Member’s Publication: Chiara Bertulessi and Marco Aurelio Golfetto, eds.

9th Sep 2026

Language, Teaching, and Politics in Arabic and Chinese, edited by Chiara Bertulessi and Marco Aurelio Golfetto, Routledge, 2026.

Routledge, 2026

We are pleased to announce the publication of the edited volume Language, Teaching, and Politics in Arabic and Chinese, edited by Chiara Bertulessi and Marco Aurelio Golfetto, published by Routledge in the series Routledge Studies in Language and Identity.

The book investigates political and ideological perspectives on the Arabic and Chinese languages through studies of language teaching, linguistic values, identities, education, political discourse, and translation in diverse contexts. It places these two languages side by side, seeking to highlight potential points of connection across various domains as well as common trends and processes. The book addresses teaching practices, didactic tools, and ideological stances, with attention to standard varieties, local dialects, and minority languages, alongside the political dimensions of education and the functions of political language and its translation, through the lenses of different disciplines and relevant methodologies. The 14 chapters engage with a variety of timely and relevant issues for contemporary society, including language teaching, language variation, language identity, language ideologies, language policies, political discourse, translation, and, more broadly, the role of language in conveying political and ideological views. The studies are rooted in disciplines such as theoretical and applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, language education, and translation studies, and they draw upon a range of approaches and methodologies.

Further information is available on the Routledge website:
https://www.routledge.com/Language-Teaching-and-Politics-in-Arabic-and-Chinese/Bertulessi-Golfetto/p/book/9781032582313

Book information
Language, Teaching, and Politics in Arabic and Chinese
Edited by Chiara Bertulessi and Marco Aurelio Golfetto
ISBN 9781032582313
226 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
Published August 31, 2026 by Routledge

Table of Contents
Introducing the Interrelations Between Language, Teaching, and Politics: Perspectives from Arabic and Chinese – Marco Aurelio Golfetto and Chiara Bertulessi

Part 1: Language Varieties, Teaching, and Ideologies

  1. Linguistic Value Orientations: Learning and Using the Standard in the Chinese-Speaking World – Minglang Zhou
  2. Living in Modern Standard Arabic? Limits of an Ideology – Manuela E. B. Giolfo
  3. Different Versus One Chinese Linguistic Variety to Teach: What’s Behind the Question? – Chiara Romagnoli
  4. Variation in Arabic in the Light of ICT Development – Olga Bernikova
  5. Putonghua and the Languages of the Minorities in China’s Language Space. A Review of Some Official Documents on China’s LPP and LEP (1999–2022) – Tommaso Pellin
  6. A Radical Issue: Ishtiqāq from The Perspective of Arabic, Arab, and Islamic Linguistics – Federico Salvaggio
  7. Multilingualism, Handwritten Signature, and Identity: The Case of Palestinian Multilingual Arabs in Israel – Deia Ganayim

Part 2: Politics, Teaching, and Translation

  1. A Comprehensive Approach to Teaching Arabic as One Language. Insights From Dis/Continuities in Political Vocabulary – Marco Aurelio Golfetto
  2. Teaching Politics to China’s Youth: A Textual and Visual Analysis of Xi Jinping Thought Textbooks – Chiara Bertulessi
  3. Ideologies in Chinese Language Textbooks for Foreign Students in Mao’s China – Longfei Xing
  4. Translating Syrian Politics: Teaching Activities Based on Dima Wannous’s Writings – Cristina Dozio
  5. Genres and Keywords in Chinese Political Language Translation. A Teaching Perspective – Bettina Mottura
  6. Translating Chinese Political Language: A Case Study on Yang Jisheng’s Tombstone – Natalia F. Riva
  7. The PRC’s Narratives on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict in Regular MFA Press Conferences – Tanina Zappone
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