Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T21:02:32.514Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hindrances to the new teaching goals of College English in China

Being contextually blind and linguistically groundless, current tertiary ELT policy needs to be redefined

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2015

Hui Du  and
Hongdi Guan
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

College English refers to a type of English course offered to non-English majors at tertiary level in mainland China. In recent years, however, College English has been criticised as ‘deaf and dumb English’ (Wu, 2004; Zhang, 2002) because of Chinese students’ perceived weaknesses in listening and speaking. As Zhang (2002), Director of the Department of Higher Education in the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), explains, ‘Chinese university students can neither speak English nor understand it when they hear the language spoken’ (p. 4). To improve the situation, Zhang urges that ‘[w]hile reading has to be reduced properly, listening and speaking should be increased in College English textbooks’ (ibid.: 5). In other words, it is listening and speaking rather than reading that should be emphasised.

Type
Research Article
Information
English Today , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , March 2016 , pp. 12 - 17
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alptekin, C. 2002. ‘Towards intercultural communicative competence in ELT.’ ELT Journal, 56(1), 57–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baike, . 2015. ‘CET4 and CET6.’ Online at http://baike.haosou.com/doc/5566771-5781888.html> (Accessed July 14, 2015).+(Accessed+July+14,+2015).>Google Scholar
Celce-Murcia, M. & Olshtain, E. 2000. Discourse and Context in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cheng, Q. (ed.) 1984. The Cream of Ancient Chinese Literature. Shanghai: Shanghai Education Press.Google Scholar
Cook, V. 2007. ‘The Goals of ELT: Reproducing native-speakers or promoting multicompetence among second language users?’ In Cummins, J. & Davison, C. (eds.), International Handbook of English Language Teaching. New York: Springer, pp. 237–248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dong, Y. 2003. ‘The top priority should be given to reading and writing.’ Foreign Language World, 1, 2–6.Google Scholar
Gaolu, . 2012. ‘List of universities in mainland China.’ Online at <http://www.cunet.com.cn/daxue/d/> (Accessed October 27, 2012).+(Accessed+October+27,+2012).>Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. 2007. Language and Education. London: Continuum.Google Scholar
Hu, G. 2002. ‘Potential cultural resistance to pedagogical imports: The case of communicative language teaching in China.’ Language, Culture and Curriculum, 15(2), 93–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laufer, B. 1998. ‘The development of passive and active vocabulary in a second language: Same or different?’ Applied Linguistics, 19(2), 255–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MOE. 1999. College English Syllabus (2nd ed.). Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.Google Scholar
MOE. 2003. ‘Announcement on the launching of the reform of College English teaching at universities as trial sites.’ Online at <http://www.edu.cn/20031215/3095970.shtml> (Accessed March 3, 2015).+(Accessed+March+3,+2015).>Google Scholar
MOE. 2004. ‘Announcement on the implementing of the reform of College English teaching at universities as trial sites.’ Online at http://www.edu.cn/20040218/3099199.shtml (Accessed March 3, 2015).Google Scholar
MOE. 2004. ‘Announcement on the publication and distributing of the College English Curriculum Requirements (for trial implementation).’ Online at <http://news.xinhuanet.com/zhengfu/2004-02/13/content_1313385.htm> (Accessed March 3, 2015).+(Accessed+March+3,+2015).>Google Scholar
MOE. 2005. ‘Announcement on application for the extension program of the reform of College English teaching at universities as second trial sites.’ Online at <http://www.moe.edu.cn/edoas/website18/level3.jsp?tablename=1192&infoid=12410> (Accessed November 24, 2007).+(Accessed+November+24,+2007).>Google Scholar
MOE. 2004. College English Curriculum Requirements (For Trial Implementation). Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.Google Scholar
MOE. 2007. College English Curriculum Requirements. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.Google Scholar
Nation, I. S. P. 2001. Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rao, Z. 2013. ‘Teaching English as a foreign language in China: Looking back and forward.’ English Today, 29(3), 34–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Read, J. 2000. Assessing Vocabulary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, J. C. 2006. Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Saville-Troike, M. 2006. Introducing Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wang, D. (ed.) 2005. New Horizon College English (Viewing, Listening and Speaking). Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.Google Scholar
Widdowson, H. G. 1997. ‘EIL, ESL, EFL: Global issues and local interests.’ World Englishes, 16(1), 135–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, Q. 2004. ‘On the conducting of experiments in College English reform.’ Online at <http://www.moe.edu.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/moe/moe_176/200412/4915.html> (Accessed December 28, 2012).+(Accessed+December+28,+2012).>Google Scholar
Yu, S. & Li, H. (eds.) 2006. College English (Focus Listening and Speaking) (3rd ed.). Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.Google Scholar
Zhang, X. & Head, K. 2010. ‘Dealing with learner reticence in the speaking class.’ ELT Journal, 64(1), 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, Y. 2002. ‘Strengthening practical English teaching to improve students’ overall abilities.’ Higher Education in China, 8, 3–8.Google Scholar
Zheng, S. (ed.) 2008. New Horizon College English (Reading and Writing) (2nd ed.). Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.Google Scholar