Understanding the sustainable development of l2 Chinese teachers in New Zealand: A case study of teaching assistants’ motivational engagement in teaching Chinese as a foreign language

Abstract

Informed by the expectancy–value theory and the motivational factors influencing teaching model choices, this case study explored three Chinese‐as‐a‐foreign‐language teaching assistants’ (L2 Chinese TAs’) motivational engagement in teaching L2 Chinese as a sustainable and lifelong career in New Zealand. Each TA participated in three rounds of semi‐structured interviews in the process of data collection. The findings revealed that (1) the TAs’ expectancy was all student oriented, regardless of their different backgrounds; (2) the different values of L2 Chinese teaching contributed to the TAs’ teaching performance and career choices; and (3) the impact of teaching selfefficacy on the TAs’ profession retention was pivotal, but controversial, when taking their previous majors into account. Implications for the sustainable development of L2 Chinese teachers were discussed.