Post-secondary level Chinese heritage language education in Metro Vancouver : under the commodification of higher education

This dissertation investigates post-secondary Chinese Heritage Language (CHL) education in the Metro Vancouver, situated within the broader context of the commodification of higher education. Existing literature often overlooks the complexities of CHL learners’ profiles, motivations, and experiences at the post-secondary level. This study explores learners’ demographic backgrounds, family language practices, and educational trajectories, using a conceptual framework that integrates theories of neoliberalism, language-as-resource, social capital,institutional theory and commodification of language and higher education. Employing surveys and semi-structured interviews with participants from diverse post-secondary institutions, the research reveals a spectrum of motivations driving CHL learners and the unique challenges they face transitioning from K–12 to university contexts. The findings demonstrate how commodification shapes both learner experiences and institutional practices, positioning students as consumers of educational services while raising critical considerations for policy, curriculum design, and pedagogy. This work provides a nuanced understanding of postsecondary CHL education, offering practical insights for educators, program designers, instructors, learners, and policymakers. Ultimately, it contributes to scholarship on heritage language learning, the commodification of language education, and the experiences of CHL learners in Canada and beyond.