中国的英语教育政策及其作用

中国的英语教育政策及其作用

The Policy of English Education

and Its Effect in China

黄宗植

Huang Zongzhi

摘要：中国政府制定并采取了一系列英语教育政策，使英语教育在中国各个教育阶段占据重要地位。中国英语教育政策符合国情，实践证明是行之有效的。欲全面提高中国的英语教育水平，英语教育政策今后有待于改进和完善，师资水平有待于提高，教学有待于改革。Abstract: A series of English education policy has been established and put into effect, which make sure that English education occupies an important place on all the education levels in China. Chinese English education policies are in conformity with its national conditions and have been proved to be workable in practice. In order to make an all-round development in Chinese English education, the improvement of English education policy, the progress of teaching skills and refom of teaching methods are necessary.

在中国中小学和大学进行普遍而大规模地进行英语教育是近30年的事情。外语课在中国各个阶段教育中占据十分重要的地位，而英语在各级各类学校的外语课中占绝对优势地位。目前，中国中小学绝大多数学生外语学的是英语。以吉林省为例，小学共有82.7万多人学习外语,全部是英语;初中学习外语学生数为90.6万多人,其中学习英语的学生数为90.3万多人。It was as recently as 30 years ago a general and large-scaled English education had its begaining in Chinese primary and secondary schools and universities. Courses of foreign languages occupy a very important place on all levels of education in China. Recently the overwhelming majority of Chinese students in schools and universities are studying English. Take Jilin province as an example, a total of more than 827 thousant premary students are studying English and no one is studying other foreign language and in junior high schools 903 thousant students out of a total of more than 906 thousant are studying English.

30年来，英语课教学工作取得了长足的进步，教学质量有了较大幅度的提高，民众的英语普及程度有一定的提高。这主要缘于中国政府采取一系列强有力的英语教育政策，确保了英语教育的地位。中国政府采取的政策，符合中国国情，经过实践证明是行之有效的。当然，中国的英语教育当前还存在不少问题，需要中国政府继续完善有关政策，保持英语教育地位；加强教师培训，推进教学改革，以不断提高英语教育质量。

For the past 30 years a significant progress has been witnessed in English teaching, the quality of which has been increased and quite an improvement of English popularization has been made among the common people. All this success has come from the series of forceful English education policies adopted by Chinese government, which ensure the important place occupied by English education. These policies are in comformity with Chinese conditions and efficient proved by practice. Certainly the English education in China has still many problems to be solved. Chinese government should go on in improving relevant policies, maintaining the important place of English education, strenthening the training of teaching staff and pushing forward the teaching reform to constantly improve English teaching quality.

政府推行的政策，确保了英语教育的地位

I. The place of English education is ensured by the policies adopted by the Chinese government. 中国政府十分重视各个教育阶段中的英语教育，在课程设置、课时安排和考试安排等方面都

保障了英语教育的核心地位。

Chinese government pays great attention on English education on all levels and ensures a central place in Curriculum, class time, examinations, etc.

基础教育中的地位

a. The place of basic education

中国从上个世纪90年代起小学开始设置英语课，1992年国家教育委员会颁布的九年义务教育全日制小学、初级中学课程计划规定，有条件的小学可以增设英语。2001年教育部颁布的义务教育课程设置实验方案，将英语课正式纳入小学课程，并规定小学开设英语课程的起始年级一般为3年级。

China started to set English classes in primary schools in 1990s. In 1992 State Education Commission issued the Curriculum Regulation for whole-day primary junior high schools of nine-year compulsory education, according to which qualified premary schools can have English courses as an addition to other courses. In 2001 the Education Ministry issued the Experimental Plan on curriculum of compulsory education, which formally put the English courses into the curriculum of primary schools and stipulated that from the 3rd grade the students should take English courses.

目前，北京、上海等少数省、市从小学1年级起设置英语课。按国家教育部颁布的课程设置方案，英语课从小学3年级起到初中毕业达到的总课时比例达6-8%。英语课的总课时，仅次于同样从小学三年级起设置的科学（初中阶段含生物、物理和化学）课程的课时比例（7-9%）。在初中升高中考试中，英语课占有较重的份量。以吉林省为例，2009年考试满分600分，其中语文、数学和英语各占120分。近几年来，中国进行高考科目改革，有些省份采取了不同的高考科目设置方案。很多省都采取“3+X”设置方案，“3”指的是语文、数学和英语（外语），“X”在有些省指的是一科即理科综合或文科综合，在有些省指的是多科。可见，不管“X”怎么变英语的核心地位是不变的

Recently in some provinces or cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, from the very 1st grade in the primary schools students begain to take English classes. According to the curriculum issued by the State Education Ministry, the time of English classes from the 3rd grade in primary schools to the last year of junior high schools should be 6-8% of that for all the classes. The total time of English classes is only less than that of Science（including biology, physics and chemics for junior high level）, which is started from the 3rd grade and the time proportion between English and all the classes should be 7-9%. English weighs heavily in the entrance examinations for senior high schools. Take Jilin as an example, the full marks for Chinese, mathematics and English were 120, 120 and 120 with the total marks as 600. For the past few years in China reforms have been made in subjects of entrance examination for higher education and in some provinces there are different subjects. Many provinces adopted the program of 3+x, 3 for Chinese, Mathematics and English( foreign language) and x for one subject, that is, General Science or General art or integrated sciences or arts in some provinces. So no matter how the x changes the core position of English remains there.

2．高等教育中的地位

b. The place in higher education

中国教育部为客观、准确地测量大学生的实际英语能力，为大学英语教学提供服务，设置大学英语四、六级考试（College English Test Band 4 and Band 6）。虽然教育部从来没有要求将英语四、六级证书与学生的学位挂钩，但我国绝大多数高校都把学生的英语成绩和学位联系在一起，大学本科要获得学士学位要求学生英语水平必须达到大学英语四级水平、研究生的

硕士学位则必须达到大学英语六级水平，如果达不到，无论学生的其他科目成绩如何优秀都不能拿到相应的学位。英语水平的高低成为衡量学生学业最重要的标准，于是大学生们把大学宝贵时光的一半甚至更多都用在了英语的学习上，而不同程度地忽视了专业课的学习和综合素质的提高。英语水平是中国大学排名的一项重要指标现在国内大学的排名有一项重要的指标就是其英语四、六级考试的通过率，这就造成了各学校之间盲目的攀比。

In order to objectively and accurately test the college students’ actual ability of using English and serve the English teaching in universities, the Education ministry of China established College English Test Band 4 and Band 6. Though never has the Education ministry reqired there is a link between the certificates of such exams and the academic degree, the most of the universities in China do the opposite and demand that their students’ English using ability reach the lev el of Band 4 before they receive the bachelor’s degree and band 6 before the master’s degree. If it is failed, the degrees will be unavailable for them regardless of the excellent marks of other subjects. Since the level of English using is set to be the m ost important mark in judging students’ academic performance, they spend half or more of their valuable time on campus in learning English and ignore more or less the study of their Professional courses and the improvement of their comprehensive quality. English level has also been set as one of the key indicators important for the ranking of Chinese universities. An important one is the passing rate of Band 4 and Band 6, which causes a blind competition among them.

3.社会中的地位

c. The position in the seciety

英语水平与学生就业息息相关。许多用人单位，不管员工在工作中是否能用到英语，在招聘的时候都把英语放到第一位，达不到四级或六级水平，无论其专业知识如何的优秀，其业务水平多么高，一律不予录用，英语，变成了一个人求职所必备的敲门砖。英语水平是职称评定的前提，高等学校教师和科研机构的专业人员晋升职称必须通过英语考试。从国家劳动人事部到各地的劳动人事厅(局)，每年都有固定的诸多资格考试，如工程师、经济师、会计师、建筑设计师的资格考试，而这些考试中英语（外语）考试是不可缺少的。

近些年来，有一些专家、学者对政府推行的英语教育政策提出了质疑，将英语教育的核心地位称为霸权地位。他们甚至主张要改革各类升学考试中带有强制性的英语考试制度和方法。The English proficiency has a close link to the employment of students. Many employers regard English as the most important thing at the recruitment regardless of its actual use in the jobs. For those with exellent professional knowledge and working ability but a poor English level below Band 4 or Band 6, the employers always refuse to accept them. So it is really an open sesame in the job market. The English proficiency has become the precondition of academic title ranking and the teachers in universities and the reserchers in scientific institutes must pass the English exams before they aquire another higher academic title. There are many regular qualification tests such as, for engineer, economists, accortants and architecture arranged by both the State Labor and Personnel Ministry and the local Labor and Personnel Departments( Bureau). Among those exams English(foreign languge) is an integral part. For the past years, some professionals and scholars have challenged the English education policies issued and implemented by the governments and regarded its central role as hegemony. They even advocate reforms of the obligatory English examination systems and acts in various entrance examinations.

二、政府推行英语教育政策符合中国国情

II. The English education policies by Chinese government are in conformity with the conditions of China

中国政府之所以重视英语教育，推行有关政策确立英语教育的地位，与中国的英语教育历史短，民众的英语水平低和学校的英语教学存在较多弊端有关。

The reason why Chinese government pays a great attention on English education and puts forward the relevant policies to establish its position has a close relation to the short English education history in China, the poor English level of common people and the many shortcomings of English teaching in Schools.

英语教育历史短

a. the short history of English education

由于特殊的历史原因，中华人民共和国建立后一直到上个世纪80年代初中国各级各类学校的外语课语种一边倒，几乎清一色是俄语。以后，开设英语课的学校和学习英语学生的比例逐步提高，直至以开设英语为主。因此，在中国大规模地开展正规的英语教育教学的历史不足30年。由于历史短，英语师资水平低，英语教学还没有成型的教学方法，还没有找到符合中国实际且效率比较高的英语教学的路子。

For special historical reasons, from the very foundation of New China in 1949 to the early 1980s it is Russian that occupied the central position in the classes of foreign language in amost all schools and on all levels. Later the number of schools with English courses has been increasing until English took the central position, so in China the large-scaled regular English education is no longer than 30 years. Because of the short history, the poor teaching staff and unsystemic teaching methord, there is still no a efficient English teaching theory suited to the conditions of China

长期封闭，民众英语水平低

b. Long time’s isolation and the low-level English proficiency of common Chinese people

中华人民共和国建立以后直至1978年前，中国处于封闭状态，很少与西方国家来往。讲英语的外国人来中国的寥寥无几，普通民众根本没有机会接触外国人；中国人尤其是普通民众根本没有出国机会，没有出国留学、进行商务、观光的机会；因而中国人没有听英语、使用英语的机会，也就没有学习英语的需要。

China was isolated from the outside world from the foundation of new China in 1949 to 1978. In this period there was little communication between this nation and the western countries and few foreigners came to China. Common Chinese people had no chance to meet those from other countries and let alone went abroad for study, business or sightseeing. So there was no necessity to learn English for there is no chance to hear or use it.

1978年以后，中国实行改革开放的政策，向世界逐渐敞开了国门。外国人到中国来的越来越多，中国人到外国留学、进行商务、观光的也越来越多。据中国教育部统计，1978年至2008年，去外国留学的达139.15万人，2008年达17.98万人。据中国公安部统计,每年出入境人数由1978年的566万人次增加到2006年的3.18亿人次。随着与外国交往的增加，客观上学习英语的需求增加，中国民众的英语水平有了很大的提高。尽管如此，出国人数及其比例相对于发达国家还是很低；不用说中国的普通民众就是高级知识分子的英语水平还是低水平的。中国的博士、教授中，真正能够与外国人用英语交流的还是占极少数。

After 1978 China has implemented the policy of reform and opening to the outside world and her gate has been opened wider and wider. More and more foreigners come to China and the number of Chinese people going abroad is increasing. According to the statistics from China Education Ministry there were 1.3915 million people going abroad for study from 1978 to 2008 and 1.798 million in 2008. According to the statistics from China Public Security the annual number of people crossing the Chinese borders has increased from 5.66 million in 1978 to 318

million in 2006. Objectively with the rising of dealings with other countries the need for learning English is inceasing and the English using ability is improving as well. In spite of this, the number and scale of going abroad are still lower than that of the developed countries. Even those top intellectuals have a low English proficiency, let alone those Chinese common people. Among all the Chinese doctors and professors very few can have a proper communication with foreigners in English.

英语教学有弊端

c. The shortcomings in English teaching

中国的英语教学存在较多弊端，学生从小接受的英语教育都是先从单词抓起，然后是语法、阅读，忽视最重要的口语训练。中国学生中高考的压力比较大，许多学生为了应付英语考试，把大量的时间和精力花费在听教师讲，背诵和书面练习中，而实际的英语应用能力却提高得很少。通过十几年的努力学习，大部分学生学到的却是哑巴英语。中国的学生在托福、GRE 等考试中大多能轻而易举地取得优异的成绩，可中国的学生出国之后却发现自己根本无法用英文进行交流。许多通过了大学英语四、六级考试的学生却不能用简单的英文表达自己的思想。中国学生的英语语言环境相对来说也是比较差的。英文媒体少之又少，到英语国家短期旅行或短期语言进修的机会与发达国家的学生相比也很少。

.

There are quite a few shortcomings in the English teaching in China. From the very begaining of learning English Students are required to learn the words by heart, the grammar and reading with a ignorance of speaking training. The entrance examination for higher education puts quite heavy pressure on the backs of Chinese students. In order to pass the exams many of them spend large amount of time and energy in listening to the teachers’ explaination, memerizing and writing practice but with little improvement of their actual English using ability. With a dozen of years’ hard working, most of the students only learned a mute English. Most of Chinese stu dents can easily get high marks in TOEFL or GRE, but they found it hard for them to communicate in English after going abroad. Many students having passed Band 4 or Band 6 can not express themselves in simple English. The language environment of learning English for Chinese students is relatively poor. The media in English are very few in number and compared with those from developed countries and there are also few chances for Chinese students to go to the English-speaking countries for a short time’s tra velling or language training

三、改进今后政策，提高英语教育水平

III. The policies in future need to be improved and the English education level should be increased

继续改进和完善有关政策，保持英语教育地位

a. Further improve relevant policies and keep the central position of English education

目前，中国的英语教育水平还是处在低水平，不能适应进一步改革开放的需求。中国英语教育政策，虽然有一些问题，但实践证明是符合中国实际的，是行之有效的。因此，中国政府需要坚持和完善现行的英语教育政策，继续保持英语教育的核心地位。在中小学要保持英语课时的比例，有条件的大城市学校逐步将小学开设英语的年级下移至小学一年级。要继续保持英语在各种升学考试和资格考试中的地位和分值，充分利用好考试这一政策导向手段，促使人们重视英语教育和提高英语水平。

Recently the English education level i n China is still low, which can’t meet the requirement of a futher reform and opening to the outside world. The Chinese English education policies, though having some problems, are in conformity with the actual conditions in China and workable

through the test of practice. So Chinese government should stick to and further improve the current English education policies and maintain the central position of English education. In the primary and secondary schools the class time proportion between English and that of all the courses should remain unchanged. For some qualified schools in some big cities the English classes can begain from the first grade of primary school. The position and required marks of English should be maintained in various entrance exams and qualification tests. We should make full use of examination as a method of policy orientation to lead people’s attention to English education and English proficiency.

当然，外语教育向英语一边倒，即在学校中开设英语和学生学习英语的比例过大的状况也需要用政策引导并加以改变。要用对中高考中考小语种（英语以外的外语语种）的考生加分、允许大学小语种专业单独招生、不允许大学招生时对小语种考生歧视等政策，鼓励学生选择小语种，逐步增加学生外语学小语种的比例，使其具有应有的地位，使中小学外语课语种多元化。

English enjoys too much of the limelight in foreign language education today, that is, the proportions of schools with English courses and students who learn English are too high. Correcting such a phenomenon also relies on policies as an orientation with some adjustment. We can make a lot of policies, such as, in examinations for senior high school or universities the candidates with a minority language (non-English) as their exam subjet should be given bonus points, the minority language majors of universities should be given the right to act on their own to enroll students and the discrimination against the minority language candidates is not allowed. With these policies the students can be encouraged to choose minority languages and the proportion of such students against those learning English can rise constantly. Finally we can see an appropriate position of minority languages in a more diversified foreign language education in primary and secondary schools.

加强英语教师培训

b. Strenthen the training of teachers

提高民众的英语水平，首先要提高学校的英语教学水平，而提高学校英语水平的关键在于教师。目前，中国中小学及大学特别是农村中小学的英语教师水平还不能满足教学特别是教学改革的需要。因此，中国政府必须下大力气，加大投入，加强英语教师的培训。对大学、高中、初中和小学英语教师的培训，要由国家、省、市、县分级负责。培训的重点，要放在树立英语教学的新理念，熟悉教学方法，以及提高教师本身的英语实际应用能力上。要积极创造条件，派教师到英语国家长短期进修，到国内大学和发达地区中小学进行培训。

In order to rise the English profIciency of common people, the priority is to improve the English teaching in schools, which requires a lot of skilled teachers. Recently the teaching of English teachers in universities and in primary or secondary schools especially in the rural areas is not up to the requirement of teaching reform. So Chinese government must work hard and put in more energy and money to strenthen the teachers’ training. The respo nsibility for such a work should be taken by the state, provinces, municiplities and counties respectively. The priority of training should goes to the establishment of a new English teaching philosophy, familiarity with teaching method and the improvement of teacher’s English proficiency. We should creat more chances to send teachers to English-speaking countries or uniersities or primary and secondary schools in some developed areas for a long or short-term training

推进英语教学改革

c. Push forward the English teaching reform

语言的作用是为了交际，英语教学的目的在于教会英语的使用，而不是讲授大量的语言知识。英语是一门技能课，不是讲解课。技能课靠苦练，开口讲，动手写。中国英语教学要尽快地摆脱应试教育的束缚，真正将教学重点放在提高学生的实际能力上，要将原来的以阅读理解为主转变到以听、说为主，全面提高综合应用能力上来。在大学要鼓励开展双语教学工作，有条件的高等学校要积极聘请国外学者和专家来华从事专业课程的双语教学工作，鼓励和支持留学回国人员用英语讲授专业课程，提高大学生的专业英语水平和能力。

The function of languages is to communicate and the aim of English teaching is to enable people to use rather than to pass on much language knowledge to them. English course is not one of explaination but training, which requires much hard practice, such as speaking and writing. Chinese English teaching should shake off the shackle of examination-oriented education and restore its priority to improving the actual ability of students. To do so we need to put attention more on listening and speaking than on reading comprehension and improving the actual using ability. To improve students’ specialized English ability English Bilingual teaching should be encouraged in universities and if it is permitted, some foreign scholars or specialists and returning international students can be invited and couraged to do so for the specialized courses 英语不同于其他基础学科,它是一门实践课,其语言技能是需要通过学生个人的实践才能培养和提高的。中国传统英语教学忽视了对学生学习语言的兴趣的培养。乏味的填鸭式教学,成千上万个单词,繁杂的语法规则无不让学生望而生畏,更无兴趣可言。应改革英语教学，激发学生的学习兴趣，使英语学习成为学生的需要和享受。中小学英语教学必须以学生为主体，充分调动学生的主观能动性和参与性，让学生主动地多说、多写和多练。

Different from other basic subjects English is a practical course and language skills are developed and improved through personal practice. Chinese traditional English teaching has ignored developing students’ interest of learning languages. Boring cramming method of teaching, thousants of words, complicated grammar discourage students instead of interest them. Refoming English teaching, arousing students’ learning interest can make English learning a need or an enjoyment. We should put the priority on students, fully fire their subjective initiative and enthusiasm to participate and make them speak, write and practice more.

注：由于在中国学和说外语的人中绝大多数人学和说的是英语，因此，本文有时会用英语教育代替外语教育。