 Some of my Business English students [First published June 19, 2014] I learned from one of my students that the authorities in China are planning major changes to the gaokao, the university placement exam. The gaokao currently tests students on Chinese, English, and math. Other components include literature and the sciences. Going forward, English will be de-emphasized and will cease to be a component of the exam by 2017. (Incidentally, the annual exams were held last weekend and 3.9 million students sat for them). First, a bit more about the gaokao. Students spend their teenage years preparing for this one weekend. Do well and you get into a prestigious university and on the right path in life. Do not-so-well and -- you can end up at a vocational institute, which is where I teach! (smiley face). Some of my students are very bright indeed, but they performed weakly on one of the key components, just as I would have done, if I had had to pass a math exam to get into university. Fortunately for me, I graduated from high school at a time when progressive educators were experimenting with alternative schools and so forth. I didn't have to write any provincial exams and so I never took a provincial exam and never went through "exam hell" like these kids do. |
Still, for years after university I would dream that I was back in university and suddenly realize that I had to write an exam for a course that I had forgotten to attend all semester, or some variation thereof. What a relief it was to awaken from that dream! Likewise, for all English-hating young Chinese students, this news about these upcoming changes must feel like an awakening from a bad dream.
There has been a lot of reaction to and discussion about this change, including a revival of the on-going debate about the effectiveness of China's English instruction methods. Chinese students are taught grammar and vocabulary with little emphasis on actually speaking the language. But why put all students through this and why let a poor score in English drag down their gaokao results, if, in the end, most of them won't need English for their jobs?
There has been a lot of reaction to and discussion about this change, including a revival of the on-going debate about the effectiveness of China's English instruction methods. Chinese students are taught grammar and vocabulary with little emphasis on actually speaking the language. But why put all students through this and why let a poor score in English drag down their gaokao results, if, in the end, most of them won't need English for their jobs?
Civil service exam in old China I don't think this change -- or "reform," depending on your point of view -- to the gaokao will seriously affect the huge demand for native English-speaking teachers in China, at least not in and of itself. There are millions of people who want English instruction for themselves and their children. Even if public schools follow suit and de-emphasize English, there are private institutions all over the place and lots of online English resources. For example, in addition to my work at the vocational institute, I teach English online to adult Chinese business-people who want to improve their conversational English. Those who have an aptitude for languages and who want to study English for business purposes can still do so. As well, there are university-level tests that students take to demonstrate their mastery of English.
Once English is de-emphasized in the gaokao, the students' score in the Chinese component will have a greater weight. This is arguably a sign of cultural confidence on the part of the Chinese. In fact, I am wondering if this move is part of a larger cultural "pushback" against Westernization at the highest levels.
Got more thoughts about that later.
Once English is de-emphasized in the gaokao, the students' score in the Chinese component will have a greater weight. This is arguably a sign of cultural confidence on the part of the Chinese. In fact, I am wondering if this move is part of a larger cultural "pushback" against Westernization at the highest levels.
Got more thoughts about that later.
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