Saying Goodbye to Peking University Again
Passport
Is China Proverb Cheerio to 'Hello'?
Interest in learning Chinese may be growing in the United States, but English-language studies in Cathay could very well be on the wane. On Oct. 21, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the organization that decides what students in the metropolis study, proposed a series of reforms to the gaokao, China'southward all-important national higher education entrance ...
Tim Graham/Getty Images
Involvement in learning Chinese may exist growing in the U.s., just English language-language studies in Prc could very well be on the wane.
On Oct. 21, the Beijing Municipal Education Committee, the organization that decides what students in the city study, proposed a series of reforms to the gaokao, Red china's earth-shaking national higher education entrance examination, which would reduce the weight the test places on English-linguistic communication ability. The state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed that other potential changes included postponing English-language education until the 3rd class (Beijing students currently brainstorm studying English as presently as they enter primary school). Initially, these reforms would target the Beijing version of the exam. But what happens in Beijing is ofttimes a bellwether for the rest of People's republic of china.
Beijing's gaokao currently allocates 150 out of 750 points to English-language ability, putting it on par with Chinese and mathematics, regardless of whether a educatee plans on using English in the future. Perhaps that's why a survey conducted by Sina, one of Cathay's largest online news portals, found that 72 percent of approximately 35,000 respondents supported the contemplated changes to the gaokao. Many simply constitute English language useless in day-to-24-hour interval life. "It should have been changed long agone," wrote @MsVeggie, a user of Weibo, China'south Twitter. "Nosotros've studied English language for so many years, but how often exercise we actually apply it?"
Interest in learning Chinese may be growing in the United states, but English language-language studies in People's republic of china could very well be on the wane.
On October. 21, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the organization that decides what students in the city study, proposed a series of reforms to the gaokao, People's republic of china's all-of import national college education entrance examination, which would reduce the weight the test places on English-language ability. The land-run Xinhua news bureau confirmed that other potential changes included postponing English-language didactics until the third grade (Beijing students currently begin studying English as soon every bit they enter main school). Initially, these reforms would target the Beijing version of the test. Only what happens in Beijing is often a bellwether for the rest of Prc.
Beijing'southward gaokao currently allocates 150 out of 750 points to English-language ability, putting it on par with Chinese and mathematics, regardless of whether a student plans on using English in the futurity. Mayhap that'due south why a survey conducted past Sina, one of Prc'due south largest online news portals, found that 72 percent of approximately 35,000 respondents supported the contemplated changes to the gaokao. Many just found English language useless in mean solar day-to-24-hour interval life. "It should have been changed long ago," wrote @MsVeggie, a user of Weibo, China's Twitter. "Nosotros've studied English for so many years, but how frequently practise we really use it?"
Others idea that deemphasizing English language teaching was a bad thought. "My English isn't bully, but I still don't call back they should brand these changes," wrote one Weibo user. "It's good they're placing an emphasis on Chinese language and literature, simply China'south evolution is dependent on working with other countries and studying advanced concepts from the Due west. If you are going for your chief's or Ph.D., you have to be able to read English texts, and y'all need English language for international communication."
Every bit Communist china continues to promote Chinese studies abroad by offer scholarships and establishing Confucius Institutes at foreign universities, some of Prc'south provinces have moved to deemphasize English education; northeastern Shandong province, for example, will eliminate English listening comprehension from its version of the gaokao starting in 2014. Reacting to the news, one Weibo user mused, "Is this a sign of the rise of the East and the refuse of the British and American empires?"
Given that English instruction is notwithstanding compulsory for Chinese public school students, it's premature to see the fall of Western culture in a few proposed tweaks to China's education organisation. But Americans and Brits may at least want to start perfecting their ni hao's.
Liz Carter is assistant editor at Strange Policy's Tea Leaf Nation. She lived for several years in Beijing, People's republic of china, where she wrote and translated 3 Chinese-English textbooks and studied contemporary Chinese literature at Peking University. Since returning to the United States, she has co-authored a book on subversive linguistic trends on the Chinese Internet and been interviewed about developments in China by the Christian Science Monitor, Forbes, the Washington Post'due south WorldViews, and PRI's The World. Twitter: @withoutdoing
More from Foreign Policy
Sign upward for Forenoon Brief
Strange Policy's flagship daily newsletter with what's coming up effectually the earth today from Strange Policy'south newsletter writer Colm Quinn.
bracewellcoved1963.blogspot.com
Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/10/22/is-china-saying-goodbye-to-hello/
0 Response to "Saying Goodbye to Peking University Again"
Post a Comment