Language Awareness and Identity Shifts of Overseas Chinese Adolescents in Korea: A Case Study of Seoul Overseas Chinese High School

Key Points

• This research aims to analyze the changes in language identity and national identity among overseas Chinese adolescents in Korea.
• Analyzed language identity and national identity in adolescents attending Seoul Overseas Chinese High School.
• Utilized survey data to evaluate language perception and identity affiliation across different periods.
• 43.8% identify Korean as their first language, while 32.3% choose Chinese and 22.9% prefer dialects.
• 51.6% of the students express a national identity aligned with Korea, compared to 26.3% with Taiwan and 15.8% with China.
• Identities shifted from identifying as Chinese to Taiwanese, Chinese, and increasingly Korean over specified time periods.