Author Guidelines

1. Submission Scope

1.1 Article Types

International Journal of Chinese Language Education (IJCLE) considers the following kinds of articles for publication:

Original Research Articles: High-quality original research-oriented manuscripts that make significant contributions to the theoretical, pedagogical, and/or methodological development of Chinese language education. Submissions supported by sound empirical evidence are welcome where appropriate to the research question.

Book Review: Critical evaluations of recent and impactful publications in the field of Chinese language education as a first or second language.

1.2 Fields of Manuscripts (Alphabetically Ordered)

• Assessment and educational evaluation (e.g., language testing and outcome evaluation; classroom assessment and formative feedback; assessment task, tool, and rating design; validity, reliability, and measurement analysis; automated and digital assessment)
• Language acquisition and learner studies (e.g., L2 Chinese acquisition; heritage Chinese acquisition; learning strategies and autonomous learning; motivation and learning engagement; anxiety, affect, and self-efficacy; attitudes, beliefs, and identity; learning outcomes and developmental trajectories; intercultural adaptation and learning experience)
• Linguistics and language studies (e.g., phonetics and pronunciation; Chinese characters; lexis and semantics; grammar and syntax; pragmatics, discourse, and text; contrastive and cross-linguistic analysis; error analysis and interlanguage; sociolinguistics and language variation; literacy studies)
• Materials and resource development (e.g., textbook design; textbook analysis and evaluation; localised and country-specific materials; text grading and difficulty control; reading resource development; digital and online resource development; corpus and resource bank development)
• Pedagogy and classroom practice (e.g., curriculum and instructional design; listening and speaking instruction; literacy, reading, and writing instruction; classroom interaction and task-based activities; culture and intercultural teaching; scaffolding and differentiated instruction)
• Policy and global development in Chinese education (e.g., regional and overseas Chinese education; policy, standards, and systems; international promotion and dissemination; programme implementation and governance; disciplinary, institutional, and ecosystem development)
• Teacher education and professional development (e.g., pre-service teacher education; in-service teacher development and support; teacher cognition and beliefs; teacher identity and professional roles; instructional competence development and reflective practice; digital and AI literacy for teachers)
• Technology and digital learning (e.g., online, blended, and platform-mediated learning; digital resources and multimodal learning; AI-supported Chinese teaching and learning; learning analytics and data-driven instruction)
• Other fields relevant to Chinese language education

2. Manuscript Preparation

To ensure a smooth review process, authors must strictly adhere to the following formatting requirements. Only manuscripts submitted through the online system are acceptable.

2.1 General Formatting

• File Format:
  Please submit the manuscript in both Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) and Portable Document Format (.pdf). Ensure the contents of both formats are consistent and correct.
• Font Requirements:
  • Traditional Chinese characters: Microsoft MingLiu (新細明體).
  • Simplified Chinese characters: FangSong (仿宋).
  • English and numerals: Times New Roman.
• Font Size and Headings:
  The manuscript title should be set in 16-point font, bold, and centred. Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 headings should be set in 14-point font. The main text should be set in 12-point font.
  To ensure a clear and consistent structure, authors should use numbered headings throughout the manuscript. Headings should follow an APA-based hierarchy:
  • Level 1 heading: 1. Heading
    Centred, bold, title case, 14-point font; text begins on a new line.
  • Level 2 heading: 1.1 Heading
    Flush left, bold, title case, 14-point font; text begins on a new line.
  • Level 3 heading: 1.1.1 Heading
    Flush left, bold italic, title case, 14-point font; text begins on a new line.
  • Levels 4 and 5 should be used only when necessary for clarity. Both headings should be indented, end with a period, and run in with the text on the same line. Level 4 headings should be bold, and Level 5 headings should be bold italic.
• Line Spacing: 1.5-line spacing throughout the entire manuscript.
• Page Numbers: Please include clear page numbers.
• Tables and Figures: All tables and figures must be embedded within the main text at their appropriate positions.
  In addition, all figures should be formatted in black and white (or greyscale). Complex figures must be submitted as high-resolution JPEG files (at least 300 dpi).
• Word Limit: Manuscripts should generally be between 8,000 and 10,000 words in length, including references, tables, footnotes, and appendices (if any). In addition, please provide a concise title, an abstract of approximately 300 words, and 4 to 5 keywords.

2.2 Citation and Reference Style

All in-text citations and references must be in accordance with the APA 7th edition style. If an online resource is quoted, the website address and the date it was accessed should be included. For details on APA 7th edition style, please refer to:
https://libguides.eduhk.hk/citing-information

• Examples of in-text citations:
  • If an idea is taken from a periodical or book: (黃立權，2013)
  • If an idea is quoted from a journal or original text: (關錦繡，2008，頁31-37)
  • If an idea is quoted from various authors: (White, 1994, pp. 78-91; Scott, 1997, p. 35)
• Examples of references:
  • 中文著作: 朱家科 (2009)：《大學英語教學中的文化教學》，武漢，華中科技大學出版社。
  • 中文著作章節: 田仲 (1996)：語言與文化，輯於《外語教學》，(頁 6-13)，長沙，湖南教育出版社。
  • 中文期刊: 周清海 (2017)：「大華語」與華文教學，《國際中文教育學報》，1，1-19。
  • 網絡資源: 香港政府統計處 (2016)：《香港二零一六年中期人口統計 – 簡要報告》，檢自 http://www.bycensus2016.gov.hk/en/index.html，檢索日期：2021.6.8
  • English Books: Stern, H. H. (1992). Issues and options in language teaching. Oxford University Press.
  • Book Chapters: Nostrand, H. L. (1966). Describing and teaching the sociocultural context of a foreign language and literature. In A. Valdman (Ed.), Trends in language teaching (pp. 1-25). McGraw-Hill.
  • Journal Articles: Giles, H., & Byrne. J. L. (1982). An intergroup approach to second language acquisition. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 3(1), 17-40.
  • Electronic Sources: Allington, D. (2008). Discourse and the reception of literature: Problematizing ‘reader response’ [Doctoral dissertation, University of Stirling]. https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/507/1/Daniel%20Allington%20PhD%20thesis.pdf
• The Chinese references should be arranged in the order of Pinyin of authors’ names.

2.3 Separate Document Submission

Please prepare the manuscript files in accordance with these guidelines:

• Title Page:
  • Article title
  • The full list of authors, including names and affiliations of each author
  • Contact information for the corresponding author: name, institutional mailing address, email, and phone number
  • Originality Declaration: A statement confirming that the manuscript is original, is not currently under consideration by another journal, and has not been published previously.
  • Conflict of Interest: A statement disclosing any potential conflicts of interest (financial, personal, or professional) that could inappropriately influence the research.
  • Acknowledgements: A section acknowledging individuals or institutions that provided administrative, technical, or intellectual assistance (e.g., language editing, data collection) but do not meet the strict criteria for authorship.
  • Funding Statement: A declaration of all financial support for the research and/or authorship of the article, including the name of the funding agency and the specific grant number(s).
  • Ethical Approval and Informed Consent: For studies involving human participants, a statement confirming that the research was approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics committee, and that informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the study.
  • AI Usage Disclosure: A declaration indicating whether Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) were used in the research or writing process. If used, specify the tools and their exact application, in accordance with IJCLE’s Artificial Intelligence Policy (Section 6).
• Cover Letter: A separate cover letter addressed to the Editor-in-Chief must be provided. It should briefly explain why the manuscript is suitable for publication in IJCLE, highlighting the research's originality and its specific contribution to the theoretical, methodological, and/or pedagogical development of Chinese language education.
• Anonymised Main Document: Title, abstract, and keywords must be provided in both Chinese and English. Ensure all identifying information is removed from the main text.

3. Peer Review Process

All manuscripts will go through a preliminary internal review and a double-blind peer review.

3.1 Submission

Please log in to the IJCLE website, complete the required submission information, and upload your manuscript.

3.2 Preliminary Review

The Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor-in-Chief make preliminary judgements based on relevance, field, format, and quality of the manuscript. The author(s) will be informed of the preliminary review results.

3.3 External Review

Each manuscript that has passed the preliminary review is sent to two international experts for a double-blind peer review. If there is a large discrepancy between the two reviewers, the manuscript will be sent to a third reviewer.

3.4 Revisions

If revisions are required, the revised manuscript should be resubmitted within the specified timeframe, supplemented by “Notes of Revision” responding to reviewers’ comments, for a second round of review. A decision on whether to proceed with the submission will be made based on the results of the second round of review.

3.5 Avoiding Bias

If a member of the Editorial Board is the author of a submitted manuscript, he/she should not participate in the reviewing process (including both preliminary review and external review). The relevance of research direction and achievement will be considered when inviting peer reviewers. A reviewer should not be proposed or invited if they and the author have a relationship as listed below:

• Joint affiliation or service within the same department, institute, or unit during the past three years;
• Co-authorship or co-editorship during the past three years;
• Collaboration on research projects or grant applications during the past three years;
• Adviser or advisee relationship for PhD/Master/Bachelor thesis in the past; or
• Spousal, family, or other close personal relationship.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to make decisions when there is any potential conflict of interest.

4. After Acceptance

4.1 Publication Confirmation

For accepted manuscripts, IJCLE will send the “Author Permission to Publish Form” and “Copyright Agreement Form”. Authors must agree to a non-exclusive licence and return the signed forms via email by the deadline.

4.2 Priority

Accepted manuscripts that have been awaiting publication for more than six months will be given priority in upcoming issues.

4.3 Editorial Rights

The Editorial Board reserves the right to revise all submissions. Authors who do not wish for the Editorial Board to make revisions should specify this upon submission.

4.4 Author Copies

Authors will receive two copies of the issue of the journal containing their article.

5. Publication Ethics

5.1 Originality & Legality

The manuscript must be original. Authors are not permitted to submit it to other journals while it is being processed by IJCLE. Authors must ensure that the manuscript is not illegal and does not infringe the copyright of others. They are deemed legally responsible for the manuscript.

5.2 Academic Ethics

Before formal publication, if there is a case against academic ethics, the Editorial Board will discuss and make the final decision.

5.3 Withdrawal of Manuscript

Authors may write to IJCLE to request withdrawal of a manuscript after submission. However, if a withdrawal request is made during the review process, the Editorial Board will handle the matter according to the following rules:

• If the withdrawn manuscript is single-authored, the author will not be allowed to submit to IJCLE as the first author or corresponding author for one year.
• If the withdrawn manuscript is co-authored, none of the authors of the withdrawn manuscript will be allowed to submit to IJCLE as the first author or corresponding author for one year.

5.4 Open Access

IJCLE is a fully open-access journal. We do not charge any article processing charges or submission fees. All published articles are freely available for reading and downloading on the journal website.

6. Artificial Intelligence Policy

IJCLE recognises that large language models (LLMs) or GenAI offer opportunities for acceleration in research and its dissemination. While these opportunities can be transformative, they are unable to replicate human creative and critical thinking. We distinguish various uses for AI and related technologies as: assistive (and no longer requiring disclosure), generative (requiring disclosure), and prohibitive. IJCLE’s policy on the use of AI technology has been developed to assist authors, reviewers, and editors in making good judgements about the ethical use of such technology.

6.1 AI Assistance (no disclosure required)

We recognise that AI-assisted writing has become more common as the technology becomes more accessible. AI tools that make suggestions to improve or enhance your own work, such as tools to improve language, grammar, or structure, are considered assistive AI tools and do not require disclosure by authors or reviewers.

6.2 AI Generated (disclosure required)

The primary or partial use of AI tools and/or LLMs that produce content such as references, text, images, or any other content that directly impacts the research methodology, analysis, results, and/or conclusions must be disclosed upon submission so the editorial team can evaluate the content generated. Authors should cite original sources, rather than GenAI tools as primary sources within the references. It may be appropriate to cite GenAI tools when they have been used to create images or visualisation as representative contributions rather than original. Understanding that LLMs may have generated false content, including getting facts wrong or generating citations that don’t exist, authors must take steps to verify the accuracy of all outputs and check the original sources.

Authors should consider the following as appropriate uses for GenAI in research publishing that require disclosure within the methods or acknowledgements:

• Assistance with literature review or compilation of relevant sources
• Translation of materials as part of the research process
• Using software or code generated by AI to undertake additional research
• Assistance in research data visualisation
• Generation of representative illustrations or infographics
• Code enhanced or checked for errors by AI assistance
• Assistance with compilation of references

6.3 Prohibited Use of AI

While submissions will not be rejected solely because of the disclosed use of GenAI tools, if the editor becomes aware that GenAI was inappropriately used in the preparation of a submission without disclosure, the editor reserves the right to reject the submission at any time during the publishing process.

Reviewers using ChatGPT or other GenAI tools to generate review reports inappropriately will not be invited to review for IJCLE, and their review will not be included in the final decision.

Editors must not use ChatGPT or other GenAI to generate decision letters, or summaries of unpublished research. IJCLE and the publisher reserve the right to take action if reviewers and editors breach peer-review confidentiality by using GenAI tools.

Inappropriate use of GenAI includes:

• Generation of incorrect text or content
• Generation of data or submission using a series of prompts
• Conducting interviews with GenAI tools in lieu of participants for qualitative research
• Analysis of experiences and themes
• Plagiarism or inappropriate attribution to prior sources
• Generated images that are presented as unique or novel research images
• Fabricated references or falsified claims
• Use of GenAI tools for editorial work or to conduct peer review

6.4 Undisclosed Use of AI Tools

Reviewers suspecting inappropriate or undisclosed use of GenAI in a submission should flag their concerns with the editor. If editors suspect the use of GenAI in a submitted manuscript or a submitted review, they should consider this policy in undertaking an editorial assessment of the matter.