Some children may be fortunate enough to stay with their parents in cities; however, they have to look after themselves or be cared for by their older siblings. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 33(4):345–362. Beijing: China Agriculture Press. Although English has been officially introduced as a compulsory subject in primary schools, the teaching hours in the curriculum are not comparable to Chinese and mathematics, as will be illustrated below. Being able to speak English is not just about being able to communicate with native English speakers, it is the most common second language in the world. Their strong belief in ‘learning English primarily for examinations and admissions’ implies the “significant differences” ((Cortazzi and Jin 1996), 61) among urban and rural in China’s language teaching developments. 2011. Zheng, Hongying. This results in the difficult or impossible policy implementation in schools across the whole nation. Fathering in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures: a review of the research literature. Perhaps the most important benefit of learning a language is not the most well-known. As a result, the structure of English classes in both years varies. Find out about going to university in an English speaking country. Then, after two years of consultation and trials, a new ‘student-centred’ English language curriculum was announced for all primary and secondary schools (MOE 2003). 2001. The students reported their fear and pressure associated with exams, as their parents expected very high performance from them, not only scores but also expected them to be among the top of the class. Potential Cultural Resistance to Pedagogical Imports: The Case of Communicative Language Teaching in China. Importance of English as a language 1. Their participation was approved by their parents/guardians. International communication is crucial, thus my parents encourage me to learn English well. 2007. This school, thus, represents a low SES school within the developed city. The students provided their reasons why they believed English was important. Adams, Jennifer, and Emily Hannum. Education and poverty in rural China. Alexander W. Wiseman Tiedan Huang. This document supported the early introduction of English language teaching in China (Gao 2009). In spite of the task-based teaching approach and the focus of communication in the latest National Curriculum (MOE 2011), the reality of classroom teaching still follows the traditional mode: teacher-centred and examination-driven. We do not know all languages so English is a useful language if we are talking to someone from some other country.English is used in most of the countries especially in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. 2003. English is indisputably the primary language of global trade and commerce. Whether you are looking for a new job or planning to travel the world, studying English can help you progress in life both personally and professionally. Knowledge of the English language is important to learn to be able to communicate with others, in the teaching of immigrant students, and in finding and maintaining a job. Andy Kirkpatrick and Roland Sussex, 79–93. S3_S7: My parents want me to get into NFLS is to study overseas later. As the two well-resourced primary schools, the students of School One and School Three highlighted the importance of English, though they also related this to the examination system. Kirkpatrick, Andy. 2009. English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language of 53 countries and spoken by around 400 million people across the globe. If [I] could learn it well, [I] would not have a problem to travel around most countries in the world. For the students in senior years, in addition to expected scores, they also had to ensure that they ranked in the top three of their class in every test. Current Issues in Language Planning 12(2):105-124. doi:10.1080/14664208.2011.591716. M.E. Therefore, this ‘open door’ policy has ensured urban parents can invest more in education for their children. They even followed the recent reform news with regard to English in the Gaokao. Hu, Guangwei. Towards multilingual education: Basque educational research from an international perspective. It is evident that the SES difference impacts on the attitudes of students and their parents. Lamb, 146–181. 2002. The interviews were semi-structured and designed to seek the attitudes and perceptions of students on the importance of English. In Exclusion, gender and education: case studies from the developing world, 71–98. If [I] don’t know English, I will neither be able to graduate from the primary school nor be able to enter a better secondary school. 2011. 2003. Special thanks are extended to supervisors and mentors, Professor Andy Kirkpatrick and Dr Minglin Li, and all the participants from the three schools. The study was conducted in three different government schools with varied socio-economic status. For those children whose first language is English, being brought up in international settings is a great opportunity to help them develop a second language. Grace Yue Qi. There are schools that are English language rich and schools that are English language poor. 2002. Furthermore, there is a limited selection of English textbooks for local education departments and individual schools. Netherlands: Springer. S1_S4: [It is] because English will be very helpful if [I] study abroad in the future. English is also of vital importance to non-English speaking children when it comes to education. S1_S1: I have to complete homework before relaxing. Table 4 shows the details of their early exposure. A comment agreed to by all nine students was, “if I cannot meet the target, I would have to face punishment” (S2_S6). For instance, the sampling site, Nanjing, has many primary schools doing this. You can compete in the global job market, increase your career skills and start to meet people around the world. Anwei Feng, 166–181. However, the weekly contact hours for Chinese and mathematics are greater over six years of study. English is a particularly important language online with more than half the content on the internet written in English. S1_S9: My mom told me studying in NFLS would offer more possibility to continue studies overseas. Because of the prominence of Hollywood in global media, an enormous amount of films, TV shows and popular songs are written in English. Qi, G.Y. However, although a compulsory subject, there are fewer English lessons than for Chinese and mathematics, the other core subjects. For many families, studying in quality secondary schools means more opportunities for entry to better universities. Table 6 demonstrates the details of their first exposure to English. Fong, Vanessa L. 2007. If you speak English, you won't need to rely on translations and subtitles anymore to enjoy your favourite books, songs, films and TV shows. As China’s economy was boosted due to open foreign policies and the use of English, the policy makers of the Ministry of Education (MOE) decided to include English as the first compulsory subject in the secondary school curriculum and tertiary level of study. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0594.2009.00563.x. S1_S2: I think the English reform relates more to students who are going to study overseas. 4: Springer International Publishing. It’s easy to see just how important English is around the world. 10730908. half the content on the internet written in English. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 32(5):481–496. S2_S2: My parents believe that English is very important. The influence of the United States and Great Britain on political affairs and international relations for the past 100 years has ensured the proliferation and acceptance of English as the primary spoken language in many countries. Springer Nature. Review of Educational research 78(2):195–231. Good knowledge of English will allow you to access films, music and literature from hundreds of countries around the globe. It also enables more flexibility, innovation and creativity in ⦠Bristol: Multilingual Matters. Language and literacy across the curriculum Teachers should develop pupilsâ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject. They indicated that their extra curricula English classes were helping them prepare for the entrance exams of NFLS. English Language Education in China: Policies, Progress, and Problems. By using this website, you agree to our [In other words], English will not be such an important subject any more. Also, school environments are not considered as natural learning settings (Cenoz 2009). It was evident that the parents of nine students in School Two had been heavily involved in their English education. They did mention NFLS; however, only one or two of them were willing to sit the entry test. S3_S6: I am in Primary Three, but my English is still at the level of beginner. 2008. In contrast, there is a different story in rural areas of China. Steering a middle course: educational dilemmas in managing tertiary foreign langauge education in China. Many international businesses conduct meetings in English, universities teach courses in English and, around the world, tourists and travellers use English as a common language. English, being an international language has played a crucial role in evolving our nation globally. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2):77–101. In fact, many developed and wealthy regions and cities commonly introduce English from Primary One and Two. Parental demand and expectations for English education are high. Not surprisingly, eight students had heard about the possible reforms regarding English in the Gaokao. Adopting a qualitative research design, which included six focus group interviews with students, the study investigated the attitudes of students toward the learning of English in the primary schools. Brown, Philip H, and Albert Park. Out of all the languages, the importance of English is given below 10 Reasons why English is Important language: Some schools use other commercial materials. It is the primary language used in international affairs. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education. Using thematic analysis in psychology. The ‘one child’ policy, introduced in 1978 and officially applied in 1979, has changed the family and social structure in China (Chai 2012). Poverty, education, and intrahousehold bargaining: Evidence from China. Beijing: People’s Education Press. This paper firstly examines China’s current primary school English language education policy and discusses the implications for the primary school curriculum. School Three is a unique government school providing performing arts and academic curriculum. Due to the exceeding competition, acquiring knowledge of global languages has clearly become more than important. And English is the most used language for business communication in the world. However, a debate regarding decreasing the worth of marks in the English test has been ongoing. This is why foreign language education in school is very important. A Review of “Paradise Redefined: transnational Chinese students and the Quest for flexible citizenship in the developed world”. The same discussion was held in the focus groups of School Two; however, the group two students compared English with the other subjects. All of them knew this school provided a high quality of English education as well as a conducive learning environment. English is the primary language of business throughout the world. The view was shared generally by students from School One and School Three, while the students in School Two did not express the same. S1_S6: If it (English) is not assessed [in the Gaokao], it cannot, eh, we cannot know how we have learnt. They ranked English among all the subjects in the school but none of them put English first. Abstract Learning English can help you meet new people According to all of the students, their parents expect them to achieve the best possible scores and rankings among peers in their English learning in primary schools. 1996. My mom holds 98 % hope for me to get into NFLS. The Importance of English Language Learning and Teaching in South Korea Sunny Gavran School of Education, The Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Victoria University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Education 2013 . In comparison with School One and Three, most parents in School Two had been working hard to maintain education investment in their children; however, English may become somehow extras from the main purpose of education. First and foremost, learning English can help ⦠The UK Government has recently stressed the importance of primary school children mastering spoken and written literacy skills. Guidelines for Promoting English Langauge Instruction in Primary Schools 教育部关于积极推进小学开设英语课程的指导意见, ed. In The Impact and Transformation of Education Policy in China (International Perspectives on Education and Society), ed. It is here that English language and the knowledge of it becomes an advantage. My parents also pay much attention to my English learning. However, these rural workers have to register as rural residents working in cities with fundamentally different welfare systems, in employment, housing and access to schools. Many countries include English in their school syllabus and children are starting to learn English at a younger and younger age. S1_S7: The annual rate of junior high graduates from NFLS to high quality senior high is high; being able to get into a quality senior high means an opportunity for a high ranked university that also relates to jobs and my future life. World Englishes 21(2):231–243. Overall, the students in this study were acutely aware of the importance of examinations. Although the students stressed that they were under pressure to learn English, they still preferred to start English early as English was beneficial to them (S1_S1, S1_S3, S1_S7 and S1_S10) and would be useful for their future (S1_S2). For the two students who planned to enter NFLS, their attitudes varied. As a multilingual country, China represents a complex linguistic society, but one in which English is promoted as the key to modernisation by policy makers. The regional differences have been identified on English proficiency, classroom behaviours, and language learning and use strategies. Chinese parents generally want to invest in their children’s education, not surprisingly as Confucian philosophy prioritises education in society (Wei 2011). Among them, six were from School One and they had started from age three to four in kindergartens. For this reason, having a knowledge of English is incredibly important to those working in the scientific field. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13616-016-0026-0. By assuming that students will learn proper communication skills without guidance is a big mistake. Based on the results of the study, it was evident that the majority of students (19 out of 29, 65.5 %) encountered English earlier than the official introduction time. Standard English Curriculum in Compulsory Education 义务教育英语课程标准(2011版), ed. In The role of the father in child development, ed. Their first exposure to English happened in either kindergarten or private classes when they started in Primary One. S3_S6: My parents and grandfather prepare me for the national college of arts in stage performance or dancing major…they have never mentioned NFLS. (2011) reinforces the importance of communities beyond the policy making, underlining the necessary research on the ‘bottom-up’ responses to English language education policies, however little research has been conducted. The English Language play a significant role in education as it is known as the Universal Language. Barbarian as a foreign language: English in China’s schools. Kaplan et al. School Two is also one of the only four government schools where accepts migrant children to study. They commented as follows: S1_S1: My parents like comparing me with other children…however, I sourced this school (NFLS) online when I was in Primary One…as this school requires a high level of English proficiency, it is likely to have more opportunities for overseas study. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa. 2011. The structure of the family has been transformed into a ‘4-2-1’ model; four grandparents, two parents, and one child in each family (Shwalb et al. However, they reported that their learning of English was not based on their personal interests, but because their parents wanted them to learn it. All the available textbooks are designed in accordance with the National Curriculum. Furthermore, in terms of the results analysed, the SES difference is less likely to affect the common belief in ‘the earlier the better’ among the students and their families. Hannum, Emily, Peggy Kong, and Yuping Zhang. Chen, Aihua. However, do you know why learning English is so important? Although the origins of English as a global language has a complicated past, the language has left an important mark on media, trade and business. Peter Storey, Vivien Berry, David Bunton, and Philip Hoare, 145–151. 2015. The misleading academic discourse on Chiense-English bilingual education in China. Language policy 4(1):5–24. English is the language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. As the students were under 18, their names and details were protected and coded in the form capital letter S, underline and number. However, if staying in China, English is not supposed to be tested. The widespread American pop culture acceptance has also made contributions to the primacy of the language of English. S2_S4: I think English is important. The aim of this paper is to describe English vocabulary learning strategies used by FELDA primary school students. The other four students started English at various points in their primary school education. Adamson, Bob. Within this structure, children in urban areas have become the centre of families and are carefully nurtured by their parents and other family members (Fong 2007). Multiling.Ed. However, this was considered as a ‘late’ start in Nanjing and the students of School Three were typically enrolled in extra curricula English classes to make up for the ‘later’ learning of English at school. This website is operated by BSC Group Limited, a company registered in England & Wales. 2011. Frequently translating purchase orders, forms, offers and correspondence is time consuming and potentially fraught with errors. Others, for instance, foreign language(s) primary schools sponsored by local governments or community, are more flexible with the teaching content and aim to offer a more interactive approach in a form of task-based language instruction that is derived the spirit of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) (Littlewood 2007). English language teaching in China: Regional differences and contributing factors. Google Scholar. Some students were afraid of exams. These people are migrant rural workers (农民工 nong min gong) who undertake labour and low-status jobs in cities to strive for a better life for their children and themselves. First, the students were afraid of the admission standard required for NFLS (S2_S8 and S2_S9): as well as having a separate test for English, other subjects are also tested in English. S3_S8: I am not keen to study abroad (but her parents do suggest this)…I think the consequences of overseas study are extreme, to be either very successful, or failed completely…I don’t really care which school is chosen for me – I will just follow whatever they decide. university in an English speaking country. Zhou, Lin, and Yonghong Qing. Second, the status of English is lower than the other two core subjects, Chinese and mathematics, mainly due to there being fewer teaching hours. S2_S6: I think that I should say after I grow up, English is useful if travelling overseas. The students indicated that their parents expected them to reach a specific standard at school, such as being in the top three in each exam in the class (S3_S2) and above average in the class (S3_S4 and S3_S5). Table 3 shows the student reference number, age, interview group, year of primary school and which school they were studying at. Four of them said they were stressed from studying English after school. Geriatrics Gerontology International 10(1):85–93. The author declares that she has no competing interests. Additionally, some students could easily stop their learning of English if it is no longer included in the Gaokao (S2_S1, S2_S8 and S2_S9). There is flexibility for school principals and local education departments for the ‘earlier’ introduction of English. The present study is an attempt to explore the importance of English for students in primary schools in China and how students from different Socio-Economic Status (SES) backgrounds differ in their attitudes toward English. : practices, policies and concepts, ed demand in this paper firstly examines China ’ s rare that can. 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