Can you answer any of the questions?
EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions – Questions – Questions
This article raises numerous fundamental issues which appear to have been overlooked by China in its exuberance to embrace EFL/ESL teaching as China rushes to join the new world order and partake of its share of the global economic pie. This article establishes a solid and fundamental legitimization for asking the politically incorrect, controversial and sensitive questions but leaves their final resolution to the language teachers, graduate students and linguists who have the inherent fundamental duty to seek the answers. (2007) Frontiers in Higher Education, Ch. 10, Nova Science Publishers.
After the English become the official language of the world, with the development of society, learning English is becoming increasingly important now. More and more people in China learn English, because if our English is very well, we can easily find a good job. So now there have been many English learning intensive course .The crash course can let you master the basic English conversation skills in the short term .If we effectively use it, this is a good way to learn English. As a graduate student, we should learn English well, because if we master the English well, we can read more expertise.
After reading this 30 paged article, I was shocked. I feel sorry for the formalism in Chinese English teaching. It’s ridiculous for a man who can’t even say a word in English to be an administrator of English teaching.
I can feel the disappointments of the foreign teachers when they faced the difficulties from both the students and the schools. I also got some familiar things that I had heard from the HE class. And the good news is that I read the sentence “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” more fluently.
I think I’m lucky to live in a big city from which I can get a better education, and I will try my best to better.
Yes,I think so. There are too many questions in Chinese English educational system. Chinese government encouraged all the people to study English with good intentions.English has became the most popular language, even has been official language in the world.But they never considered the details during the learning English. Some of the administers even never learned English before,so they think naively studying a language only need to know the vocabulary and the grammers,then memorizing them,reciting the articles, the more ,the better .Undoubtedly,did like that can also do somewhat good to us,but only a little.In my opinion,if we want to solve the issues radically,at first,we should correct the wrong conceptions in learning English at Chinese society.Every student should take English as a tool in communication but not a burden.If every student is interested in English,will be learing English so difficult?
China has made many a same kind of mistake about English or some other things of education. The thing is China is too eager for instant success which leads to a huge waste of recourses. For a long time, the view point of putting great efforts will always lead to success no matter how has occupied the thought of certain education policy makers. By now, as we notice the flaw of the English teaching methods, we should really think about the “questions” seriously.
English is a worldwide language. It was used in politics, economy, business, science and technology, etc. Learning English is necessary for us to learn more about the world. As for the teaching of English in China, there are problems what should be solved existing indeed in my opinion, but it isn’t easy solve this problem completely. After reading the article, I agree with some points in it. It needs relevant departments to pay special attention to those to change the existing teaching environment, although it is not so easy.
I have not though so many questions about learning English in China before I read this article. About the first question, in my opinion, there are 1.3 billion people in China but not all these people shoult learn English. Many people such as migrant workers, older people and some pure manual labours don’t need to learn English at all. The second question, I don’t think EFL/ESL teaching in China is success. About the third question my answer is not. Though many English teachers are not good at English, they can be a torchbearer. There are as many thoughs as many people, so it is certain that not everyone can really be expected to acquire English in this hostile environment. The sixth, I think it is, because we are Chinese. I have not idea about the rest questions.
I agreed that there is something terribly amiss with EFL/ESL teaching in China. For example, not every one in China has to learn English and they will use it in daily lives and work. Some one even never used it in their lives after they got to job. When I read the article to the page 8-9, I felt unbelievable cause the same thing never happened beside me. When I was in my middle school, a school in countryside, after class we even used English to do some simple communicate with each other though a bit clumsy. Though there was tough conditions in the middle school, teachers there focused on communication and encouraged us to read and listen more.
Well ,a lot have been discussed on EFL situation of China here rescently.While a few persons especially some foreigners just like our teacher Martin has palced more attention upon EFL in China which appears tohave nothing to do with there own benefits,I just wonder where our respected education officials are and what they been done?It’s really satiric.Just look upon our studying procedures,for more than ten years we have been dealt with English which becomes a necessity and a domination.However,it’s now become obvious that all work turn out to be worthless.Most of us just couldn’t write well,listen clearly and speaking influently.No complains,just calm down,because we are adult now.Compared with previous studying life ,we now have more freedom to decide what should be down,after all,we are responsible for our behaviors. It’s of no use trying to find out whether the faults should be attribute to the education system or education environments or someones.And of course the promble will last for some time.However,we can change ourselves,whether English will be a burden or a resource depends on ourselves.There should be no blame for those who don’t want to study English anymore and use the saved time to learn other knowledges.But for me,I do think I will keep learning English ,not for others but myself.It’s will be my tools and it’s will be may skills.
Now in China, whether primary, secondary or university, English has become a compulsory subject. whether it is worth and so many people spend so many resources to learn English. Now, it is true that English indeedly has a very important role in the world. However, this does not mean that all students, all people should learn English. This is very unwise. In fact, we work in the real use of English are in fact not so much. Most learn English just to slowly forget in the future. Not every Chinese person need to learn English.
So, I think that is should be elective nature of English into a subject. So who really interested or who need gets to learn in real people. It make good use of the educational resources.
Several acute questions come up in the article, which reminds me my painful experience of learning English. In deed, there is a large amount of Chinese people learning English, however not 1.3 billion. We need English to promote the development of our country, to catch up with the developed countries. English is a useful tool. However we can’t use it well, because of the inappropriate ways of learning English. I don’t know much about the situation of English learning in some other countries, such as Japan, Korea. But I think even Chinglish is good, as long as we can coommunicate with each other.
English is accepted as the most important course in our schools, no matter in elementary schools or in colleges. Why？English is now becoming a standard when we access corporation or government institution. CET-4 and CET-6 is what they what when interview a person. This somewhat increased the number of English learners and people’s passion to it. If everyone can acquire English, it is a wonderful thing. Of course, impossible. Hence 1.3 billion Chinese learning English is not the best strategy to the authority. But in some way I think it is success , not only because we have achieved some progress in recently two decade, it would build a solid base to future.
We should not suspect the importance of learning English, since it has been a daily tool in our life. We may encounter English in different situations, in shops, in buses, in traveling, and even when we are reading the instructions of some goods. I can always feel happiness when I am able to be a translator or instructor to a foreigner and explain what he does not understand. However, our English education is such a big problem, from we are very little kids to now. We are so familiar with the silent classes, no matter how the teachers tell us to open our mouths. We dear not speak English because of the “face”. When I was taking TOFEL test, the worst part was oral test, and this situation is shared among the most of Chinese students. What is the way out? I always wonder….
No matter how ghastliness an educational system is,there would always some ones to gain little or much from it.Maybe many problems will be naturally solved when the system is pushing forword,who knows.It is just the time when one happen to come to a less developing environment and he certainly would feel sorry about it.I think meanwhile we all should notice the better aspects besides bad ones so we get comprehensive understanding of it.
There are too many talks about TEL in China from The Four Great Lies to WARNING: Trojan Horse Inside Great Wall. My standpoint is unchanged——NOT anyone needs to study English and A English speaking environment should be established. For the first one, bachelor’s degree should not contact with CET4 certificate. For the second one, more facilities are required to use to improve the students’ spoken English. And make the students read, speak, listen, write more English.
Not all the 1.3 billion Chinese people need to learn Chinese, such as the rural peasants who won’t contact English all through their life, and they also don’t need, only people contacting daily living goods labeled with English and using English on their work had better know English. EFL/ESL teaching in China can’t make every Chinese say fluent English, it just need let some professional English persons say fluent and clear English, not perfect English. It’s not a case of the blind leading the blind, holistic English is a good way to acquire English for those people who really need English, but it will speed they many time. it’s not a fast way but impactful way. If we really understand the soul and idea of Holistic English, and make a great effort, we can be expected to acquire English in this hostile environment.
the favourite whine of Chinese English students I think may be”my listening is so poor, I can’t follow you”. As a foreign language, many Chinese students’ears have not an acute feel of English sound. That is why English is so difficult for most of us. The gift of learning language is different for everyone. Chinglish is inevitable for everyone living in china, except he or she is brought up abroad.
In my opinion, the most serious problem in English education in china is that the real benefit of learning English is not shown to many students. One whose English is not very well can enter university just like others good at it. In addition, English is not universal in China. Life will not be affected for those who cannot master another language. How to solve the question in English education in China must follow this question that what’s the use to learn English. After all, people who go to foreign companies are still a minority.
No doubt, English has become the most important languages now. Many important articles are written in English. In many important meetings, people are speaking English. Now China is developing countries. If the country wants to develop, we must learn foreign advanced technology. Therefore, English is also naturally into our classroom. More and more people begin to learn English. But not every Chinese people are learning English, or to learn English. In daily life, many people are not need to use English, especially in rural areas. But in the course of education obligations, the school still arranged English course. Of course, there must be a reason. Because no one knows who will become talents, who will be the farmers.
Why should we avoid Chinglish painstakingly? Like Martin said, Chinglish is not a bad thing. In India, there is India English and in Africa, there is Africa English. Even if in China, different provinces have their own accent of mandarin.Likewise,their English are not the same. I’ve already noticed that in Guangdong the students pronounce the letter “z” as [isei],but in Sichuan,the students pronounce “z” as [z],and this is only one of the many differences. Deng xiaoping once said “a cat is a good cat as long as it can match mice,no matter its skin colour is black or white.”Likely,if others can understand your English,then your English is ok.
As a language,it is necessary to use English frequently.Once a long time have not listening,speaking,reading or writing,you might forget it soon.So it is important to creat an English Spoken Environment.On the other hand,English as a second language is not extraordinary success,in a large extent is the deficiency of ESE.Sometimes teathers or parents compeled us to learn English,but it is inefficient.For those who really want to learn English,they can creat a small ESE by themselves,and it will work well.
In learning English there are many problems in China, many people are mute English. Although many people have passed the CET4 and CET6 and get good results, but that only a written test. Their abilities of saying are bad. We should create more environment of learning English. We wish to learn English rather than mute English. Now English is gradually becoming an international lingua franca. Learning English is very useful for our future. Either continuing our study or finding a job, there will be a great help to us.
My feeling is complicated when reading this article. I am pensive on the phenomena this article presents, and embarrassed by the experience of the foreign experts. Thanks for asking so many questions for us. In fact, they are the very questions many of us are thinking about or at least starting to do that. After learning English for more and ten years, most of us are still mute or parrot as you said. And those excellent English speakers who we know usually don’t get their ability from our school or simply graduated in English major. Why should we learn English? What’s the problem with our English education? Neither the teachers nor the administration give us a convinced answer. And we are just learning English because we are told to do so. Without passion and good guide, how could we be an English speaker? Huge economic business sector spawned by EFL/ESL teaching is a great force I have never thought about before. I agree with the conclusion of this article. I believe once our society really come to a agreement in the importance of the true meaning and euphoria of EFL/ESL teaching, and then pursue the business sector to move into a proper perspective, our EFL/ESL teaching will achieve its success at last.
Well, professor, it’s not the first time you show us about the problems and questions of EFL in China. At the beginning of this term I had a strong feeling of these articles. They show me what I had faced in the past ten years. They are talking something which I dared not say but was my true feeling in the past. But now, these questions affect me less. After this term, I think, I would not have to attend any English classes. I could do nothing to affect the EFL in China more. I think you’d better raise these questions to the middle schools.
After reading these articles, I was shocked. I feel disappointed to the formalism in Chinese English teaching. It’s ridiculous for a man who can’t even say a word in English to be an administrator of English teaching.With the development of society, learning English is becoming increasingly important now. More and more people in China learn English, because if our English is very well, we can easily find a good job. So now there have been many English learning intensive course .The crash course can let you master the basic English conversation skills in the short term.And more and more foreigners come to China,we have lots of chance to communicate with them.
Frankly speaking, there are so many problems in our English studying in China. We learned English when we were pupil or junior middle school student. And in most of students and parents’ opinion in China, the purpose to learning English are just to pass the exam, and to get the chance to go the college or get a good job. Most of us do not realize the real purpose and goal to learn English. In fact we learn English is just for reading and speaking, not for passing an exam. I think this is the most serious question in our EFL/ESL teaching. And to change this embarrass situation, we must change our mind and attitude to English learning. Anyway, some practice must be put into our campus, such as create an English speaking environment.
I’d like to answer the first question:Why should 1.3 billion Chinese learn English?
Acatually, as the most widely used language in the world,English is essential for young people now.More importantly,most of the world’s best academic papers are written in English, and we can only good at English for better study the leading edge of science.With the development of society, learning English is becoming more important now. So more and more people decide to learn English in China.
The article impressed me deeply, especially when talked about the experiences of FEs in Chinese kindergarten and middle school. Not only English education has been considered
as a money-making industry, but also a invitation for foreign expert has been used as a marketing tool for new enrollments and higher profits. What a cruet and offish reality.
As for the English education in middle school, we even haven’t realized that we are parrots lacking innovation and skills! We did be used to repeat and memorize the words teacher read and wrote on the board without judging whether they were right, just like being used to our yellow skin, dark eyes and black hair.
“If a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” I totally agree with this saying, When we are waste so much money and time in studying English but achieve little fruitions , it’s not as good as finding a correct way firstly and then starting the teaching of English.
Modern civilization stems from the west. With the development of western technology, the people’s life in the world has changed a lot. And one is that We Chinese should learn English well. Only we master this world language we can communicate with others who come from different countries. But there is a question that we can’t master English under current education system. The teacher only teaches us how to get a high score, and the school pays more attention to the high enrolment rate. Even if we pass the CET4 or 6, we can do little by using English. To change this phenomena, I think, although it’s a long way to go, it‘s just time. As our country is developing, and many systems are consummating, we can see the effort of our government to improve these problems, so we are look forward to tomorrow.
Questions, questions and questions. Questions may lead to solutions. Exactly speaking, there are not as many as 1.3 billion people in china that are learning English. It may be one third at most. But it’s an incontestable reality that china is caught into the tidal current to learn English. And in most of the schools, English is treated as one of the most important courses. There is a smell of the whole nation system. Under the inspiring of government and economic progress, people are blindly to do it, just following others. It is a safe choice. But it is disappointed that Chinese spend much efforts, including time and money,energy, they do not well in English, not also speaking, but also in other aspects. And there are some inrooted reasons, Chinese usually don’t choose following their wishes and result that many or some teachers don’t like their jobs. They just take it as a job, to earn their lives. Also the students don’t act much better. Then, it is just so-so. So-so is just for a life. A life is like some one else, not themselves’. Maybe there is an overstatement, but as for me, though it’s important for my study in my major,I don’t take english serious,maybe it’s my fault.
I am appreciated that so many questions posted in the article.We have to look at these questons even though we can’t find the answer.I have a question:Why does English come to China from the WEST?Does not it feel tired to reach China?When I read the history,I know one thing that English was not invited to China and English itself used the gun to break open the gate of China! Our country was weak and fell behind the WEST during the Great Qing Dynasty.People is chilling about China’s modern history of centuries of humiliation.We realize that it is the most important to communicate with the world after our new country was establised. learning English is the first step to go to the world.
Many people won’t use English in the lives every day,but can we think it is useless to learn English?I don’t think so.We can know some English information or we can have a business with foreign people if we have learn some English before some day!In a word,it is better than never!We do not expect everyone to become Jesus,but at least we will know the truth of being a good people.
It is said that where there is a profit, there will be many pursuers. It is true with learning English as a second language.Needless to say, English is the most widely used language and has been ragard as the universal language in our world. If you have a good command of English,you will get high paid,you will master the advanced technology though reading foreign newsapaper,you will have a forceful means to get what you want.I think our goverment’s decision to let everyone to learn English is the best decision to make our nation move farward.If there is anything that can make our nation better and richer ,we will share no effort to do it .
In modern society, I think English becomes very important. On December 3, I with my classmates went to listen to an international seminar about the Marine Environmental Change of the South China Sea in Baiyun Hotel. All the people came from all over the world. Everybody, even the Chinese people, presented the PPT in English. But still some people spoke English not very well, which made me hard to understand what they said.
Yes, not every Chinese person should learn English. Some people have learnt English for many years. But after they leave school, they don’t have to use English. But if you have to communicate with foreigners, you must learn English. Learning English well is very important, especially the listening English and the spoken English. You must understand the meaning others want to express and express the meaning you want to say in English. I need to learn English because of my major. So English means a lot for me.
WHY SHOULD 1.3 BILLION CHINESE LEARN ENGLISH?
In fact, not all the Chinese learn English. There are numerous people, especially in the poor village in the western part of China, who can not speak even an English word. There is no doubt that English is the world language, and it plays a more and more important role in the world nowadays. But I do not think it is necessary for all the Chinese to learn English. Of course, as postgraduate students, we must use it to read English references, and exchange ideas with foreigners, so we must learn English.
I won’t think much about our English studying until I read so many articles about that on the website. Actually, the education system in China now can’t improve our oral English. I remembered that when I started in learning English, I was too shy to open my mouth to speak in English. Some of English teachers’ pronunciation isn’t good enough. Most of us learn English just for a better grade. To some extent, our English class now is a guide to us how to learn English. If you want to improve your English, you have to do a lot of work after class. It’s totally up to you. On the other hand, I notice that there are more and more international schools in China. And foreign language training institution is very hot now. This phenomenon reflects that our English teaching can’t satisfy our English studying.
After reading the article, I went to bed for a rest. The sentence,’ Does China not yet realize the reality that the emerging China has the immediate clout to demand that those desiring to do business in China or with China should learn Mandarin, rather than expect 1.3 billion Chinese to learn English?’, came from my mind. I suddenly recalled a fragment from Dao De Jing[1] (Lao-tzu).’ When one is about to take an inspiration, he is sure to make a (previous) expiration; when he is going to weaken another, he will first strengthen him; when he is going to overthrow another, he will first have raised him up; when he is going to despoil another, he will first have made gifts to him:–this is called “Hiding the light (of his procedure).”’ Undeniably, China want to play an important role I on the global economy, with self-understanding that they do not have the power to affect it, while the U.S.A and the Euro dominate it. To realize it, china must learn from the country above, language is the first tool. In other words, I want to dominate by first I follow you. Especially, in china, learning English on a large scale may reduce the probability of the success one, but it surely increases the number of the success.
[1] translation reference: http://www.yellowbridge.com/onlinelit/daodejing36.php
The 30 paged article made me shocked and I was lost into deep thinking. I was born in a small town and began to learn English in the junior middle school. I was found of English learning, and it sounded like music to me. I studied hard and my English was always among the top three in my school. When I take the national entrance examinations of oral English, I got full mark. At that time, I was confidence of my English. However, when I got into the college which was in a big city, my English teacher told me that my pronunciation needed to be improved. I was a bit frustrated and had to learn pronunciation from the very beginning. It was until that time that I realized the oral English of our teacher in my home town was poor. The learning conditions in rural China is poor and need to be improved immediately.
I think these questions are very important for EFL in China. I really agree with the authors’ perception of these phenomena. In fact, many students including me, spent many years on learning English only for exams, which not only can’t develop our real skill of communicating with foreigners, but also make us lose the interest of learning it. There is a vicious circle: when we don’t love English, we don’t work hard on it, then we can’t learn it well, we hate it more. I think the teachers, the students, and the linguists should notice these phenomena, and work hard to end the vicious circle.
HE is a meaningful try to end this vicious circle. Professor Martin tells us the right purpose and right approach to learn English and give us intrinsic motivation to learn it. I benefit a lot from the course and begin to love English. Now I watch English movies with English subtitle, go to English corner frequently to practice more and make rapid progress in English.
When I was 13,I began to learn English.Of course I didn’t know why I should learn it.I just wanted a high score.
And it was very cool if you can spesk in English.But I couldn’t ,and my parents always asked me to traslate some words,so I had to study harder .
In high school,I had to pass the examination,so I learned harder.I was interested in reading very much.I knew a lot about science and different cultures.
Now ,I think English is not simply a subject,it is a language used for exchange.
Every coin has two sides,learning English is just the same .
1. English has became a world-wide language already. We learn English for adjust the modernization of the whole world.
2. Express what we thought fluently and accurately.
3. No.
4. Yes, of cause! Most people give examples!
5. I can read, I can listen, I can write, but I can not speak!
6. Yes! You can teach me English, but can not teach me the way that the foreigner thought, the foreign culture.
7. I agree with you. We should get a creditable English name.
8.The question likes asking me “Do you know which came out first: the egg or the chicken?” They cheat each other and make progress by such way.
The first question is the one which I care about for a long time.All of us were told when we began to learn English:”Computer and English will be the most important tools in the 21th century”.So we must master it,or we will fail in the international competition.However,is anyone necessary to use English in their jobs? Will they be impossible to finish their work without English?On the contrary,my experience told me that more than half people had little chance to ues English in their work.As a result,it will be a great waste especially this country has a huge population,which will certainly slow down our developing.So I disagree with this policy and wish that our country can change it sooner and sooner.
It can not be denied that these problems are acute. I have never think about these questions before. Academics are supposed to have different voices. It makes our academics improve constantly. These questions mentioned in this paper confuse me, I did not like learning English any more in the past and faced to English by the way of muddling . So I can’t complain English language teaching system, I have had it far away from my mind, unless I must took the exams. Now I only wonder to talk about my understanding of ESL in China. Of course, I think it is necessary for almost the whole population to learn English well. For academics, if we have not enough English level, we can’t master the movements of the scientific community. Everyone knows ‘Science is the primary productive force’. No science, no happy life. As a result, ESL is very important for our country and our people.
This long article tells us most all the truth in China. If you are disagree,most probably,you are unwilling to accept it. Almost all the 700 students in this semester are the witnesses and victims of the failure of English teaching in the pass years. We all have the experience of being taught English in Chinese,especially in high schools. We all have the experience of speading more time to learn English than our major,which means that you are a person without your strongpoint!
Well, after reading through the eight questions, I think I can say that Martin actually pointed out eight serious existing problems in EFL/ESL in China to us. To be honest, although most of what he said is undoubtedly right, I find myself unable to do something to make a change, which makes me feel very ashamed. The only thing I can do, at least now, is change my own English study strategy and stay with it, keeping a distance from the outside disturbance.
After reading the article, EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions-Questions-Questions, I want to talk about some of my foreign teachers in my middle school. My middle school recruited several foreigners as English teachers when I was a senior high school student. Their jobs were primarily to teach junior high school students. Then, two of them, one after another, were sent to give us oral English class. I still remember them. One is a middle-aged woman, who is from Cameroon. In class, she talked most of the time. She told us something about her country, something about manners, and so on. She also encouraged us to speak English, but there was only encouragement. Another foreign teacher is a young man, whose major is marine biology, from Australia. At that time, he was no more than 30. He is very friendly. He showed us English movies, and told us something about himself and his family. We had supper together for one time. In general, both of them wanted to help us improve our oral English very much, but what they could do is so limited. First, as senior high school students, we were under the stress of entrance exams to college. Our school did not and would not pay any attention to our oral English. The oral English class for us was just for fun and rest. Second, my foreign teachers had no rights to make many changes. What our Chinese teachers said were most important. Third, not all the foreign teachers had teaching experience or related majors. Some of them just came there just because they wanted to know more about China. However, in my opinion, in students’ perspective, maybe their coming is better than that no foreigners in our middle schools. At least, the students could have a chance to talk with foreigners and even make friends with them.
I haven’t finished reading this article in details yet, it’s pretty long. But I think the ‘how can EFL/ESL teaching in China be called a success’ part is real funny, and thought-provoking as well, that’s when I decided to write this. I have to admit that I suck at English, although I’ve been studying this language since 4th grade, that’s been 13 years. The whole system of eduction is not good enough, but I think the main cause is myself, I guess, because some schools are doing a good job actually. I had a great English teacher from 7th to 9th grade, she always invited some of her favourite students to a meeting room, we talked, we played games, Riddles Puzzles, and lots of laughs. All English, except the laughs, and fun. I still remember how much we loved English at that time.
I don’t know much about education, but I do know that if you want someone to be good at something, the first thing important is to make him love that something. most students now studies for exems, so basically they are forced to study, and you are forced to do something, even something fun, you will hate it, maybe that’s something to think about.
Why should we have to learn English? There are too many reasons to it. And I emphatically want to point out this two points. Firstly, our country is and will be a developing country for a long time. So if we want to develop our country more prosperous and powerful, we have to learn from and communicate with the foreign countries. But they don’t say Chinese at all. So what should we do? Yes, we learn their language—English. Secondly, there is more and more misunderstanding or even conflict recently. How to remove the misunderstanding or conflict? Yes, we should communicate with them, introduce our culture, express our minds, show the reason and necessity to what we had done or will do. But they don’t say Chinese at all. So we learn English.
When I read this article, I comprehend Holistic English more. We have discussed some of these questions before, but we should discuss more and more. Why should we learn English? Not master English, just using English, use it like a tool, not a theory. This is the key point. This determines how English should be taught. I think it is our government’s origin mean, too. Maybe Holistic English teach us Chinglish, but I think the environment it creates will help us to make our English as good as foreigners. What is worse: Students who cheat the system or a system that cheats the students? Obviously, our system cheat us, our government purpose is nice, but the way to realized is not correct enough. Why not choose Holistic English?
As the world start growing bigger and bigger, people from all over the world have much stronger connection in economic activities, science research even daily life, language is the door to open up their minds. Since there are so many countries at present, it’s hard for people of one country to learn all the language of the others’. So one or few universal language is needed.
Because of the influence of British Empire in the last century, and America is the most powerful country nowadays, it’s obviously to have English as the universal language. Some would say, China has 25% of the whole population, why not Mandarin? Well, when you see most effective academic publications are written in English, your famous movie is acted in English, when you travel around all countries, it has, usually, English instructions in case you might need some help, when your computer is crashed, the lovely blue screen show up, the message is English, for god sack. You can not deny English is playing a very important role in all people’s life.
The benefit of knowing English is evident. The Chinese government is not so dumb as you think, since you can’t change the world, why not change yourself? Close-door is really not a good idea. Granted, let the whole nation to learn English costs a lot, but it is a long-tern investment. Learning English is not only to get a job or speak to a foreigner, you must stand in the view point of a whole country, we’re buying the ticket of globalization, it provides an opportunity for every single Chinese who can use English to perform in the world stage. And you can not convince some of us to learn English, others don’t, learning English becomes a nation move, just like you can’t acquire English only in the classroom and after class you say Mandarin. The environment will persuade more people to join the team or make it more effective. So it’s important for the government to create opportunities to let 1.3 billion Chinese to learn English, and don’t forget, learning English is just the beginning.
Is it necessary for Chinese people to study English in such a huge enthusiasm? That’s a thought-provoking question. In my mind’s eye, English is a rather useful language for international communication. Though it’s definite that everybody can not come across a foreigner even in his whole life, English can also be used as a tool of study, reading, or even enlightening thought. Indeed， what we have gotten in our English study is something unable to be measured in terms of money. I object to the way we learn English, but I don’t feel regretful for progressing with difficulty in English studying for so many years.
The phenomena referred in the article make me shocking. I am sorry to know about some of them, especially the kindergarten experience of the foreign expert, it is the first time that I hear of it. Regardless of the future of children, the head mistress maked use of the foreign expert as a tool for advertisement, their only aim was to make benefits. At the same time, our country and our citizens has invested much money and time in the English teaching, however, the results are disappointing. There really are lots of problems in EFL/ESL teaching in China, may be we can say many problems in Chinese educational system-the policy, the methodology, etc. In my opinion, it is a long-range and hard task to change all these, but, we can try our best to do for it, our younger can alter our threads of learning and teaching, influencing people around us, and in the future, making our next generation accept good education and new methods of studying. Our nation can employ more and more young talents with open mind and new methodology as teachers. Because of the history of our nation, it is a very hard and stubborn mission to change the situation, but, I believe it is only a problem of time. Nothing is impossible, we can make learning English as a small dish one day.
I will answer two of these eight questions:the first question and the fourth question.
Why should 1.3 billion Chinese learn English?English as an international language.So we should learn English to know more about U.N,EU and other regions.Furthermore,China wants to enhance its image as a compolitan metropolis.That is true.Nowadays China has played more and more important role in international affairs,such as keeping international peace and helpiing the third countries to promote economic development.Beijing should take its responsiblity.
Can anyone really be excepted to require English in the hostile environment?In my opinion,not everyone really is excepted to require English in the hostile environment.According to Krashen,such hostile environment violates every principle for establishing a friendly English acquisition environment.We require comprehensible input within a friendly,not stressful,to acquire the target language.