INTRODUCTION
In 2009 China expects 10 million1 new college students to attend its +2,2362 public colleges and more than 1,300 private colleges. 3
“The Ministry of Education launched a new campaign to reform EFL education at the turn of the 21st century. The reform aims to modernize EFL teaching on campuses, pushing it out of its traditional track and equipping it with better technology.”4
From a western perspective the mandate from the Ministry of Education evokes visions of full scale implementation of current 2nd language acquisition pedagogy and methodology, multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs, English acquisition libraries and the creation of English speaking environments.
A 2009 survey of Chinese colleges and universities failed to yield evidence of the mandated reforms.
MULTI-MEDIA CLASSROOMS
DEFINITION: A theater style tiered seating classroom with audio-visual equipment programmed in English, sound equipment, projection screen and blackout curtains.
COLLEGE SURVEY: In the rich coastal cities of Dalian, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Xiamen, the 1st tier, 2nd tier 3rd tier and even 4th tier colleges and universities visited had the requisite facilities for English teaching. All of the multi-media equipment had Chinese programming as opposed to English programming. 50% of the multi-media classrooms had flat floors instead of tiered floors. One Shanghai 2nd tier Joint Venture University actively discouraged actual use of the multi-media equipment because of the high cost of electricity and the 3,000 rmb cost to replace the projector bulb.
In Central China and Western China a completely different situation was observed. 2nd tier universities, 3rd tier and 4th tier colleges claim to have numerous multi-media classrooms for English instruction. But the observed reality is that only 1 in 10 has operable equipment, some inoperable for as long at 5 years, (all with Chinese programming), most lacking blackout curtains and most with flat floors. No 1st tier university was visited.
In Southern China 1st tier and 2nd tier universities were observed to have an ample number of operable multi-media classrooms for English instruction. The equipment was programmed in Chinese and the floors were primarily flat, although a few exceptions for tiered floors were noted.
The 3rd and 4th tier colleges appeared to suffer from the same deficiencies as were observed in Central and Western China.
COMPUTER LABS AND SOUND LABS
DEFINITIONS:
A computer lab for English instruction should be a room with English programmed and networked computers with at least one printer, sufficient in quantity to meet the needs of the number of students, and available not only for class assignments but also for research and free choice reading, which requires access to the World Wide Web.
A sound lab for English instruction should be a room with English programmed equipment designed for English audio and visual input in individual stations in sufficient quantity as to meet the needs of the number of students.
COLLEGE SURVEY: Throughout Eastern and Southern China it was observed that an adequate number of computer labs and sound labs exist with an adequate number of computers or stations to meet the students’ needs. Maintenance programs kept the equipment in proper operable condition. None of the labs were programmed in English. None of the computer labs had access to the World Wide Web. Only one computer lab had a printer. Two of the 1st tier universities visited provided a computer in every student dormitory room with access to the school intranet. For an extra fee, the students can obtain access to the World Wide Web but filtered through the school intranet firewall.
In Central and Western China there was a paucity of both computer labs and sound labs.
The labs that did exist were programmed in Chinese, could not meet student needs and were in various states of inoperability. Some labs had as high as a 65% inoperability factor. At one college the computer science majors learned the computer via a PPT lecture. They never received any hands on instruction or experience.
At one school all 8 sound labs were 100% inoperable for an entire semester.
At another school there was a computer lab with 40 computers for 10,000 students. 18 of the computers were inoperable and too old to repair.
ENGLISH ACQUISITION LIBRARIES
DEFINITION: A collection of English books and magazines covering a multitude of subjects and interests, written at varying degrees of difficulty, that can be freely accessed by all students wishing to engage in free choice reading.
COLLEGE SURVEY: A random selection of 3 – 1st tier, 3 – 2nd tier and 2 – 3rd tier colleges and universities in Shanghai revealed that no such 2nd language acquisition English library existed even though each school boasted a School of Foreign Languages with an English Department. A 2nd tier university had an English research library but students were not allowed entry because they would “wear out the books.” A 1st tier university had an English research library but students had to pay an entrance fee each time they entered.
In Central China, a visit to 2 – 2nd tier, 2 – 3rd tier and 2 – 4th tier colleges and universities revealed that no such 2nd language acquisition English library existed even though each school boasted a School of Foreign Languages with an English Department. A 3rd tier college recently constructed a US$5 mil. library for its 10,000 students. The college has 1,100 English majors but not one single English book in its 4 year old library.
In Beijing, a visit to 4 randomly selected 1st tier universities revealed that no such 2nd language acquisition English library existed even though each school boasted a School of Foreign Languages with an English Department. English research libraries were the norm.
In western China a visit to 4 randomly selected 2nd tier universities revealed that no such 2nd language acquisition English library existed even though each school boasted a School of Foreign Languages with an English Department.
In Southern China a visit to 2 – 1st tier, 2 – 2nd tier and 3 – 3rd tier randomly selected colleges and universities revealed that no such 2nd language acquisition English language library existed even though each school boasted a School of Foreign Languages with an English Department. 1 – 1st tier university had a freely accessible English research library. And 1 – 1st tier university had a small English acquisition library within the School of Foreign Languages.
A visit to 5 Joint Venture universities; 1 in Beijing, 1 in Dalian, 1 in Guangzhou, 1 in Shanghai, and 1 in Shenyang, revealed that each school had a 2nd language English acquisition library. These libraries are primarily used for assigned reading and only available for free choice reading one hour each day. Books may not be checked out.
The survey results are not surprising since China teaches English learning for test taking to the exclusion of English acquisition. The communicative approach to English learning concentrates on memorizing set phrases and parroting them back in oral English class.
There are also monetary policy impediments to the acquisition of English books from abroad. When the strict policy hurdles can be overcome, it is usually for the acquisition of science and technology books.
ENGLISH SPEAKING ENVIRONMENT
DEFINITITION: There are two required elements to a proper ESE. A proper ESE is one where the students are inundated with comprehensible English input and where it is easier to communicate in English rather than in the native Putonghua. An English speaking environment is defined as: “An environment where English is the dominant language.” Or, “an environment where people are compelled to speak English”. 5
COLLEGE SURVEY: Speak with any Chinese university foreign language department administrator and they will extol the virtues of creating an English-speaking environment (ESE) for the English majors. But take a close look and you will quickly discover that there is no ESE on campus.
The hiring of some foreign native English speakers and holding weekly English Corners is the total extent of efforts to create an English speaking environment. These English speaking opportunities contribute little or nothing to the creation of an ESE.
An ESE is all about comprehensible input, i.e. immersion. Almost all of China’s colleges and universities hire foreign English speakers and hold weekly English Corner. But finding a single university with an ESE was impossible.
CONCLUSION
Very clearly there is a complete failure of the western “vision” of the Ministry of Education’s mandate to “modernize” the teaching of English as a foreign language in China. Possibly something is lost in translation.
It was noted that the Administration of each college and university surveyed possessed numerous late model luxury sedans while student facilities languished in an inoperable state of disrepair or nonexistence.
- China expects drop in number seeking college degree, http://en.ce.cn/National/Education/200905/31/t20090531_19211543.shtml (accessed July 1, 2009) ↩
- List of universities in the People’s Republic of China, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_the_People’s_Republic_of_China (accessed July 5, 2009) ↩
- Non-government Colleges Seek Help, http://service.china.org.cn/link/wcm/Show_Text?info_id=100414&p_qry=university%20and%20enrollment (accessed July 1, 2009) ↩
- A Recent History of Teaching EFL in China, http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=1901&DID=11103 (accessed July 16, 2009) ↩
- Creating Authentic Dialog: ESL Students as Recipients of Service Learning, Stephanie Marlow, Boise State University (Boise, Idaho, USA) “An environment where authentic dialog with native English speakers occurs on a regular basis presents ESL students with the possibility to grow both linguistically and socially” . http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Marlow-ServiceLearning.html ↩
“The Administration of each college and university surveyed possessed numerous late model luxury sedans while student facilities languished in an inoperable state of disrepair or nonexistence.”
That’s definitely the truth! The key contributor to reform is money, but most money in Chinese colleges and universities may not be used for the students’ good. Even in SYSU, a university famous for its receiving large amounts of donations, doesn’t have a single free sporting court. What should be done to change that? If the students’ will can be made to play a role in the schools’ operation, and students’ remarks can be made one of the key factors affecting the school officials’ promotion, things may get much better.
In my opinion, reform is more than the aspect of hardware moentioned in the article like computers, floors, books and so on.. However all of these hardware are essential for improve our study environment ,what is more important is that the changes come from our notions.This is the core of reform and also the key point.The development of our economy can offer a improving hardware of reform at a short time,but the change of our minds usually will take a much longer time.So making some changes on our view of English study,for examination or a language for communication, is of much importance.
Administrators of foreign language department don’t care much about their students’ requirements for English language acquisition facilities and ESE. Teachers(if there are any) really concerning with these things are often not authorized to take necessary actions to help students. It is prevalent in China that people in the authorities are not familiar with the areas they are in charge of. No wonder they can purchase equipments but know nothing of maintenance. The result of the survey seems to reveal an EFL problem apparently, but has much to do with system deficency actually.
Though renewing equipments for learning english is very important,but I think changing the place of english in our heart is more important.Now most of us learn english purpose to get a good job in future;we make a lot of practices in books for the CETs,because lots of companies manages only emphasize the certificates not the abilities ;in the environment,many students can read but can’t speaking;it’s so pity.So only can we change the purpose of learning english and like studying english,we will improve our english happily and easily.
As the article has referred to, a majority of Chinese schools own the facilities for learning English, while most of them are rarely put into use. And the higher tier the colledges or universities are, the utilization rate of those facilities is larger. Because our country is a developing country, most people’s technique in operating those facilities is poor, and the funds for education are pretty rare to many colleges, so there is an inadequate number of computers or stations to meet the students’ needs. What the reform should do is to take measures to enable students to have more chances of getting in touch with the facilities, this is in favor of creating a proper English speaking environment, and the students’ English ability can be promoted finally.
As we are living in a united world,the communications among different countries have become more frequent.So English learning has been very important for its role as a national language.Just as in other countries,ou chinese people pay much attention to the English education.And recently,the Ministry of Education has lauched more pilot schemes for English education,in oreder to aims to modernize EFL teaching on campuses, pushing it out of its traditional track and equipping it with better technology.But turn out to be not a success.In my personal viewpoint,the advanced instruments are not essential for English study, our attitude is the main reason. Even a best instrument can’t improve a student who is unwilling to study English. it is not only the problem of money but the aim and style. We learn it for communication not for exam only.So I think the Ministry of Education should do more pilot schemes for English education besides the contents mentioned in the passage. CET4 and CET6 should set rules to assess the the students’ ability to use English in communication in daily life or some special fields.although I know it’s hard to achieve.To takeing out effective reforms,we have a long way to go.
When I read this article, it recalled me that there are always some parents ask me how to learn English better and teach their children English. And my answer is that we should have the English learning helper, such as radio, mp3 or mp4, computer, internet and so on. Because I think the equipments are very important, it can help you learn English easily. As we known, listen, write, read, speak more English is the way to learn English better, and if we have these equipments, we can do it better. In our villages and towns, the English learning equipments of school are lacking and inoperable, so the student English ability is not good.
In the model time, we do need to reform and create an English speaking environment. I think our school should use the money to reform, not just talk.
I think these reform programmes may be very effective if they are carry out suitablely and widely. Speaking and writing skills will be enhanced a lot through these language acquisition pedagogy and methodology. But we should also consider china’s current condition. It will take a large number of money to put these proposal into effect. And It will also take a long time for the students and school to accomodate it. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We should be more patient when we deal with this historical problem.
I don’t agree with this so called reform. Because we shouldn’t make an environment for student to get interest in learning English. We make them willing to creat one by themselves. An old words said” you should teach someone fishing instead of giving him a fish.” So, I have to say that this reform probably turn to useless, although I appreciate that the Ministry of Education at least have a try.
As we all know, “reform” is a eternal topical at any time in any country. As to EFL in China, The Ministry of Education has mada a lot of effort to change the situation of Mute English. In fact, it’s much better compared with serval years ago. Many computer labs and sound labs have been established in many universities. However, an ideal English speaking environment has not been created in the campus yet because of some economic and cultural limitations. So we must change our current view of English learning, be more active and make more effort to make it better.
After reading this article, I do not know what to say about the reforms in Chinese universities.
The Ministry of Education regularlly makes spot checks among universities to valuate their teaching quality, an important indicator of which is the hardware facilities.
So, in order to exhibit great teaching qualification in this periodic check-up, many universities and colleges—-not only english department, spend much money on multi-media equipment and build classrooms with audio-visual equipments,sound equipments, projection screens and blackout curtains.
Are this facilities really provide a better study environment? Yes, but not last long. With the merchines get older and inoperable, nobody would care about them until the next check-up. Some valued facilities are just packed away after the check and not let to use any more. They do not meet the needs of students.
To sum up,we should make good efforts to learn the English, but not to place undue reliance on the “so-called” Higher Education Reforms.
This article tells the Chinese Ministry of Education how to reform China English as a foreign language, such as create multi-media classrooms, computer and sound labs, acquisition libraries and so on. But what I want to say is that, the English study environment is good enough.
We started to learn English when we were children, and then went though every important examination to decide our life’s direction by checking our English level. But what about Chinese traditional poems and the Analects of Confucius? How much students know the great poet Xinqiji of Song dynasty? May the number know Shakespeare will be more.
On the other hand, I think the tool to improve our English is not only the machines and equipment. The environment can be provided for us to practice our oral and reading English ,such as our Holistic English lab, is good enough. Maybe I am a humanist, not a technologist.
In China, much emphasis is placed on reform, not only in the present but also 30 years ago. It is widely accepted that reform needs time and money, you can’t request notable effect in a short time. As the biggest developing country in the world, China has reform for more than 30 years, and the great success China has made in the past 30 years most certain due to the reform. However, a great deal of problems have to solve in country, such as the education, the environment pollution, any of these problem can’t be solve without reform, but the capacity of reform is limited, so the speed of the problems’ solution may not so fast as the foreigner expect. But if you compare the education facilities in present with the past several years or ten years ago, you will find the effect of the reform. You would believe that China is being change, step by step.
After reading this research article, my heart sink into the boots. I can’t believe that nearly no 1st tier universities in our country meets the qualification of mandated reforms, let alone the 2–4th tier colleges and universities.
However, we must know that China is still a developping country. We do not have enough money for the construction of necessary equipments that make EFL teaching on campuses modernized. So the reform of EFL education should be carried out step by step.
On a personal level, I think what should we students do is to read more, write more, listen more and speak more English, and don’t make our EFL a mute English.
Reform not only means the reform of hardware,but also—I think it is the main part—means a reform of software,such as English teaching methodology,teachers’ability,students’motivation,etc.Only having a better equipment is useless—and it seems that many college can’t meet the requirement of “hardware reform”.
More money must be put into English education,but stop buying so many equipments—too much may results in corruption.Put it into training more eligible teachers.No good teachers,No good students.Let teachers think about how to improve their students English using ability.
The whole country must think it carefully—how to make a effective reform in software of learning English.I think,to discovery the question perhaps is more important than to solve it!
Money can be an excuse for no multi-media classrooms, computer labs or English acquisition library. But creating an ESE can be much cheaper.
Now universities emphasis the importance of English so much. Why not create ESE which is the best way to learn English? I advice the administers to take more ideas from English teachers who know how to improve English clearly, not just to add English classes. And I especially hope there will be an English acquisition library with all kinds of books. There is one in SYSU. But it just has some English monographs which are boring. No one will go there for interesting. So why not introduce into some other kinds of books, such as English novels and poems.
As we all know, China is a developing country also an open country. As the economy developing there are an array of things need our government to carry out reform, especially reform is urgent in education. In spite of learning English more than ten years , finally we find most of us even can’t said a whole sentence in English. How do you like the current teaching pattern of English in different tier school or university? It is clear that the results of English teaching model is not very satisfactory. So, we need change. Because education is our country’s foundation.
More haste, less speed. We need time and we need money. No money no developing, especially education is a public infrastructure, it needs our government appropriate funds every year, but the funds received in different tier school significant different. Therefore, teaching equipments in Eastern and Southern China are more better than Western and Central China. Because the coastal city’s economy more developed than Midwest cities. I think with the economic development of our country, our education system will become more perfect. Our multi-media classroom, computer labs and sound labs , English acquisition libraries will increase day after day. There is no doubt that our English learning condition will be better than now.
We do need reform in English learning.To do this better i think there are two aspects:
1.To help the students to learn English, the Education department of China should supply sufficient equipments for the colleges, and the colleges should make good use of them in English teaching.
2.Furthermore, the Government department should pay more attention to the way of learning English in China, and all the colleges should try their best to creat better ESE for English acquisition. Although the reform of China’s English language will take a very long way to go, once we do it, we’ll make it better.
Nowadays “reform” is a fashionable word in China. It also happened in education area. As all of us Chinese students know, English is the first language in the word and we should learn English from primary school. But it is a very hard thing for foreign teachers to accept the EFL situation in China, because we re always think things with Chinese method when we speak English. But the reform of speaking English maybe not a difficulty thing. As we all know, there is a huge economic difference between west and east china, although the Ministry of Education advocated the reform. In the condition, our ministry is in a dilemma situation. But in the west the speaking skills require not only the motivation to learn. That means we need computer labs and sound labs a lot. But as we know, our school, our whole country is not that rich, so, maybe we have to wait a long time to get these facilities.
In my opinion, the reform is about so many things, such as computers, enviroments, books and so on. Of course, educational system is important for those who want to learn English well. Because every student need to learn English, why shouldn’t we change the limited resource? If we have more chance to read more, listen more, write more and speak more, a more great progress will be made.
In the article,the author list trun facts in china.The Ministry of Education always make up very good plans to develop our education.The reform aims to modernize EFL teaching on campuses, pushing it out of its traditional track and equipping it with better technology.”.They look like very well.But in fact is not that.We do not have satisfying multi-media classroom,computure classroomand sound classroom.
Why?As we know,In the past 30 years,our country is reforming in economic and society.we have so many experiences and lessons.We always have a good vision,but we do not executate very well.Our public officers can not carry out their duties.Even some public officers utilize the fund of reform to meet their interest.We do not want to accept this condition.
It needs us to change that our reform can meet our need of learning english really.
In my opinion, reform doesn’t mean only changes in the hardware, but also in the teaching system. As we all know, the purpose of education in Chinese colleges is teaching us how to get a job. Obviously it distorts the essence of education. The essence of education should be improving students’ studying ability and telling them how to work independently. So I think the most important thing is to change our thinking at first. Without this, please don’t mention “reform” any more.
As a saying goes “Where there is order, there must be solution”. It is a true portrayal for administration of college and university. Reform is not an easy task. In my opinion, our English learning is continuous. We need more multi-media classrooms, good teacher and appropriate environment .But what we need most is determination and persistence.
I have forgotten reading news in education in China for many years.I think what the Ministry of Education did is something wrong.I can not agree that it is necessary to own some computers in improving our English teaching level.
We are lost in learning English.You know,learning a nature language is not mastering a computer language.You can not and should not care about its grammar or its logic.
This reform is one of the reforms in China that are not completely finished.
The Ministry of Education launched a new campaign to reform EFL education at the turn of the 21st century, introduce how and which facets to refrom . maybe in the process there are many puzzles , difficulties , we all desire to be better and we also need courage to face the reformation . Time can prove everything , I hope we can speak English arbitrary one day .
When I read this article, do not know what to say about the reforms in Chinese universities.In the model time, we do need to reform and create an English speaking environment. I think these reform programmes may be very effective if they are carry out suitablely and widely. You would believe that China is being change, step by step.
Our hardware reformation is enough for most of us! We have enough multi-media classrooms, computers and so on. But the most important thing is not how good the hardware we have, but how we learn English. Though we put more of money into the reformation of hardware, we put less time to think how to teach and learn English well. So we have to focus on the methods. As teachers, they should improve their English first and find the appropriate way to teach students. As students, we should learn English more actively.
There is no doubt that EFL is very important for us to learn English, but in many schools even universities of our country there are no complete equipments for learning English, as far as I’m concerned, I never used any electrical tool to help study English until I entered into university, from the angle, the EFL really need reform to meet students’ need, so that we can learn English in a more convenient and effective way. However, we have to consider the economic condition in different areas, for we all know that most of places of our country are still very poor, and it’s difficult for them to buy enough modern multi-media equipment, so it may take a long time to reform. In addition, I think many things also need reform other than EFL, such as the way to learn English, examination system and so on, but the most important point I think is to improve people’s awareness of the importance of learning English.
sometimes we know exactly of our final destination, but we just had to take our time to go there.it is the same of the reform in china.as the saying in china goes,you can’t be a fat guy by a bite of food,we are just on our way to the final destination.
From this article, we can find that a lot of schools and universities know our teaching system need reform, but the orientation they take is wrong. Teaching facilities is necessary but not the most important, the most important is not modernizing our facilities but our mind, we should get a reform on our teaching method, we should know the final destination of teaching English is making students able to use it to communicate with foreigners. I hope our schools learn this and take the right orientation.
We have learn English more than ten years, but most of us still have poor English. The reason is that our English teaching models is unreasonable. We learn English to go through the examinations. I think reform not only means the exaltation of English hardware, but also means the conversion of the purpose of learning English.The sufficient equipments should be supported for students to study English, such as ulti-media classrooms, computer labs and English acquisition libraries. But creating an ESE is the most important for us. All of us should know that English is used for communication rather than the examination.We should enhance the capacity of self-learning English and improve the ways of the teachers’introduction.
Of course , it’s very important to offer good equipments. But if the person don’t use it , this reform probably turn to useless. Moreover, as to EFL in China, the Ministry of Education has made a lot of efforts to change the situation of Mute English. The important and effective thing is that let the students choose. If he is interesting in English, he will try to create the English environment and learn more by himself. If he pay less interesting in English, he won’t use the hardware though you off to him. The thing depend on what the person wants. Such as I hate this homework and I do it without gaining anything. So I think the teacher shouldn’t assign so many homework to the students.
In my opinion, most of the English teachers in China do not know how to teach students English. As I have commented that to improve the awareness of each person is the most important thing. Teachers must do their best to increase students’ interest in English. The ways teachers teaching in most parts of China now need to reform. The awareness need to reform. It is more important than hardware reformation.
China’s universities have a common problem that they think many luxury hardware facilities are a sign of a good university, so China’s universities have begun to pursue these superficial things, and some even just the image of engineering. They do not engage in genuine change, so up to now the Chinese do not have a first-class university.
In my opinion,hardware is an indispensable condition for reform, but not the most important one.Just as the reform of EFL education,in contrast with multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs, I think ESE seems to more important.
First of all,we must raise our awareness of the necessity and urgency of reform, allow people to have strong desire to reform, I think is the most important. Under the guidance of a strong desire to meet the correct mode of education and learning methods, as well as persistent efforts ,can we be successful only. These good hardware alone is not possible to achieve.
The article tells us the difficulty that the Ministry of Education launched a new campaign to reform EFL education. When we gain more multi-media classrooms, more computer labs and sound labs, more English acquisition libraries, it means that universities have to increase budgets. But there are lack of resources, not just lack of money. The leaders of universities may consider that there are so many colleges students. And if it covers all the students, improves their English language, it might occupy more resouces which, in their opinions, could have a better use in other ways. Successfully persuading them may be a hard work. And hiring some native English speakers as English teachers may not always be a good idea beacause not all of them have good teaching skills. English corner may be a better idea. But sometimes too many students join in the English corner that make it too crowded for us to improve English. So depending on the national circumstances, reforming EFL education in China cannot be accomplished in just one day. Whenever it is accomplished, we should be self-reliant at any moment. Simply trusting the reform will make us lazy. If any moment, we get a chance to speak English, we shouldn’t throw it all away.
In my opinion, the hardware equipment depends on the development of the economy. In our country, the coastal cities are richer than the other cities and they can spend much money on building up the multi-media classrooms in the school. As the development of our country, the government put more money into the education filed and the circumstance is much better than before, even though it is not enough. Creating an English speaking environment (ESE) is very good which we surely to do. I think we can reform the current English education systems only if we make every factor effective. As a matter of fact, the situation will not be changed immediately.
As was mentioned in the article, most of Chinese schools have enough capability to offer a better environment for students to learn English, but there lots of resources are under utilization. Actualize reforms to enhance the utility value of those facilities are necessary. But more importantly, I think, is that we should change our attitudes, this is the center of reforms, we should certain our aims on learn English, we learn English for composite application such as communicate not just for all kinds of exams. And we should proactive to study English if we want to improve our English, after all, even the best instruments can’t make a student’s English better if who is unwilling to study English.
The Chinese English education urgently needs reform to develop well. But what does reform mean？Does it mean to overthrow of the previous methods？No，it means to rule out defects and develop virtues. For example，many colleges had built multi-media classrooms，in which students can see the ppt while they are listening to the teacher and listen to the radio individually，what change the situation that the teacher is speaking and the students are busy writing. The colleges build computer rooms for students to use computers to webs，scanning English webs and downloading resources. And set English corners all over the campus，encouraging students to speak courageous，forming the English-speaking environment. Many measures should be taken to reform the education system，only this way，the situation could improve well.
I really don’t know what the definition of reformis.Does adding more multy-media classrooms mean reform?If someone tellS me that is reform,then I just don’t agree with the opinion.If the education system and the teaching way don’t change and there will be anything change in the future.
Whatever things does reform put on, I think, it first means the selection of reform method. If the direction is taken wrong, reform just means wasting time and energy. And English is just the same. Pushing English out traditional track, it is not enough to reform hard facility. But we should combine the technique with the environment.
As reform on English performed in china so many years, our English is still at a low level though better than before. Our listening labs have been set up，web site have been established for English learning, even foreign teachers have been prepared for us. However, we still speak some sentences in class and English corner. After the class, we become a totally Chinese-speaking person. When we met foreigners, we still have difficulty to open our mouths.
Therefore, if we speak English every day, our English must improve at a desirable rate since basic on our English knowledge. So, in my opinion, it is a real reform.
Reform is necessary; for China’s traditional English education has many disadvantages. But in my opinion, we don’t need to pay more attention to the improvement of the teaching equipment. What we need to pay more attention are the teaching styles and the students itself. In the old days, the English learning condition is very poor; they don’t have any multi-media classes or computers, but they can learn English well. So if our English is poor, a very important reason is that we don’t try our best!
The EFL education reform is easy to say but hard to work. The policy of china’s education hasn’t change enough, and it will last for a long time. Every aim we want to get is acquired we should get a high score. And I think this will be better after 5 to 10 years. At that time the EFL education reform is deeply in Chinese heart. And it can work useful.
After reading the article above, I feel sorry for Chinese students and education system. I don’t think there is any wrong in this reform, but just a few problems were not paid much attention to or were not dealt with right. Such as neglect Hardware improvement is always the precursor of software progress. Only based on the foundation can we create more opportunities to raise Chinese student’s English level. There are still many imperfects in Chinese system indeed. But we cannot ignore that it has made much progress during the past years. I clearly remember that our English teachers can hardly pronounce English correctly when I was in middle school, but now this situation is rare to see. Therefore, we should adopt a correct attitude towards English education in China. With the rapid development of Chinese economy and continuous improvement of education conditions, we have the confidence that CHINA EFL will be much better in the near future.
In my opinion, besides various facilities, the foundation of reform EFL education in China is making students understand the real purpose of studying English. Then they need some right guides before learning English by themselves. That’s all.
Every year china goverment increase investment in education,but what we can observe are unceased expanding the scale .Why china’s college like to build teach buildings?Because the administration of the school can get more profit from the buliding project!In China,you will not wonder how can a common professor whose month salary less than ten thousand yuan offer a benz.With college enrollment expansion ,the quantity and area of the college are increasing but the qulity of the graduate students are decreasing.The amount of the facilities aren’t able to suffice for the mounting students!Herein,the administration need to keep the scale of the school and put more money in proving the facilities.
There are about 14 years since I begun to learn English.Frankly,there really are some serious problems existing in our English education,but in this years, I have been seen our country do their best to reform and to improve the equipment and policy.
So I believe with developing of economic,our country will offer a better study environment for us.
Everyone knows reform if important but few give out feasible suggestions. Many people complain the education system is bad but without think more about themselves. The phenomenon described in this article is common. Why? First, the EFL lose its real meaning when began to teach in China. So many schools do not spent much money on the “hardware” which are auxiliary equipments for EFL. Second, ESE is just a joke. In China, many students do not go to English Corner once. However, they still complain there isn’t any ESE.
Therefore, the reform should make students have a correct motivation of learning English, thus they would realize what they should do. As for the “hardware”, it’s realated to the principal will and the financing. It can be changed in the future. I still think the motivation is the most important.
Thinking of the SYSU University,the best university in the richest province of China, we nearly can’t satisfy the demands of the morden EFL teaching. What can we make the universities and colleges worse than SYSU in quality in the poor district meet the demands? China is always a developing country.We don’t have the capability of making all the campus to establish conditions of the modrden EFL teaching. Now,I think we can do something to improve the situation in two aspects.Fisrt is that there is no necessary for all the students to learn English.So we can spent limited money and resources on the proper place.Second is that no corruption is allowed.
This is another window for us to see the true results of the educational reforming in English teaching. Form the experience of myself, I know that our English teaching equipment or speaking English environment have improved dramaticly compared with that of years before!
But when I heard such things: if you want to know the results of the English teaching reform, no need going to the multi-media classrooms or the computer labs and the sound labs, just see the sedans in the The Administration of each college and university, I am sure you will get a clearly answer! I’d like to say here: it’s a really a pity!
I know it’s not the teachers who should be blamed in this question, I also know that reforming is not a easy task, and we can’t eat an elephant just one bite. From the view of westen, what we have done is far of satisfaction. And there is still many things needed us to do. It’s not time for us to relax and enjoy the reforming fruits, there is still a long road for us to go on! And if we stop reforming furtherly, or just using the money of our country to buy numerous late model luxury sedans! It will lost the meaning of reforming!
It’s no doubt that some mistakes happened and it will make our students and some teachers and people who really cares the education unhappy. But at the same time, we should understand that most popularity of leaders’ aim is to build a better study environment for our students. They also have a lot of things to be considered and that is not an easy task! However, one thing they may consider more or they should take it as the most important thing is that the students’ requirements. Though they improve the school for students, the students should be placed the first position. Students first and the politics second.