I completed my Ph.D thesis on  'Learning in two languages and cultures - the experience of Mainland Chinese families in the UK' at the University of Reading in 1999. This thesis presents a critical ethnography of the education of Mainland Chinese children - at home, in a community school setting and in some aspects of mainstream schooling - in the town of Reading in south-east England. There are two reasons for publishing this work at the present time: the continuing importance of the topic and the potential usefulness of the research methodology employed.  

The world is shrinking. The concept of the global village is penetrating every aspect of human activity. Multiculturalism and multicultural education are matters of debate all over the world. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, all teachers need to engage with issues of linguistic and cultural diversity, including communication with parents. This thesis has begun to address such questions in relation to Chinese children in the UK;  it also points the way to further research in this area.  

In my view, the usefulness of this publication also lies in its methodology and philosophical underpinnings. Its use of multi-faceted research methods including participant observation, non-participant observation, semi-structured open-ended interviews, questionnaires, tape recorded and video recorded data and documents brings many different perspectives to the research questions, thus increasing the validity of its findings. The choice of critical ethnography is also important: a commitment to hearing the voices of all participants and to improving the educational outcomes for children is, in my opinion, essential for advancing our understanding of intercultural communication and education. 

The book is suitable for students by research who want to learn more about qualitative research methods and practices. It also provides insights for professional researchers in the areas of intercultural communication and multicultural education. 

I express my sincere thanks to Professor Guo-Ming Chen from the University of Rhode Island, for his consistent encouragement and positive attitude towards the publication of this book. Again, I would like to express my gratitude to my Ph.D. supervisor, Professor Viv Edwards from The University of Reading, both for agreeing to write the foreword to this book, and also for her guidance during my studies for the Ph.D.. 

AN Ran

Professor of International Education    

South China University of Technology

P.R.China