A Research of TEFL Methods in China

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A Research of TEFL Methods in China

Introduction

English did not be thought highly of until the establishment of new China in 1949, and it even replaced Russian as the foreign tongue spoken in the country in the 1950’s. In late 1978, English teaching occurred in school, and in 1980s, English was set as a compulsory subject in the Chinese entrance exam of university.

As China has been developed into a modernized country, Chinese students get more chances to go abroad for studying. In the meanwhile, more foreign businessmen come to China for commercial purpose. English becomes a useful tool for Chinese to have further study or trade with people from all over the world, so there is no doubt that English is regarded as a dominant foreign language in China now. As English teaching in China has a history of almost 30 years, TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) method has changed and it is necessary to have a research to see what methods have ever been applied in teaching in China as well as their different effectiveness and weakness. (These methods will be introduced chronologically)

1. Grammar-translation method

According to Liu & Shi (2007, 69-70), grammar-translation method is the first English teaching method in China. It requires students to pay attention to grammar points in the book, and then translate texts from the target language into the native language. Instead of speaking or listening, reading and writing are the major focus.

Weakness: Language learners are passive in language learning as this is a teacher-centered model. In addition, this model bores language learners because it requires students to memorize “endless list of unusable grammar rules and vocabulary, and the limitations of practice techn...

... middle of paper ...

...s should apply in students according to their different situations and needs. Only when the educators pay attention to the position, the level of language proficiency, the communicative needs and the future use of the language of their students, different methods can be applied effectively and efficiently. All in all, no single method can guarantee successful results.

Works Cited
Cai Cuiyun (2007). IEDC method: A new approach to promote students’ communicative competence. US-China Education Review. 32

Chen Pei (2008). Task-based language teaching in classrooms: a study of Chinese EFL practice. CELEA Journal. 110

Liu Qingxue, Shi Jinfang (2007). An Analysis of Language Teaching Approaches and Methods— Effectiveness and Weakness. US-China Education Review. 69-71

Zou Huimin Zou, Cai Zhiyu (2006). CLT in China: A Re-examination. US-China Foreign Language. 71-72

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