DECODING DISCOURSE, NAVIGATING SOCIETY: AN INTEGRATED CRITICAL PEDAGOGY FOR SINOLOGY THROUGH NEWSPAPER READING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSLINGUAL-ANALYTICAL COMPETENCE

摘要

This paper proposes a comprehensive theoretical and pedagogical framework for Newspaper Reading and Chinese Society, an advanced undergraduate course designed for third-year Sinology majors in international academic contexts. The course advances Chinese language and area studies pedagogy by moving beyond skills-based language instruction toward an integrated model of critical literacy. Anchored in a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) structure, it synthesizes Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Mediatization Theory, and Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) to foster students’ linguistic, analytical, and intercultural development simultaneously.

    Addressing a key gap in Sinology education—the transition from advanced language proficiency to meaningful scholarly engagement with contemporary China—the course trains students to systematically deconstruct Chinese news discourse across lexical, grammatical, intertextual, and socio-political dimensions. Mediatization Theory frames students’ understanding of the institutional, political, and technological logics shaping news production, while ICC-informed comparative media analysis cultivates critical cultural awareness.

Pedagogically, the course adopts a dual-cycle instructional model that alternates between teacher-guided analytical training and student-led seminars, operationalizing constructivist and sociocultural learning principles within a community-of-practice framework. A constructively aligned assessment design—combining reflective writing, presentations, examinations, and a final news-writing project—evaluates both theoretical mastery and applied competence. The paper argues that this integrated approach offers a replicable model for Sinology and advanced foreign language education, equipping students with the critical media literacy necessary to engage thoughtfully with contemporary Chinese society.