Technological Solutionism, Linguistic Nationalism, and Attitudes Toward English on Chinese Social Media

Abstract

This study investigates the shifting language attitudes toward English on Chinese social media and critically discusses the identities, ideologies, and broader societal forces that shape these attitudes. Drawing on a discourse analysis of 1000 user comments, the study reveals that Chinese netizens adopt predominantly negative stances toward English across cognitive, behavioral, and affective dimensions. First, influenced by technological solutionism, English is increasingly devalued as a purely instrumental skill that is obsolete in the age of advanced technology (especially AI translation). Second, a prevailing ideology of digital linguistic nationalism positions the rejection of English as an act of patriotism. This discourse is also characterized by expansionist and triumphalist narratives, asserting that Chinese will supersede English as the global lingua franca. By analyzing how language attitudes are discursively constructed, this study illuminates the complex intersection of technology, nationalism, and language ideology in contemporary China.