1 Introduction

The paper explores language policies in foreign language classrooms and points out that they belong to the research scope of language education policies, focusing on teachers' choice and use of teaching language in the classroom. The research background includes the expansion of macro language policies to the micro level, as well as schools as a key research area. The choice of teaching language is the core issue of language education policy and has practical significance for macro policy research. Existing literature mostly analyzes from the perspective of teaching methods, while this article conducts interdisciplinary research from the perspective of language policy, aiming to provide a more comprehensive practical basis.

The makers of language policies in foreign language classrooms

In China, the makers of language policies in foreign language classrooms include the government, social institutions, and teachers. At the government level, such as the Ministry of Education, it is responsible for formulating macro level foreign language policies and implementing them in specific institutions and classrooms. The education authorities of local governments also have the right to formulate language policies for foreign language classrooms. Social institutions, such as schools and foreign language education related organizations, have an impact on language policy formulation and can develop their own school policies based on superior requirements and school characteristics. Teachers play an important role in language policy formulation, as they are not only recipients of policies, but also have the power to decide on their implementation. Teachers can creatively interpret and practice official language policies, and have decision-making power over the selection and use of teaching languages. Research should not overlook the crucial role of teachers in the process of language policy formulation.

3 Explicit and Implicit Foreign Language Classroom Language Policies

Explored the explicit and implicit characteristics of language policies in foreign language classrooms. Explicit policies are formal laws or regulations, such as India's trilingual program; And implicit policies refer to language usage concepts in practice, such as teachers' language choices in the classroom. Fang Xiaobing (2021) defined implicit language policy and emphasized its close connection with practice. Research suggests that there may be differences between explicit policies and actual teaching practices, therefore, studying implicit policies is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of language policies.

4 Factors Influencing Language Policies in Foreign Language Classrooms

The language policy in foreign language classrooms is influenced by various factors, including explicit and implicit policies. Explicit policies such as national education policies provide guidance and boundaries for teachers, such as the policy of the Chinese Ministry of Education to strengthen the cultivation of talents in non common languages. Implicit policies are reflected in teachers' foreign language abilities and teaching beliefs, and teachers' foreign language proficiency and beliefs in target language teaching affect their choice of teaching language. Learner factors, such as foreign language proficiency, learning emotions, and motivation, also have a significant impact on teachers' language policies. The foreign language proficiency of learners affects the difficulty of teachers adjusting the teaching language, while the emotions and motivations of learners affect the frequency of teachers using the target language. Other teaching factors, such as course type, classroom management needs, global influence of the target language, language of teaching materials, examination mode, and class size, also affect teachers' language choices. While implementing explicit policies, teachers also independently formulate and implement classroom language policies based on actual situations.

5 Language Policies in Foreign Language Classrooms in China

The Chinese government attaches great importance to foreign language education, and English, as an international lingua franca and the main foreign language in China, occupies an important position in its classroom language policy in education. Although the 2022 version of the English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education does not explicitly stipulate the use of teaching language, it emphasizes the authenticity of language and advocates the use of authentic language materials. Local governments and institutions such as the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education and the Public Foreign Language Teaching and Research Department of Fujian Normal University proposed in the document that teachers should use English to organize teaching. In the basic education stage, bilingual education reform and research are active, such as the Shanghai Education Commission promoting the construction of bilingual schools, and Wuhan and Beijing promoting bilingual or multilingual teaching pilot projects. In the higher education stage, bilingual practice exploration is flourishing. The Ministry of Education supports the use of foreign languages such as English for teaching and has launched a bilingual teaching demonstration course construction project to meet the internationalization needs of higher education.

6 Problems and Suggestions in China's Foreign Language Classroom Language Policy

There are problems with the explicit policy of monolingual education principles and the lack of clear policy regulations in China's foreign language classroom language policy. The principle of monolingual education leads to students facing frustration and negative attitudes in EMI programs, while the lack of clear policy regulations results in a lack of guidance for language selection and use in teaching. Suggest adjusting the monolingual principle, establishing multilingual awareness, and formulating explicit policies to improve foreign language education planning.

7 Conclusion

The language policy in foreign language classrooms has a guiding role in teachers' practice and the improvement of macro language policies; Provide support for the reform and development of foreign language education; China's modernization, cultural export, and global governance talent cultivation need to strengthen foreign language education, enhance language policy research in foreign language classrooms, promote government departments to formulate scientific policies, and effectively guide foreign language teaching.