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1、Learning English in China: is communicative language teaching a reality?The purpose of my trip to China was two-fold. Firstly, having visited China some nine months earlier, I was interested to see what influence the Olympic Games had had, particularly in relation to the extent of the use of English
2、. Secondly, I was interested in observing the pedagogical approach and textbooks used to teach English at the schools and universities we were to visit. Specifically, I wanted to know to what extent the communicative language teaching approach was being adopted.My initial impressions of China in Dec
3、ember 2007 were of Beijing and Shangai and were mixed. The use of English was limited. It was particularly surprising that, even in the hotels and taxis of Beijing, very limited English was used. Some signs were translated into English, but often with amusing results such as this one from the panda
4、enclosure at the Beijing Zoo.On my return in October 2008 with the delegation after the Olympic Games, I found there was very little change in the use of English by the general population in the community. The signs remained rather interesting, such as this one seen on the Great Wall.Other signs suc
5、h as this one in a park in Guiyang were translated into English, resulting in a very awkward and amusing interpretation.Large road safety signs, however, were not translated, but were supported by quite unambiguous pictures.In China, English is seen as a means of promoting modern scientific and tech
6、nological advances as well as promoting commerce. The Chinese government has paid much attention to English learning and teaching since 1978, when an open door policy with the outside world was introduced to rejuvenate the economy. With the more recent big events of the 27th Olympic Games in 2008 an
7、d the Peoples Republic of Chinas admission to the World Trade Organisation, the Chinese peoples interest in learning English has become more intense.Most research indicates that Chinese students English learning strategies are primarily focussed on reading and writing, on grammar and translation, an
8、d on memorisation of vocabulary. However, research has indicated that this traditional grammar-translation method failed to develop an adequate level of communicative competence (i.e. the ability to use the target language for authentic communication) (Hu, 2002, p.93). It is felt that to promote int
9、ernational exchange, students communicative competence needs to be improved.Methods such as grammar translation and audiolingualism, which focus on the form of language gave way in Europe, America and Australia to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) following the seminal work on communicative comp
10、etence by Hymes in the early 1970s. While this has taken different forms such as task-based and content-based language teaching and more recently computer-mediated communication, the emphasis has remained on a communicative approach when teaching English as a second or foreign language. Researchers
11、rarely offer a specific definition of CLT, instead referring to the teaching methodology, curricula, processes and goals as related factors. CLT is a way of teaching in which the application of communication activities and target language aims to develop a learners competence of understanding and ex
12、changing of concepts, ideas, behavioural modes, values, beliefs and cultures.The fact that language and culture are so inextricably linked leads to difficulties in teaching English as a foreign language in China, as well as to Chinese students in Australia. It has been argued that what we teach and
13、how we teach reflects our attitudes to society and to the individuals place in that society (Prodromou, 1988). The cultures of China and Western society are strikingly different and these differences influence the teaching of English.So how is English taught and what is taught?In elementary schools
14、in China, English is generally taught from Grade 3, but in the larger cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, English is taught from Grade 1. There was evidence of considerable use of English during our visit to the Beijing Normal University Kindergarten. Many of the children were reading picture books
15、 written in both English and Chinese.One young girl proudly read with me through the whole of Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Can You See? Then, asked to read it together again.In the six years of high school, an average of 4 to 5 hours per week is spent in English classes. It is expected that a senior
16、high school student would master 2000 English words. There are approximately 20 million tertiary level students who learn English for 2 to 3 years. Many continue on to a fourth year and, as a requirement for their Bachelors degree, must pass the College English Test Band 4 (CET-4). This level assume
17、s a mastery of 4500 words. CET- 4 is designed for non-English major students doing such courses as Engineering, Information Technology and Architecture as a communicative tool to enhance their professions in the future. A higher level CET-6 is also available.During our visit, a dictation lesson was
18、observed. In the report presented to People to People Citizen Ambassador Programs, our delegation leader, Professor Judith Rivalland commented that The students were participating in a very complex English dictation test that we felt might have sorely tested many of our own university education stud
19、ents. Several major factors appear to place constraints on the application of CLT in China. These include administrative, academic, population, economic and cultural causes.In China, instruction is teacher-centred and teaching is very formal. Western education is learner-centred and native teachers
20、of English as a Second Language (ESL) have a less formal approach. Chinese students consider the informal discussion used extensively in western ESL classrooms a waste of time. Yet in discussions with Chinese ESL students studying in Australia, this lack of discussion is seen as a weakness of the Ch
21、inese education system. The rigid structure with the teacher in total control is criticised. The students felt this control deprived them of learning to be independent and critical. This is not, however, exclusive to China as both Japanese and Korean students also made a similar comment.Teaching mat
22、erials for classes in western schools differ from those used in China. For western classes, books contain facts open to interpretation and ideas and opinions to be discussed and disputed. Books used in China are considered to be full of facts, knowledge, wisdom and truth. In a western CLT English cl
23、ass, the teacher facilitates the exploration of the topic through discussion, while in China information is structured and taught directly from a textbook.The presentation of information is also considerably different. A greater emphasis is placed on colour and layout in western texts as can be seen
24、 in this example. There is the inclusion of cartoons and clipart style illustrations as well as photos. In contrast, the Chinese textbook has no use of colour and the pages are full of text. Much of the text is translated into Mandarin. Considerable use is made of multiple choice activities. Student
25、s listen to a recording of 70 short conversations. At the end of each conversation a question is asked and students are required to make the correct choice. This is considered as a test of comprehension of oral communication.Little emphasis is given to listening and speaking abilities and so Chinese
26、 students English is often referred to as deaf and dumb English. However, greater emphasis is now being placed on listening activities at the higher level of CET-6. In discussions with both students in China and Chinese students studying in Australia, one comment consistently given was that memorisa
27、tion was considered an essential skill. After class, students are expected to memorise the new vocabulary and to complete the exercises on the language points, which would be tested in a later class. The procedure typically used for this testing had the teacher calling on individual students to give
28、 answers, or with the whole class answering in a chorus. Consequently, Chinese students memorise large amounts of vocabulary and grammar rules, but prove not to be proficient in using the vocabulary appropriately or applying the grammar rules, either in general communication or in written work. Anot
29、her factor affecting the use of CLT is the size of classes. In Australia most classes in public schools have a maximum of 16 students. However, it was obvious that classes in China are much larger. It is common to have class sizes between 50 and 60. While large classes make CLT activities difficult,
30、 approaches such as group discussion, pair work and language labs may overcome this difficulty. Economic restraints, however, may prevent the supply of adequate appropriate language labs and suitable programs.Formality is considered necessary when addressing a teacher in China. It is normal for the
31、student to refer to the teacher by their surname. In most language classes in Australia, the given name of a teacher is used. Western students ask questions of the teacher as they occur to them in class. In China, and with Chinese students in Australia, it is common for the student to delay the ques
32、tion until after the class, approaching the teacher on a one to one basis. This is considered to conform to the Confucian style of conversation, where one waits their turn. It is referred to as the need to save face.Asking a question is considered an admission of a lack of knowledge. Asking teachers
33、 in class or in public by spontaneously raising unsolicited questions about the subject may be seen as an admission of a lack of knowledge or as a deliberate, offensive act challenging the teachers authority and credibility. Most Chinese students both in China and in Australia are very concerned abo
34、ut their results. In China the end product is emphasised, whereas in Western society the process is also considered important. Success and hard work associated with the success are seen as reflections not just of the Chinese student but also of their family. Examinations in China are standardised na
35、tionally, testing students textbook knowledge. There appears to be no communication or oral test that would correspond to those conducted through the Cambridge examination system.It must be remembered that in China students will often be together after class as they live on the university campus and
36、 their lifestyle is community based as opposed to the individual based lifestyle of western students. Therefore, the discussions may not be absent, but rather delayed until after class. Western discussions are unlikely to extend beyond the classroom.While Confucianism has been linked to many of the
37、educational practices in China, there is no evidence to support this. In fact, Lee (1996) disputes this, identifying reflection and thinking for themselves as important principles of Confucius, who is quoted as saying Seeing knowledge without thinking is labour lost; thinking without seeking knowled
38、ge is perilous (Lee, 1996. p. 34).China is a multilingual, multidialectal country. For students learning English in China it is a foreign language. There are 55 minority groups in China with 44 living in the western provinces. While Mandarin is the official language of China, most of the ethnic mino
39、rities have their own native language. Cantonese is commonly spoken in southern and western China as well as Hong Kong. Students in Australia from mainland China and Hong Kong generally converse in English. Cantonese and Mandarin are both dialects of Chinese, but they differ in the writing system as
40、 well as having phonemic and phonological differences and tonal differences. There are a number of regional dialects of Chinese, most of which are not mutually intelligible.After visiting the schools and universities and observing lessons, in particular an English lesson in Guiyang, I was left with
41、the feeling that there is a long way to go before China adopts Communicative Language Teaching. My visit helped me understand some of the differences we, as teachers in Australia experience with the groups of Chinese students who attend the private language classes in English. Many of these students
42、 are teachers who will return to China to teach English in schools and universities. Hopefully we will provide a positive example for them to return to their country and promote English using a communicative approach.ReferencesHu, G. (2002), Potential Cultural Resistance to Pedagogical Imports: The
43、Case ofCommunicative Language Teaching in China. Language, Culture and Curriculum 15(2), 93-105Lee, W. O. (1996), The Cultural Context fro Chinese Learners: Conceptions of Learning in the Confucian Tradition, in Watkins, D. & Biggs, J. (eds), The Chinese Learner: Cultural, Psychological and Contextu
44、al Influence, CERC and ACER, AustraliaPromodou, L. (1988), English as a cultural action. ELT Journal 42(2), 73-83Anne Siemon has extensive classroom teaching experience in both the early and middle years of government and private schools in Brisbane. She has taught English as a second language to ad
45、ults from all parts of the world. Her interests include the globalisation of English and how culture and the economic and political climates of countries influence the learning of language, and the role pragmatics play in learning English as a foreign language.anne_.auCOPYRIGHT 2010 Australian Literacy Educators AssociationCOPYRIGHT 2010 Gale, Cengage LearningPractically Primary, v.15, no.2, June 2010, p.39-42 (ISSN: 1324-5961)