ABSTRACT
In the field of social stratification studies, the phenomenon of changing one's social class is usually called 'class mobility', which presupposes a relatively fixed categorisation of social classes. Mobility and space hence become pressing concerns for voice in a globalised context. While Putonghua is the language of internal mobility, command of English is another mobility-related resource that distinguishes the elite migrants from most other people. The voice is an aspect of the way in which the semiotic resources are deployed. The interplay of 'hard' and 'soft' resources leads to the emergence of new middle-class strata and the symbolic, multi-scalar restratificaiton intensifies the 'superdiversity': diversification of diversity: in the contemporary Chinese society. They have acquired English, which offers them global mobility. Having the language of global mobility English at their disposal, they are able to access information otherwise they are inaccessible to Chinese people, to voice their opinions as well as identities, and to see emigration as a realistic prospect.
