English-medium instruction in higher education in China: Two case studies

1
English-medium instruction in higher education in
ChinaTwo case studies

• Agnes Lam, The University of Hong Kong
• Zhongshe Lu, Tsinghua University
• Yian Wu, Beijing Foreign Studies University

2
Outline

• Introduction
• Language policy in multilingual China
• The English curriculum in China
• Case study 1 Tsinghua University
• Case study 2 Beijing Foreign Studies University
• Issues and alternatives
• Conclusion

3
Multilingual China

• Background
• Peoples Republic of China (PRC) established in
  1949
• Area 10 million square kilometres
• Population on the mainland 1,265,830,000
• Population in Greater China 1.3 billion
• 1 in 5 people on earth is Chinese
• A multilingual and multidialectal country
• National language Chinese
• The majority ethnic group The Han Chinese
• 55 minority ethnic groups

4
The Han Chinese

• Two main dialect groups
• Northern Chinese dialects 7 sub-groups
• Southern Chinese dialects 6 sub-groups
• (Huang, 1987, pp. 33-45)
• Standard spoken Chinese from the 1950s Putonghua
  (Common Language)
• Standard written Chinese from the 1920s
  Baihuawen (Plain Writing)
• Writing script about 3,500 years old

5
The ethnic minorities

• 55 officially recognized minority groups
• 106,430,000 people (8.4 of the total population
  in Greater China)
• Live in a widespread area of about 64 of the
  total area of China
• 80 to 120 languages used among them
• 24 minority groups still without an officially
  recognized writing script

6
The implicit trilingual model in China

• The Han Chinese
• Policy Putonghua English
• In reality Putonghua, English often another
  Chinese dialect
• The minorities
• Policy from around 1991 Chinese the learners
  minority language
• In reality Putonghua, English (?), a local
  Chinese dialect (?) a minority language (?)
• (Lam, 2006)

7
English in China since 1949

• Before the Cultural Revolution
• The interlude with Russian (Early 1950s)
• The back-to-English movement (1957-1965)
• During the Cultural Revolution
• Repudiation of foreign learning (1966-1970)
• English for renewing ties with the West
  (1971-1976)
• After the Cultural Revolution
• English for modernization (1977-1990)
• English for international stature (From 1991)

8
From English majors to all learners

• 1949 Beijing Foreign Language Institute
  established in Beijing
• 1960 Beijing Foreign Language School taught
  English from Primary 3 as a pilot scheme (14
  such schools by 1965).
• 1961 Syllabus for English majors defined
• Early 1980s Focus on the College English
  syllabus for non-English majors
• Early 1990s Focus on the secondary school
  English curriculum
• From 2001 English to be taught fr. Primary 3

9
The current school curriculum

• 9 bands in the new English curriculum at school
  (12 years).
• To attain
• Band 2 by the end of Primary 6
• Band 5 by the end of Junior Sec 3
• Band 7 by the end of Senior Sec 3
• (Lam, 2005, p. 191 Wang Lam, 2006)

10
English for non-English majors at university

• Ministry of Education, 2001 Each higher
  education institution should have 5 to 10 of
  courses taught in a foreign language by 2004.
  Institutions which cannot do so could use
  materials in the foreign language initially and
  teach in Chinese.
• Ministry of Education, 2004 3 levels in
  teaching, flexible target competence
• Band 7 entrants basic requirements
• Band 8 entrants more advanced courses
• Band 9 entrants even more advanced courses

11
English for English majors at university

• Ministry of Education, 2000
• English skills (e.g., listening)
• English knowledge (e.g., English linguistics)
• Related knowledge of a profession such as foreign
  relations, trade, law, management, journalism,
  education, technology, culture, military affairs
• (Lam, 2005, p. 192)

12
Two case studies

• Tsinghua University first established in 1911 as
  a school to prepare students to be sent by the
  Chinese government to the United States. Now, one
  of the most renowned universities in China.
• Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) first
  established in Yanan in 1941 to train
  interpreters and translators. In 1949, it
  relocated to Beijing.

13
Tsinghua Institutional vision

• 1925 Tsinghua was a comprehensive university
  with 4 schools in literature, law, sciences and
  engineering.
• 1949 it was reshaped to focus on engineering
• From 1978 sciences, economics and management
  were established.
• By 2005, the university consisted of 55
  departments organized into 14 schools. There are
  also 2 institutes. Tsinghua is fast developing
  into a comprehensive university.

14
Tsinghua Students and teachers

• Total in Tsinghua 30,000 students 2,877
  teachers
• In the Dept. of Foreign Languages Literatures
• Annual intake (2005)
• English majors 60 undergrad, 20 MA, 9 PhD
  students
• Japanese majors 20 undergrad 5 MA students
• Other non-majors (English, Japanese, Russian,
  German French) More than 10,000 students
• Teachers
• 98 Chinese teachers
• 14 foreign teachers (12.5)

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Tsinghua College English for non-English majors

• Year 1 Basic English (4 hours each week for 18
  weeks each semester for 2 semesters 144 contact
  hours)
• Year 2 to Year 4 Take an elective each semester
  up to a maximum of 6 electives. (Each elective is
  2 hours each week for 18 weeks 36 contact
  hours.)
• Minimum 2 elective courses (72 hours)
• Maximum 6 elective courses (216 hours)

16
Tsinghua Electives for non-English majors

• 3 types of courses
• To enhance language skills e.g., Advanced
  speaking, Interpreting
• To enhance language use/application e.g.,
  Scientific English, English in workplaces
• To enhance knowledge of English e.g., American
  culture society, Famous speeches in English

17
Tsinghua Medium of instruction

• Foreign language programmes The target foreign
  language is used.
• Other courses teaching content in other
  departments By 2004, 40 courses were taught in
  English, sometimes in joint programmes offered in
  collaboration with universities outside China.
  The first such course was offered in 1988 in
  Structural Mechanics. 32 of these courses used
  materials only in English.

18
Tsinghua English for Specific Purposes

• These courses in the home departments taught by
  non-foreign language specialists are known as
  English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses.
• But
• students claim they learn nothing much except
  terminology in such ESP courses
• teachers do not get learning effectiveness or
  evaluations commensurate with their efforts.

19
BFSU Institutional vision

• To transform itself into a comprehensive
  university of humanities and social sciences with
  special expertise in foreign languages, offering
  multilingual, multidisciplinary, and multi-level
  education.
• Among its graduates, 350 have served as
  ambassadors and 600 as consuls. Almost all the
  translators and simultaneous interpreters from
  China working for the United Nations graduated
  from BFSU.
• (Chen, 2001)

20
BFSU Students and teachers

• Students
• 5,222 Chinese students
• About 800 foreign students (to learn Chinese
  language and culture) (13.3)
• Teachers
• 576 Chinese teachers
• About 120 foreign teachers (17.3)

21
BFSU Programmes

• 53 Bachelor of Arts programmes
• 2 Chinese programmes (Chinese as a Foreign
  Language, Chinese language literature)
• 42 foreign language programmes (8 of them to
  start only from September 2007)
• 9 non-language programmes (e.g., international
  relations, law, finance)
• 15 MA 9 PhD programmes all in language and
  literary studies, except for 2 MA programmes
  (diplomacy and law)

22
BFSU Medium of instruction

• Language courses
• Chinese programmes Chinese is used
• Foreign language programmes the target foreign
  language is used Chinese is used occasionally in
  courses on translation and interpreting.
• Other courses teaching content vary in the
  degree to which a foreign language is used in
  teaching.

23
BFSU Language choice

• No explicit policy for non-language courses
  taught by non-language teachers.
• Factors affecting language choice include
• The nature of the courses (e.g., Law of Criminal
  Procedures and Advanced Mathematics are taught in
  Chinese)
• The teachers competence
• The students proficiency
• Terminology is provided bilingually.

24
BFSU English for Specific Purposes

• For students of the 9 non-language programmes
  (international relations, law etc.)
• Year 1 Year 2 intensive training in General
  English
• Year 3 Year 4 English for Specific Purposes
  (ESP) courses
• Content courses are introduced gradually.

25
Issues Medium of instruction

1. Should English be used as a medium of instruction
   for teaching other subjects?
2. Are English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses
   effective?
3. Who should teach ESP courses? For English majors
   and/or non-majors? At what proficiency level? Use
   a mode of bilingual education in addition?

26
Issues General concerns

1. Why do many learners fail to function well in
   English after learning it for so long?
2. Should English be taught to all learners?
3. Should English be taught from primary school?
4. Should English be required for promotion to a
   higher post?
5. Will learners be less Chinese if English is given
   too much emphasis?

27
An alternative model

1. Allow minority learners to choose to study partly
   in a minority language in early primary.
2. Allow learners to choose to stop studying English
   at a certain level in the educational system.
3. Allow learners to choose to study another
   language (e.g., another foreign language or a
   minority language) instead of English.
4. Establish more foreign language institutions to
   develop more core bilingual personnel.
5. Promote intercultural understanding.

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Conclusion

1. The multilingual multidialectal circumstances
   in China are much more complex than is normally
   recognized 1 in 12 is from the ethnic
   minorities.
2. The great number of learners to be taught poses
   an enormous challenge 4.3 times the US
   population.
3. The teaching of English in higher education has
   to be considered in the context of changes in the
   learning circumstances in schools.
4. Intercultural issues need to be addressed in
   language teaching in China.

29
References (1)

• Chen, N-F. (2001). Message from the president. In
  Beijing Foreign Studies University (a brochure
  marking the 60th anniversary of the university)
  (p. 5). Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and
  Research Press.
• Dong, Y. (2003). On the issue of Foreign
  language learning should start from primary
  schools Status of primary English language
  education in Guangdong Province. Modern Foreign
  Languages 26 (1), 40-47.
• English Team, Steering Committee for Foreign
  Language Teaching in Higher Education. (2000).
  Gaodeng xuexiao yingyu zhuanye yingyu jiaoxue
  dagang Syllabus for English majors in higher
  education. Shanghai Shanghai Foreign Language
  Education Press Foreign Language Teaching and
  Research Press.
• Gui, S. (1992). A challenge to Foreign language
  learning should start from primary schools.
  Foreign Language Teaching and Research 33(4),
  245-251.
• Higher Education Department, Ministry of
  Education, China. (2004). College English
  curriculum requirements. Shanghai Shanghai
  Foreign Language Education Press.

30
References (2)

• Hu, W. (2001). A matter of balance reflections
  of Chinas foreign language policy in education.
  Foreign Language Teaching and Research 33 (4),
  245-251.
• Lam, A. S. L. (2002). English in education in
  China Policy changes and learners experiences.
  World Englishes, 21(2), 245-256.
• Lam, A. S. L. (2005). Language education in
  China Policy and experience in China from 1949.
  Hong Kong Hong Kong University Press.
• Lam, A. S. L. (2006). Bilingual or multilingual
  education in China Policy and learner
  experience. Manuscript submitted for publication.
• Ministry of Education, China. (2001). Guanyu
  jiaqiang gaodeng xuexiao benke jiaoxue gongzuo
  tigao jiaoxue zhiliang de ruogan yijian
  Guidelines on Strengthening University
  Undergraduate Teaching and Raising Teaching
  Standards. Official document issued by the
  Ministry of Education, China.
• Wang, W-F, Lam, A. S. L. (2006). The English
  language curriculum for secondary school in China
  from 1949. Manuscript in preparation.

31
Thanks

• My co-authors
• Colleagues at Tsinghua University Beijing
  Foreign Studies University, particularly Meisun
  Zhong for her comments on an early version of the
  BFSU case study
• Wenfeng Wang, my PhD student
• The conference organizers participants
• The Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong SAR,
  China (Project no. HKU 7175/98H)