Teach English in Zhongxing Zhen - Shanghai Shi

Problems for learners in the People?s Republic of ChinaEnglish as a language is being taught at a grander scale than ever before in the People?s Republic of China (PRC), with lessons being introduced into school curriculum as early as 3rd grade. However, despite the massive investments in terms of money and manpower put into english education by the chinese government, english remains a challenging subject to many chinese students. The reasons I believe, through personal contact with my chinese peers and experience of english education in the country, include the lack of a good standard for selecting teachers, the lack of an adequate practice environment and the exam-oriented system of the english program. The majority of the english teachers working in government institutions in China are selected on basis of good performance on the College english Tests (CET) or Test for english Majors (TEM). Both CETs and TEMs are standardized tests that examine a candidate?s proficiency in listening, reading, writing, with an optional speaking section. The tests do cover all aspects of english language items, showing that the chinese ministry of education is indeed making a serious attempt on creating a testing standard. Qualifying as a government-approved english teacher in china, however, merely requires the candidate passing CETs or TEMs with a high score. Like all standardized tests, CETs and TEMs can be studied for and repeated attempts (which carries no penalization) often mean higher scores. The situation is worse in private institutions, where supervision may sometimes be worse. Reputable institutions, however, do have a very high standard for screening their instructors which may include overseas experience, high scores for internationally recognized tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, SATs, GRE or GMAT. However, such institutions are extremely expensive and fees often exceed the budget limitations of an ordinary chinese family. The second problem of english education in China is the highly monolingual (sometimes bilingual environment) and the environment is generally not conducive to the learning and practice of english. Putonghua (or mandarin), the national language, is the operational tongue in all subjects in schools, including english. It is not surprising to find english teachers giving instructions and explanations in mandarin. Students seldom make attempts to practice the language outside lesson, unless they are enrolled into supplementary lessons in private institutions outside school. Once cleared of the CETs (required for college graduation), students tend to abandon english at the first given moment and allow the language to decay through neglect and underuse. Working adults will only enroll in english classes when their job demands fluency in english. Thus, popularity of english education seems superficial, and the general attitude towards the language is much like a young child forced to finish off the vegetables on the plate. This brings us to the third and, I believe, the biggest problem of english education. english is not being taught as a language, but as a hurdle to leap over in order to secure a college diploma. Classes are centered round passing of one form of exam or another and the joy of learning a new language is largely gone. Teachers, having been created with the same system, pass on their tortured experiences to the next generation. In China, english is not introduced as a cultural product or a means of communication, but the means of knowing how to ?read and answer the comprehension questions?, of how to ?fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions? and how to ?regurgitate memorized essays?. english is not about Shakespeare, Chaucer or Tolkien, or talking with friends from foreign countries and exchanging ideas, but a hated subject that students are forced to pass. These are exactly the situations that english teachers have to avoid, but nevertheless are forced to encounter due to the exam-oriented education system. In spite of the highly pessimistic picture of english learning I have illustrated above, I believe that the system has the capacity to change and is changing as we speak. I have perused the CETs and many exercise books that deal with these standardized tests. These exams are not difficult once the student can grasp the critical language skills. A student who truly finds joy and excitement in learning the language will certainly score high in these well designed exams. Already, many friends from the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are helping to shape the direction of english education in China, but good teachers are never enough. The country needs enthusiastic teachers who can provide an atmosphere of positivity and motivate the students in learning the language. Once students find joy in learning the language, not only will they be able to pass their sordid exams, they will open up a host of new possibilities for themselves. They will be able to communicate with the english-speaking world and make new friends, and introduce their own world to the rest.