The Impact of English Language Education in China-Jing Fu

8/17/2019 The Impact of English Language Education in China-Jing Fu

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The Impact ofEnglish LanguageEducation in Chi

Dr. Jing Fu

OISE, University of TorontoNovember 26, 2014

CIDEC


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English Signs in China

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Overview (Focus on higher education)

•Brief introduction of China

• A historical review of foreign language education and

• Current trends and language policies on foreign langueducation in China.

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Two Folders

• A historical review since1860s (Focus on highereducation)

• Review since 1949

• 1949 -1965

• 1965 -1976

• 1977 - 2012

• Current trends andlanguage policy

1861-1949

English

education

University l

1949 - 1965 Bilingual Sc

1965-1976 InternatioSchool

1977 -2012

Current po

on Engli

educatio

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1. A belief historical revof foreign languageeducationSince 1860s


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1st Folder: Historical review of foreignlanguage education

•

Brief Introduction of China• Shanghai and PISA

• Early time: The Tong Wen Guan Academy 京师同文馆

• Review since 1949

• 1949 -1965 • 1965 -1976

• 1977 - 2012

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China Map by Provincial

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Profile of China• Capital City : Beijing

• Largest city: Shanghai

• “Mainland China"• 22 provinces,

• 5 autonomous regions, and

• 4 municipalities

• Ethnic groups• 91.51% Han

• 55 minorities

• Languages: 292 living languages in China (Paul, 2009).• 70% of population speak Mandarin Chinese8


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Shanghai

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Profile of Education of Shanghai

• More than 930kindergartens (1035)

• 1,200 primary (640)

• 850 middle schools (807)including both middle school

and high school• Two resources are adopted

above.

• Over 30 universitiescolleges (public).

• 60 universities and cincluding both publicprivate

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Chinese Educational System

• Graduate Level

• PhD Program (3-4 years)

• Master or equivalent program (2- 3 years)

• Undergraduate Level (4 – 6 years) vs. College Level (2-3

• K- Grade 12

• High school 3 years

• Middle school 3 years (compulsory education)

• Elementary school 6 years (compulsory education)

• Kindergarten (various )12


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Early foreign language educationFrom

师同文馆

( Jing shi tong wen guan) to 192-1

• 师同文馆 founded in Beijing, China during the late-Dynasty (in January, 1861, Joined into 京师大学堂in

AmWil

M13


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Zuo Zongtang and Li HongzhangZuo Zongtang

• Zuo Zongtang (ChinseseStatesman and militaryleader)

Li HongZhang (Politici

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Courses in Tong Wen Guan

• Courses in Tong Wen Guan:

• English

• Later on, added French, Russian, German, and Japanese.

• as well as chemistry, medicine, machine-making, astronomymathematics, geography and international laws.

• Foreign language native speakers taught Chinese studforeign languages

• Chinese teachers taught foreigners Chinese

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F 京师同文馆 (Ji hi t )


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From 京师同文馆 (Jing shi tong wen guan)1949 2-2

• In 1937, because of Second Sino-Japanese war, BeijUniversity, Qinghua University and Nankai Universitytogether moved to Yunnan province, united to a newuniversity, named as “Southwest United University”. Department of Foreign language was thriving and suc

• After the war, above 3 university were back to Beijin

Tianjin. In 1946，Beijing University moved back in BProfessor Zhu Guangqian was the head of the depart

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西南联合大学 Southwest United Univer

When the Second Chinese-Japanese War broke out betweenChina and Japan in 1937, 3 universities moved to Kunming,Yunnan province, and merged to Southwest UnitedUniversity.

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1949 – 1965 Friendship with Soviet in 1950 to 1951(Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance）

7 Russian

language colleges

More colleges

and universities

increasedprogram on

Russian Studies

univ

co

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From 1949 to 1965

• After the domestic battle between two parties, in 1949,o

(Guo Ming dang) moved to Taiwan, whereas another partchan dang ) stayed in mainland China. The new governmeestablished. In 1950, because Soviet and China signed anagreement （Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance an

Assistance which Russia will support China multiple are(e.g.,economic, education). The growing numbers of Russia

language schools or colleges started over the country.• Because of needs, the government established 7 Russian co

1951, the numbers of departments of Russian studies andincreased to 34.

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1949 - 1965

• In 1957, the Ministry of Education advocated that n

Russian studies, but also English needed to be implemThere were 23 universities had English major prograthat time. In addition, there were a few universities more foreign languages (e.g., Spanish, Polish, Arabic,

• In 1965, due to political issue (Cultural Revolution), auniversities slow down and no recruited students for 10 years.

• In 1971, US president Nixon visited China, English bimportant again. And all universities of foreign studierestarted to recruit students.

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1950-1965

1950s-

1965

1957: English promoted. 23 universities had English majo Also, a few universities added more foreign languages (e.g.

Polish, Arabic, etc.). As well as English found its way back

junior secondary curriculum. (Hu, 2009).

1965 -1976: It was a decade of chaos

no student recruitment in university level for many years.

1971: US president Nixon visited China, English became impo

All university of foreign studies resumed and restated to recru

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Since 1978

• In 1978, China opened door to the world. English beextremely boom since then. Without teaching materiwell-educated teachers, they started to create their oteaching materials, and the government sent studentEurope, North America, and Australia to learn Englis

• In 1981, universities of foreign studies restarted grad

program (MA and Ph.D. )

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Opening up and Modernization (1971990)

1978

China

opened

the door

to the

worldGaokao

resume

Engli8sh

became

a boom

Plentiful

English

schools

and

universiti

es

Created

their own

teaching

materials,

edited

dictionaries

1981

Graduate

school resumed

(MA, Ph.D.)

MOE and other

authorizations

sent students and

scholars to study

or visit Europe,

North America,

Japan , Australia

Other

languages

also

follow

with

English

policy

At the Universitylevel• Da yu zhong

(Major foeignlanguage)

• Xiao yu hong(Minor foreign

language ) g

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Opening up and Modernization (1971990)

• In 1978, China opened door to the world. English be

extremely boom since then. Without teaching materiwell-educated teachers, they started to create their oteaching materials, edited various English- Chinesedictionaries. As well as the government sent studentEurope, North America, and Australia to learn Englis

• In 1981, universities of foreign studies restarted gradprogram (MA and Ph.D. )

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Educational Reform (since1990)• In early 1990, there was a significate change of gover

policy. The economic and education rapidly developed then.

• “In 1995, there were about 400,000 full-time seconschool English teachers and 28,000 tertiary English te(Maley, 1995). New language learning theories and

pedagogies, notably communicative language teachingintroduced and promoted (Hu2, 2009, p. 21).

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The Number of English Teachers (199

English Teachers in 1995

secondary school English

teachers (Full Time)

400,000

University and college

English teachers

28,000

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Foreign Language Education in 2000

• In early 2000, it had an important chance in higher

education in China. A great number of universitycombinations started. 2002 is a milestone of highereducation. Many of foreign language departments meschool /faculty of foreign studies.

• Only 34 universities that had foreign language major

program in 1960s.• 903 universities have English major program in 201

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What happened with massive Englishboom?

• See next section

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2. Current Trends andLanguage PoliciesMultiple perspectives

2nd Folder: Current trends and language


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2 Folder: Current trends and languagepolicies

• English language education at university level

• English major vs. Non-English major

• Subjects taught in English at university level

• Bilingual schools

• International schools• Current policies of English language education

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Symbolic Power

• Symbolic Power Theory : Pierre Bourdieu (1989) poi

that “symbolic power is a power of constructing reait is “invisible power which can be exercised

only with the complicity of those who do not

want to know that they are subject to it or even

that they themselves exercise it” (Bourdieu

1994; 164).

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One of Chinese believes on Education

• 万般皆下品唯有读书高 (《神童诗》- 汪洙)

To be a scholar is to be the top of society.

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A th f Chi b li


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Another one of Chinese believes onEducation• 劳心者治人，劳力者治于人。( 孟子)

Those who toil with their minds make others work for themthose who toil with their hands work for others and serve thuse their minds.

• Mencius (BC 372 – BC 289): Philosopher

• Mencius was a Chinese philosopher who is the most famouConfucian after Confucius himself.

• Chinese people believe they can have better life if they purhigher education.

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Issues on Overwhelming English learn

• Test-focused English teaching and teacher-centered m

caused:• Both English teachers and students are weak in listening and

whereas they have better reading skills

• Students can received full score on tests, but cannot speak E great numbers of Chinese students received full scores on TEFtests)

• Variety of English proficiency levels of Chinese studen• Students who learned from international schools or other sch

native English -speaking teachers have better oral communicskills

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C rre t Chi ese Higher Ed catio Sy


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Current Chinese Higher Education Sy

Key Universities and Colleges

“985” or “211”

Regular public Universities

1166

Private and public universities

2542 (MOE, 2014)

Other miscellaneous colleges and

universities

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English Education in Higher Educatio

MOE China (2012)• According to MOE, there

are 1166 key universities atundergraduate level inChina, and it has 903universities have English

major program. Whichmeans 77.4%undergraduate universitieshave English major program.(MOE, 2012)

Percentage of English ma

program at undergradua%

English major Other

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Compare with Chinese major program

Chinese major program• Only 556 institutions have

Chinese major programwhereas 903 institutionshave English major program,47.7% universities have

Chinese program.

Chinese program%

Chinese major Others

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Subjects taught in English at universi


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Subjects taught in English at universilevel

• According to Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) 20

2014 data, Undergraduate Clinical Medicine ProgramTaught in English for International Students

• 52 Institutions (Medical schools)

• 6020 students

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Bilingual schools K 12 (Partial provin


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Bilingual schools K-12 (Partial provin

• Beijing 8

• Guangxi 14

• Hunan 26

• Jiangsu 36

• Shanghai 34

• Shandong 28

• Shan’xi 12

• Sichuan 22

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Chinese –English Bilingual Teaching


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Chinese –English Bilingual TeachingMaterials (K- 12)

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The major issues of bilingual schools

• The qualities of schools are diverse.

• Lack of qualified English teachers

• Lack of proper teaching materials

• 《WHO EATS WHO?》Grade 3 Science textbook

• Listening and speaking skills of students are weak

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International Schools (K- 12) in maj


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International Schools (K- 12) in majcities in China

• Beijing 北京市(233)

• Shanghai 上海市(121)

• Guangzhou 广州市(52)

• Wuhan 武汉市(69)

• Xi An西安市

(66)• Shen Zhen 深圳市(57)

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International Universities

• New York University Shanghai

• Duke University Shanghai

• Nottingham University Ningbo China

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If you don’t st


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If you don’t stwhat future w

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Current policies of English language educa(Beijing) 3 1


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(Beijing) 3-1

Gaokao: from 2016, the total score

of Chinese will be raise to 180 fromoriginal 150; English score will

down to 100 from original 150.

Students who receEnglish in Gaokao

take English cours

Other cities also have similar policies

related to English education.

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Current policies of English language educa


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Current policies of English language educa3-2 Elementary School Level

• 2013, MOE published 10 ways of how to reduce elem

school children’s heavy works:• Standard exams (Unified Examination): Grade 1, 2, and 3 s

not have any Unified Examination which held at school, cityprovincial levels. From Grade 4, Unified Examination only ocChinese, math, and English once a semester at school level. Inevery subject should not have more than 2 tests each term. contents of test should not over syllabus.

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Current policies of English language


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Current policies of English languageeducation 3-3

• From 2013, China bans English words in media: Chin

banned newspapers, publishers and website-owners fusing foreign words - particularly English ones.

• Shanghai seeks end to 'Chinglish‘

• CCTV-5 Sports Channel has banned broadcasters from sayinduring the NBA games.

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Chinesecramschool

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Chinesecramschool

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Notes:

• Please be aware of the following conditions:

• All pictures are from internet resources. This PowerPpresentation for CIDEC seminar use only.

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The Impact of English Language Education in China-Jing Fu