, including education, transnational mobility, employment, social life, and public health. The findings show that Chinese students are constructed through multiple and sometimes competing identities, such as restricted learners, cultural exchange participants, vulnerable individuals, and economic contributors. These representations reflect shifting media priorities and broader global contexts, highlighting how discourse contributes to the construction of social identities.

Keywords

Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies; Chinese Overseas Students; Media Discourse; Identity Construction

References

[1] Simon Marginson (2014).Student self-formation in international education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 18(1), 6–22. [2] Nancy Abelmann, & Jiyeon Kang (2014).A fraught exchange? U.S. media discourse on Chinese international undergraduates. Journal of Studies in International Education, 18(4), 382–397. [3] Paul Baker (2006). Using Corpora in Discourse Analysis. London: Continuum. [4] Alan Partington, Duguid, A., & Taylor, C. (2013). Patterns and Meanings in Discourse. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. [5] Koller, V. (2012). How to analyze collective identity in discourse: Textual and contextual parameters. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines, 5(2), 19–38. [6] Reisigl, M., & Wodak, R. (2009).The discourse-historical approach (DHA). In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (2nd ed., pp. 87–121). London: Sage. [7] Van Leeuwen, T. (2008). Discourse and practice: New tools for critical discourse analysis. Oxford University Press. [8] McEnery, T., & Hardie, A. (2012). Corpus linguistics: Method, theory and practice. Cambridge University Press. [9] Sun, C., & Gao, H. (2021). The collective identity of ‘Chinese overseas students’ in Japan’s mainstream newspapers: A corpus-assisted discourse study. Foreign Languages and Their Teaching, 318(3), 53-61. https://doi.org/10.13458/j.cnki.flatt.004775 [10]Woo, E., & Wang, L. (2024). Crisscrossing scapes in the global flow of elite mainland Chinese students. Higher Education, 87, 551–566.