Spicylover992
It is reported that the number of English learners in China has reached approximately 400 million, which goes beyond the total population of the UK and the US in 2010 (Fang, 2018). This number is largely thanks to the compulsory learning of English from primary school to university in China.
When you ask a Chinese high school student “Why are you learning English?”, the most frequent answer would be nothing more than “It is a required by school and, most importantly, I need to attend Gaokao”. “Gaokao”, the college entrance examination, is a once-in-a-lifetime exam and for high school students to enter a college or university in mainland China. “English” has long been a dominant subject in Gaokao following the introduction of the ‘Reform and Opening-up’ policy in 1978 (gaige kaifong). The other two dominant subjects are Chinese and Mathematics.
You may have no idea how much a Chinese family values the Gaokao, but I can tell you that many of them view it as the only hope to change their destiny. Here is a video of the interview about Chinese Gaokao:
The incomparable status of Gaokao in China, and the status of English, as one of the dominant subjects, has stirred a passion for learning English across the country. Moreover, the globalization since 21st century, along with hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and 2010 Shanghai Expo has also made “English fever” sweep the nation over the last decade or so.
However, if you ask university students or office workers in China, “Do you think English is important to you? ”, the answers are quite different. It depends on their majors, positions and personal interests, etc. You can often get an answer like “Not really.”, “I never have the chance to use it after graduation.”, or even “It is a waste of time.”
I still remember when I asked one of my Japanese friends why they are not so enthusiastic about English learning, they asked me instead, “Why are Chinese students are so crazy about learning English?” She told me she only needs English when she goes abroad for travelling, and that’s just one or two times a year! And in the future, her master major has nothing to do with English research, so why bother to achieve a high-level? It was from her words that I realized I was asking her under the premise that you “would, should, and must” learn English, and to learn as much as you can. It is a common Chinese perspective, though, at that time I realized how terrible this ideology is.
Admittedly, ideas about English language education are influenced by the language/exam policy in our country, especially by the Gaokao policy. Recently, there has been some concern that “English fever” has developed in an unbalanced way. This fear is not groundless: there has been stressed among parents that their children will lose the chance of having a promising future if they do not start learning English at a very young age, and in early childhood education, “English” has long been the most popular class for many years.
Is this really a healthy environment for students to learn English? Does English fever threaten our Chinese language and culture? Is this a problem, that there is a hidden hierarchy associating English with talent and value (Gil & Adamson, 2011)?
To respond to these worries, a series of NMET (National Matriculation English Test) reform came out. It states that the NMET marks in Gaokao would be decreased from 150 to 100 starting in 2016. Students could also take the English test twice a year, and the highest score would be included in their total Gaokao scores. At the same time, students’ scores in Chinese were adjusted from 150 to 180 points.
An additional proposal suggested that NMET be removed after 2017, but this reform was not that easy for Chinese students who have become accustomed to taking the NMET for a long time. After encountering fierce public opposition, the reform did not go through successfully in 2017, but the English score has been reduced each year—120 points in 2015 with the reduced 30 points added to the Chinese subject, and 100 points in 2016 (except some provinces). For example, in Jiangsu, the NMET has been changed from once-a-year to bi-annual, and only the higher score is recorded.
Many people view this Gaokao reform as a milestone, bringing the focus back on Chinese and cooling down English fever. Though the role English will play in Gaokao in the future is still disputable, many students, and their parents could relieve themselves from the high pressure of learning English for a while.
My niece told me her opinion on this reform:“It is a good one. Though I still love learning English, because I am interested in western culture, not out of any other force. I want to go to a foreign language university after Gaokao. But many of my classmates could allocate more time on Chinese and Maths now.” She is going to attend the 2021 Gaokao.
Here are my questions:
1. What is the higher education exam called in your country? (In China, it is Gaokao.)Does it attach much importance to a foreign language? (maybe not English)
2. What do you think of the exam in your country? Do you think the exam needs a reform? (For example, someone thinks Gaokao should cut down the share of English.)
References:
Fang, F. (2018)Ideology and identity debate of English in China: Past, present and future. Asian Englishes, 20 (1) (2018), pp. 15-26,
Gil, J., & Adamson, B. (2011). The English language in Mainland China: A sociolinguistic profile. In A. Feng (Ed.), English language education across Greater China (pp. 23–45). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Yang, R. (2014). China’s removal of English from gaokao. International Higher Education, 75, 12–13. Retrieved from http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ihe/index
