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 ↩
Reform do not mean change the situation immediately. In China, a lot of things need to reform. EFL education is just one of them. You can not expect its success until it put into practice for at least 20 years. What we should concern is how to reform EFL education. The equipments? Or the sound labs and computer labs? No ,the most important thing is the teacher. Teacher is the one and the only to tell students how to learn english. So ,in my opinion ,teachers should lead this reform.
In my view,the reform is difficult to take it into practice,although most of people have been aware of the reform problems.AS we know,once a new phenomenon appears in the world,there will have lots of disapprovement from all the directions that we have been faced.In addition,i think our country has not reached a extent that we are able to change the current developmetn trends.Especially on the education system,our country has inherited the traditional education system for thousands and hundreds of yeas,it is difficult for us to change it in a short time ,it is impossible and impractical!I think ,when our country will become a developed country,we essentially have enough ability and finance to change our education in the future.At then,we must create a foriegn atomsphere for our students to improve our english level and communicate with the native people freely!
In China,income disparity is a serious problem.Because of this ,some areas can afford multi-media classroom,computer labs and sound labs and so on,while other areas cannot.
Even there are enough equipment everywhere,are they available?This is a worse problem.In many schools,equipment is used when someone come to check up.That means,even the country want to change English learning conditions,it is still hard to realize that.Since,besides the money used to buy equipment,the expenses for running them is huger.And,it should have someone to manage this,so the school need to spend much time and money on this.It is small wonder that equipment are just for us to see not to use.In our university there are sound labs,we have class there but we can’t used the equipment ,even we students want to do so.
Reform means something to change step by step. If changing too fast and too fiercely, then we can define it as revolution. So it dose in the domain of education. To build the bridge of communication, we should pay much attention to English study and no one can deny it. However, no one can deny that China is a developing country, either. We have limited resources to develop education in the long run. Under these circumstances, we will have to renew our equipments for further development as soon as possible, and I believe it has been on the way already. I believe you will have new discovery when you launch anther survey next time
Generally speaking the ministry’s mandate to “reform” is an idea of good english education. We can not speak bad of the madate. However there are really some serious problems existing in the university education system which we should pay more attention to, especially the administors of education. First of all, money is actually a big problem. Since we can know from the survies that the eastern, sourthen,western,and the cental of china have different education source including the money to buy facilities. China is still on the way of developing and needs economy progressing. Secondly, the governing system is also to reform. When we have the labs and classrooms we should let them be used fully and correctly. Maybe a car can change the free using of the libraries to lots of students–without fee. In order to reform we must reform from not only the hardwar but more importantly the softwar. Besides, the colleges should supply the english programmations to the students so that they feel english everytime and at everyplace from the beginning or from the heart. We universities can easily do this. AT last, we students should have hign personal qualities so that the schools will not be afraid of “wear out the books”, such things like this.
Although we have seen many problems in the “reform” we need not to lose hope. We need a change,so we fignt for it and try our best to do it. Just give a little more time and a little more confidence. Revolution is always a hard way to go.
There are ten years after I began to study English , I really feel that our country do their best to reform and to improve the equipment and policy .Although,there are still some problems. In my middle school we only need to write words,because what exam only required to writing.
When I went to high school,I found our teacher started to play English dialog tapes, and we practised the listening at least there times a week. In college, teacher taught us to speak frequently,and open the special class to practise our oral English.
I can feel that the reform is useful,although the process is slowly. We have already make great progress.
This article shows that Chinese English teaching reform the above problems. Reformers focus only on strengthening the learning of English “hard environment”, such as multimedia classrooms, laboratories and so on, but they does not focus on creating “soft environment”, such as encouraging students to listen more speak more English. In my view, “soft environment” is much more important than “hard environment”
It is another shock.There are some good visions where reform is made,also there are more disappointment in the results than good vision,reforming in English education will not be a exception.
Multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs, English acquisition libraries are needed,but they are not the most important in the reform. Language acquisition pedagogy, methodology and English speaking environments are more importan.But it is hard to realize these condition.So,we need more excellent teachers and experts on English teaching.I think they can creat those condition I mention above.
Reform is strongly required in recent years. I agree with the creation of English speaking environments. multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs are helpful. What’s more，learners should be aware of what is the target and motive power in deeds. It must be a great challenge. If you just want to pass kinds of English exams，you will never learn it well. In my opinion，the first step is to think over your target and motive power carefully.
China is a big country. There is a huge of economic difference between areas. It’s very hard for all of the colleges to reform EFL education at one time. Maybe this is a dilemma in China. The Ministry of Education couldn’t consider all the case. The western China is backward in economic. These colleges couldn’t pay for the luxury equipment, but they had to carry out the order. So there comes to “numerous late model luxury sedans”. Maybe we have to reform the structure to resolve this problem.
Frankly speaking,the education mistry’s reform is a good idea.It shows that the professers have realizeed the problem at least,but we know it is impossible to succeed at once,it needs step by step,it needs a process.
However,we have to admit that we have many shortcomings in school teaching.In some poor town schools,there are even no computer labs and sound labs for English learning,if some school have some,thay cannot be operatable at most time,sometimes because the computers are bad and sometimes the teadchers do not use them,they think there is no effect and teaching in there is a little trouble!But it is just the necessity for students’s listening.What a pity it is !We lack the basic teaching equipment,and let alone the English acquirsition labrary.In my college,there were no English library at all.If we want to check something,the only way is to go internet.I thought it is not rare in most colleges.Of course,there is no English-speaking environment,especially in Central China,there are fewer foreign students,and we exchange ideas in Chinesa instead of English,but if we want to acquie English,obviously it did not make it!
Undoubtedly, China is making efforts to reform the educational system of English. The schools are trying their best to provide necessary facilities of English learning, including the multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs, English acquisition libraries, and English corners. Although, there would be some financial limitations, the schools are actually making efforts. Improving the English capacity of Chinese students still have a long way to go.
Reform is nothing new word. Many schools in China are in the process of English education reform. The process of English education reform should tell students not to frighten or discourage English. We can become a partner with the school to help make changes that will benefit for us to master English. This doesn’t mean schools have all the answers or that school reforms are always successful. However, the most beneficial reform is the result of people passing exam. The only way those changes can be successful is if students become part of the process.
I can feel the change in English education. When I was a pupil, we learn words on the blackboard, and speak English following the radio. Then in junior high school there is a listening-teaching room. In senior high school we use computer to have class, and teacher prepare PPT. In the college we prepare PPT and join English corner now. I think it reflect the progress in the reformation of English education. However, it is the change in the condition of education in some place. And I can image the condition of education in the west poor place. We can not deny the progress in the reformation,but we must improve quality of English education in the west.
Reform is necessary. However, few people, especially that implement the program of reforms, realize how to push forward. Reform means something changing step by step. The most important change should be mind, not the improvement of equipments. To most of students, how they can obtain good presentation skills in English? It is not depending on how advanced the facilities are, but on the method and attitude.
In my opinion , the mean of Reform is that if something can not keep pace with the development of time, it needs to make some changes and improve itself. The system of English education in China should be reformed actually. There are many problems in English education that until now they have not been solved since we began English education. What should we do in the new era ? I think we must make a detailed plan and take action immediately, though take it out step by step. In the long run, the effectiveness of reform will be seen!
In China, it is true that teaching facilities are inadequate and most of them are inoperable. I think it’s difficult to improve it because of the lack of money. Many colleges can’t get economic support from the government, they are unable to provide modernize equipment for English teaching. Their money are spend on building some face projects such as classroom buildings, stadiums and student hostels to attract students.
Generally speaking, the leader of the education hope to reform the system of the education of the students’ English study. So 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. But through four survey which are multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs,English acquisition libraries, English speaking environment, they are the evidence of the mandated reforms which are difficulty to change at very short time. I want to say some manners. Firstly, we should apply more money for the reform, and we could together more people to complete it, because more people will have more ideas and stronger strength. Secondly, we should change the thought of people firstly. If the idea has changed, the actions will change easily. Thirdly, everyone can’t change the whole China, but he or she can change the place where he or she works. As a word, reform is a long and difficulty challenge.
last week ，A very bad thing happened to me, I was asked to get out from Matin’s lesson. After I got back my office, I found that I did not pasted my assignment on the web ,about ABC successfully 2009-10-08. And I get a F for second time.
After reading this article , today , I was very touching, very strange: Why do people be so concerned about the English? Why did not the Americans enthusiastic about learning Chinese?
Effectively, in China, some universities have a good English learning condition, such as computer labs, sound labs. However, people who use these devices more than cut. At the same time ,for various reasons, there are many colleges are lack of such equipment. I think that, computer labs and sound labs is helpful learning tools, But why should it to be put so importance. Previously, not equipped with computers, people did do well in their knowledge learning?
So, I do not care about the learning equipment of English in Chinese universities, what I am concerned is that our Ministry of Education, why put every Chinese into the English learning war? China has a lot of people who are proficient in English, and it would be enough to for us to keep in touch with the world. What do you mind?
I have to admit that the phenomena in this article really exist in our country, and the system of English teaching is still far from perfect. It is true that the reform does not reach a satisfactory result, but I don’t think a reform will work effectively in a short time, it needs time. The key is we should take action, or the reform is just an empty talk.
At the same time, I don’t think a multi-media classroom or English acquisition library is a necessity for our English learning. Of course, excellent facility can provide lots of convenience; however, I don’t believe it plays a leading role in the process of learning. There are many ways if we want to improve our English, no matter what, today is a stage of information explosion, we can get useful resources more easily than before.
Changing or improving the equipments or the environment is not the nature of reform. In my view, the key in the reform is the people, not only the teachers but also the students. For teachers, how to teach is the point while for students the intention is the emphasis. What’s more, we cannot expect on reform too much, because reform is not a fast process. The result of the reform could not turn out immediately, maybe in ten years later or more, English education in China could be much better.
It’s shameful that the teaching of English as a foreign language in China haven’t been modernized for lack of multi-media , sound labs , the speaking environment and so on . Why does this phenomenon appear ? Personally ,the main reasons are as follows . On the one hand ,English learning haven’t been fully given priority . Otherwise , some necessary hardware facilities will be furnished , more English elites will be brought in and some funds will be invested . All of these win help to create a good English-learning and don’t have enough funds to invest in all areas . Some important fields are surely first taken into consideration . However , we should always remember that rejuvenating our country through science and education has been one of our country’s policy .To sum up , if we lay emphasis on English learning , alter our teaching methods ,in conjunction with the support of the government , we’ll surely creat a development stage for our students and make English learning achieve our desirement and expectation .
I do think English teaching ways should change! I know that something have been change since the year 2000, but the reform seems a little strange. Firstly, pupils won’t be taught phonetic symbol anymore, they just read after the teacher, but what if an English teacher who has bad pronunciation? I think this may create more poor oral English students. Secondly, they still learning mute English because the teacher always makes them memory the grammar and hard new words that are useless rather than practice speaking. It really doesn’t work learning English this way. However, some private organizations do try their best to reform their methods to teach students these decays, like the “LiYang crazy English”. In short, I am looking forward to seeing the new English teaching ways which really work to carry out all over the China.
China is a developing country, the central and western area is opposite backward. So the colleges can’t pay to much money to buy equipments and lab. But I think the reform isn’t fault. I am form GuangXi province, my hometown just is in the western. However, in my elementary school and high school, I used the sound lab and the computer to study English. Although the reform doesn’t completely succeed, it pulls the change. At least, the reform made teachers and students have wide view.
The reform doesn’t come into practice and come into effect at the same time. Haste makes waste. We could expect better equipments and environment provided from universities. Notwithstanding the deficiency and problems of hardware facilities, it is us, the human being that determine how far we could go for. It is no use when we complain about the classrooms, computer labs, sound labs or the libraries. What we really need to do is to make full use of these equipments and facilities. As to the English speaking environment, we could practice it whenever we like. Just take it easy and go ahead when we couldn’t make ourselves comprehensive, then progress it step by step. On all accounts, it depends upon our determination of making better English through the regular education and daily life.
this essay remind me sth of those English classes I took during the last years: when in middle school I learnt the truly ABCs on blackboard and listening to tape player; when in high school I firstly owned the chance to have few PPT lectures but very limited times; when in college things became totally different, every classes is depended on PPT and we have multi-media classrooms specifically for English classes.
true it needs time and money and quite lots of efforts to improve the quality of education in the relatively poor areas, true there can be many excuses not to invest that much sources into those primary schools, middles schools and alike, but one should know the very first years is very essential for a so-called competent college graduates and I think much more work should be done to improve those teaching qualities and equipments.
Our country had realize the problem exist in our English teaching and studying. So they make some reform such as change exams style and build classroom with audio-visual equipment programmed in English, sound equipment, projection screen and blackout curtains for us. May be these measures can improve our English studying in some extent. But they don’t solve the existed problem radically. I think the reform can’t emphasize the technology and exams, but to change our conception that we can learning English well through ourselves. If we speak more, read more articles , writing more and listen more, our English level will have a great of improvement. So I hope the decision maker know what is the most important in our education reform.
Reform is necessary. First the Ministry of Education launched the new campaign to reform EFL education is a very good news. At least this phenomenon shows Chinese Ministry of Education has pay attention to EFL. Reform is always slowly. We have already made progress. But reform isn’t only to change the equipment but also people’s mind . Now the equipment for learning English is improved, we should take full use of it. We also should change our minds and methods about leaning English . Maybe the Ministry of Education’s next reform is about English exam ! If that happened we will no longer leaning English for the exam, our goals of leaning English is communication. If we try our best to the reform ,I am sure our English education will be much better in the future.
China has been looking for suitable reforms to make every field better, including education. Since 1979, China has make great a great of progress in improving college education.
EFL education has not being paid much attention to until the globalization influence China. And when China joined the WTO, English became much more important than ever.
So it has not been a long time to improving the EFL education. Besides, China is so large that it can make every place’s EFL education to carry out perfectly in a short time. But we know that one day our China will make everything better.
Reform means that China has been aware of the inappropriateness of the English teaching system,and she want to change this situation.The new compaign lauched by the Ministry of Education is a good example.Because China has a large population and regional disparity,the reform has been operated difficultly.It requires our common efforts.We should be confident with the beatiful future of our great motherland.
I think reform is necessary for our education, but that needs a alteration step by step. The multi-media classrooms, computer labs and sound labs, English acquisition libraries are really do help for teaching English, but these are not the crucial point and we should find out the original problem. Second, I don’t agree that you compare the condition of equitments of different area in China because should know that it depends on the finance or policy of the located province and impossibly the same condition everywhere. Finally, I will appreciate that you are positive to observe the progress of English education in China.
After reading the article, I have some ideas about the Ministry of Education launched a new campaign to reform EFL education at the turn of the 21st century. In my view, although the reform is difficult to take into practice. In the reform course, people may face many difficult and trammel. But this is the natural thing. The result of the reform could not turn out immediately, maybe in many years later or more. I do believe the English education in China could be much better.
I think reform is necessary for EFL education, although it doesn’t succeed and has a long way to perfect itself. It is good that the colleges make many different classrooms to found up a better environment and provide all kinds of equipments for students to practice English. However, it is the key point. The most important thing is that we students should strive to learn more, speak more English.
Now ministry of china try his best to change the situation of learnning english.More and more people pay attention to english because of it’s importance.After china have joined WTO,in order to linking the world easily,we have been persuaded to learning english well.
The relative deparments are delicated to inproving teaching situation. For instant, some schools bring up some teaching equipments.However,for some reasoms,many remote schools can not afford the expense to inprove the facility.In china,this is very commen.It would take a long time to change the lag.But in my opinion,the day is to be expected.
The designers of this reform maybe depend too much on the material help in the reform of EFL. Many government officers still believe money can deal with every thing including millions of students’ acquiring second language. It won’t success if the leaders of this EFL reform don’t change their ideas on the second language teaching, before which the multimedia classroom can do nothing much for EFL in Chinese universities.
The result of the surveys seems to announce the failure of the reform which aims to modernize EFL teaching on campuses. The result may be disappointing. For now, Reforming EFL education turns into a daydream, though it is very nice.
The survey shows a truth that many universities and colleagues don’t emphasize the reform. And the survey also shows the differences of colleges’ reform in different areas in China. Modernization of EFL teaching requires enough financial resource and practical effort for each university or college. But each university or college has different financial resource and takes effort differently. Thus the reforms in different universities or colleges take out differences.
The reform is a process not a result. In the past 9 years, some universities and colleagues have tried to construct the infrastructure for English study. And there is some progress, which we should admire. However, universities and colleagues have a long way to go to make the dream come true.
As a developing country, china has been doing its best to reform the education. 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. In my opinion , the mean of Reform is that if something can not keep pace with the development of time, it needs to make some changes and improve itself. And the meaning of reform is not only the improvement of education equipment. But also the software of education. For instance ,The environment should created to improve English when the English library should be founded. If we speak more, read more articles , writing more and listen more, our English level will have a great of improvement in a day!
I think the thought of EFL education reform is good，but we have to realize that it is not a easy work and it need a long time for China to adjust. It is well known that China is a developing country and the economy level is not so high. There are really many difficulties to reform in all areas of China. In my opinion, we should carry out the reform gradually depend on different situations of different areas. In fact, great changes have taken place in China’s EFL education. We should give more time to the schools, to China. I believe the reform will be success some day.
Very clearly it is impossible for students to study English in a better environment which is supplied for specialized in studying English. Maybe there are so many reasons for this, but I do not know the whole. Only to know the English education system is not perfect. I hope the government can make some measures for changing the English equipments, and support universities to construct English acquisition library, computer labs and sound labs and so on. If we do this , we can arrive the goal －we have English studying environment.
After reading the five surveys, I know the misunderstanding of ‘reform’ by Chinese people finally. We usually equal reform to update, and the universities do all possible to update the equipments for their students, except to reform the situations of study. I think we must make up the deficiency by ourselves if we really want to learn English well.
In fact, reform is hard to take place in a developing country since China still has problems in poverty and starvation. But reformers of education cannot make this reason as an excuse. As it is known to all, some old people are afraid to change so this may be the biggest hamper that prevent Chinese English education system from reforming. The phenomenon above are commonly seen in China, among which expresses me most is the problem of library. Books are there for reading theoretically, but in China many rules are unreasonable and unbelievable. A great part of books cannot be checked out and some even are not for reading because they need to be kept new. It is really pathetic and no wonder Chinese students spend nearly 20 years to learn English but finally get nothing.
However, there may still be hope. And so much we need to do to change the current situation.
we can’t force a baby to run before he can walk .that’s what I regard the situation of English teaching as in china. We should be aware of the necessity of reform and the huge room to progress in English teaching. It is a phenomenon inspiring us to see the hope of making the education system better in China .
In spite of this, we should also know that it will never be a easy task for us to gain, it will not be accomplished widespreadly till it go through for a long time. We should see the situation nowadays critically and objectively.
When we face with some difficulty, we choose to reform once again. In China, “reform” mostly means “complete or utter change”, ignoring the problem of wasting resource and students for adapting. It shows one of the Chinese characteristic, being eager for quick success and instant benefits. Obviously, the “reform” may bring about some problems. And the result of it is still in doubt.
From the reform to the reality is always a long way in China,longer if there is nobody supervise.Maybe many of our Chinese have already been used to.But most of us are making great efforts to change it,so we are progressing as a whole.
Reform does not mean changing in one night. Just as we all know “Roma was not built in a day”. We can not demand reform can be completed in a short time, we should do it step by step. In fact, I have studied English in China for more than ten years. Multi-media classrooms, and computers, which are often used to help teaching English now, were never seen when I was in elementary school.
And also, there are many many things to reform in China. Reform about English education is not the most important in current situation. Maybe, to improve the life of all Chinese people is the first important.
There were classrooms, computer labs, labs and English acquisition libraries in my undergraduate’s school. But the problem is that there were so many students that the multi-media classrooms and sound labs were not enough for all of students, so only part of students had access to use the multi-media classrooms and sound labs in a term. I hope the school can buy more devices, because those devices can assist students to learn English. Many students are shy, they are afraid of being laughing at, so they will not speak English to avoid making mistakes. But they can say to the devices.
It is true that learning English as foreign language in China has not so good effect. So many people against the English teaching and learning method what was using now. Sure we need a reform in the education of English learning. But reform is a difficult progress. We should trust that we will have good effect in the future, with the reform step by step.
Reform may be practicable in China, but it would take a long time to become ture and also meet a lot of difficulties. It does require the related equipments and English speaking environment, because the best way to learn a language is to speak it and use it in daily lift. And more importantly it needs the right target and appropriate methods to learn English. Now many professional documents are written in English, if you want to get comprehensive information, you must read these papers. It asks you to be expert in English. Each learner must realize the importance and widely use of English, so that they can have consciousness to learn English.
In the opinion of me, China is a developing country, and it is all the time to reform the education.
Our country is trying his best to take measures for education reform. Many management believe that EFL education should take attention and looking for suitable reforms. English is a very important foreign language. Although, there would be some financial limitation, the school are actually making efforts. Improving the English capacity of Chinese students will have a long way to go.
Reform is a difficult thing especially in field of education in China.As we know,the gap between the poor and the rich is pretty large in China.In the eastern,there are lots of factories and companies,the economic situation is better than the western..It means children in the eastern have more facilities than those in the western.Multi-Media classrooms,computer rooms and labs,English libraries and other resouces are play more important role in TEFL.They can help students collect more imformation about study.But in poor areas,children can’t have the chaces to own them..I think this is an unfair thing in education.Today,many universties only want to have great fames,so they spent much money on building new campuses and other hardwares ,but not focus on the softwares such as omputer rooms and labs.So we must recognize which is the most important in educational reform.Then the Ministry of Education may launch into more money in the poor area and call on the society to donate for them.