Written by Jiajin Xu    
(Xu Jiajin's note: the de facto Chinese National Curriculum of College English Teaching)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please follow the link to view the 2007 version of the Curriculum Requirements

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a view to keeping up with the new developments of higher education in China, deepening teaching reform, improving teaching quality, and meeting the needs of country and society for qualified personnel in the new era, College English Curriculum Requirements is drawn up, providing colleges and universities with the guidelines for English instruction to non-English major students.

Because institutions of higher learning differ from each other in terms of teaching resources, students’ level of English upon entering college, and the social needs they face, colleges and universities should formulate, in accordance with the requirements and in the light of their specific circumstances, a scientific, systematic and individualized College English syllabus to guide their own College English teaching.

Character and Objective of College English

College English, an integral part of higher learning, is a required basic course for undergraduate students. As a systematic whole, College English has as its main components knowledge and practical skills of the English language, learning strategies and intercultural communication; it takes theories of foreign language teaching as its guide and incorporates different teaching models and approaches.

The objective of College English is to develop students’ ability to use English in an all-round way, especially in listening and speaking, so that in their future work and social interactions they will be able to exchange information effectively through both spoken and written channels, and the same time they will be able to enhance their ability to study independently and improve their cultural quality so as to meet the needs of China’s social development and international exchanges.

Teaching Requirements

As China is a large country with conditions varying from region to region and from college to college, the teaching of College English should follow the principle of providing different guidance for different groups of students and instructing them in accordance with their aptitude so as to meet the specific needs of the individualized teaching.

The requirements for undergraduate College English teaching are set at three levels, i.e., basic requirements, intermediate requirements, and higher requirements. All non-English majors are required to attain to one of the three levels of requirements after studying and practicing English at school. The basic requirements, a goal that all college graduates must achieve, are meant for students who have or have not completed Band 7 of the Senior High School English Standards prior to entering college. Intermediate and higher requirements are respectively set for those who, having laid a good foundation of English, can afford time to learn more of the language, and have completed Bands 8 or 9 of the Senior High School English Standards upon entering college. The three levels of requirements, which incorporate knowledge and practical skills of the English language, learning strategies and intercultural communication, embody qualitatively and quantitatively the objective of College English teaching.

The basic requirements are the minimum level that all non-English majors have to reach before graduation. Institutions of their learning should set their own objectives in the light of their specific circumstances, strive to create favorable conditions, and encourage students to adjust their objectives in line with their own performance and try to meet the intermediate or higher requirements.

A

The three levels of requirements are set as follows:

Basic requirements

Listening: Students should be able to follow classroom instructions, everyday conversations and lectures on general topics conducted in English. They should, by and large, be able to understand Special English programs spoken at a speed of about 130 words per minute (wpm), grasping the main ideas and key points. They are expected to be able to employ basic listening strategies to facilitate comprehension.

Speaking: Students be able to communicate in English in the course of learning, to conduct discussions on a given theme, and to talk about everyday topics with people from English-speaking countries. They should be able to give, after some preparation, short talks on familiar topics with clear articulation and basically correct pronunciation and intonation. They are expected to be able to use basic conversational strategies in dialogue.

Reading: Students should be able to read, in the main, English texts on general topics at a speed of 70 wpm. With longer yet less difficult texts, the reading speed should be at 100 wpm. They should be able to read, in the main, English newspaper and magazines published in China, grasping the main ideas, and understanding major facts and relevant details. They should be able to understand texts of practical styles commonly used at work and in life. They are expected to be able to employ effective reading strategies while reading.

Writing: Students should be able to complete writing tasks for general purposes, e.g. describing personal experiences, impressions, feelings, or some events, and to understand practical writing. They should be able to write within 30 minutes a short composition of 120 words on a general topic or an outline. The composition should be basically complete in content, appropriate in diction and coherent in discourse. Students are expected to be able to have a command of basic writing strategies.

Translation: With the help of dictionaries, students should be able to translate essays on familiar topics from English into Chinese and vice versa. The speed of translation from English into Chinese should be 300 English words per hour whereas the speed of translation from Chinese into English should be 250 Chinese characters per hour. The translation should read smoothly. Students are expected to be able to use appropriate translation techniques.

Recommended Vocabulary: Students should acquire a total of 4,500 words and 700 phrase (including those that have been covered in high school English course), among which 2,000 are active words. Students should not only be able to comprehend the active words but be proficient in using them when expressing themselves in speaking or writing.

Intermediate requirements:

Listening: Students should be able to follow, in the main, talks and lectures by people from English-speaking countries, to understand longer English radio and TV programs produced in China of familiar topics spoken at a speed of around 150 wpm, grasping the main ideas, key points and relevant details. They should be able to understand, by and large, course in their areas of specialty taught by foreign teachers in English.

Speaking: Students should be able to hold conversation in fairly fluent English with people from English-speaking countries, and to employ fairly well conversational strategies. They should, by and large, be able to express their personal opinions, feelings and views, and to state facts, events and reasons with clear articulation and basically correct pronunciation and intonation.

Reading: Students should, in the main, be able to read essays on general topics in newspaper and magazines published in English-speaking countries at a speed of 80 wpm. With longer texts for fast reading, the reading speed should be 120wpm. Students should be able to skim or scan reading materials. When reading summary literature in their areas of specialty, students should be able to get a correct understanding of the main ideas, major facts and relevant details.

Writing: Students should be able to express personal views on general topics, compose English abstracts of these in their own specialization, and write short English papers on topics of their specialty. They should be able to describe charts and graphs, and to complete within 30 minutes a short composition of 160 words. The composition should be complete in content, clear in organization and coherent in discourse.

Translation: With the help of dictionaries, students should be able to translate texts on familiar topics in newspapers and magazines published in English speaking countries, to translate on a selective basis articles of popular science relevant to their own specialty. The speed of translation from English into Chinese should be 350 English words per hour whereas the speed of translation from Chinese into English should be 300 Chinese characters per hour. The translation should read smoothly, convey the original meaning and be free from serious mistakes in understanding or expression.

Recommended Vocabulary: Students should acquire a total of 5,500 words and 1,200 phrases ( including those that have been covered in high school English courses and the Basic Requirements), among which 2,500 are active words (including the active words that have been covered in the Basic Requirements).

Higher Requirements:

Listening: Students should be able to understand longer dialogues and passages, and grasp the key points even when sentence structures are complicated and views are only implied. They should, by and large, be able to understanding radio and TV programs produced in English-speaking countries. They should be able to understand lectures related to their areas of specialty and grasp the gist and main points.

Speaking: Students should be able to conduct dialogues or discussion with certain degree of fluency and accuracy on general or specialized topics, and to make concise summaries of extended texts or speeches in difficult languages. They should be able to deliver papers at academic conferences and participate in discussions.

Reading: Students should be able to read rather difficult texts, and understand their meanings. With the help of dictionaries, they should be able to read original versions of English textbooks and articles in newspapers and magazines published in English-speaking countries, ant to read literature related to their areas of specialty without much difficulty.

Writing: Students should be able to express their opinions freely on general topics with clear structure, rich content and good logic. They should be able to write brief reports and papers of their areas of specialty, and to write within 30 minutes expository or argumentative essays of 200 words on a given topic. The text has complete content, logical thinking, and clear expression of ideas.

Translating: With the help of dictionaries, students should be able to translate fairly difficult English texts on popular science, culture, and reviews in newspapers and magazines published in English-speaking countries into Chinese, and translate Chinese introductory texts on the conditions of China or Chinese culture into English. The speed of translation from English into Chinese should be 400 English words per hour whereas the speed of translation from Chinese into English should be 350 Chinese characters per hour. The translation should convey the idea with accuracy and smoothness and be basically free from mistakes and misinterpretation.

Recommended Vocabulary: Students should acquire a total of 6,500 words and 1,700 phrases ( including those that have been covered in high school English courses and the Basic Requirements), among which 2,500 are active words (including the active words that have been covered in the Basic Requirements and Intermediate Requirements.

In developing competence in listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation at the three levels mentioned above, colleges and universities should lay more stress on the cultivation and training of listening and speaking abilities. A good command of vocabulary, especially of active words, constitutes the basis for the improvement of students’ ability to use English in an all-round way. Therefore, teaching plan for this component should be specified in the College English syllabus of each school.

Moreover, colleges and universities should cover components of learning strategies and intercultural communication in their teaching so as to enhance students’ abilities of independent learning and of communication.

Course Designing

Colleges and universities should take into account the schools’ circumstances and follow the guidelines of the Requirements in setting the goals of their College English teaching and designing College English course systems. The course system, which is a combination of required and selective courses in comprehensive English, language skills, English for practical uses, language and culture, and English of specialty, should ensure that students at different levels receive adequate training and make improvement in their ability to use English.

In designing College English course, requirements for competence in listening and speaking should be fully considered, and corresponding teaching hours and credits should be adequately allocated. Moreover, the extensive use of advanced information technology should be encouraged, computer-and Web-based English teaching should be promoted, and students should be provided with favorable environment and facilities for language learning. With regard to computer-based courses, face-to-face coaching should be dully provided, and the hours spent on coaching should be counted in the teachers’ teaching load. Students should receive credits after completing courses they learn via computers and passing the exams.

College English course designing should give a full play to the strengths of traditional classroom teaching, and encourage excellent teachers to offer courses suited to classroom teaching, thus forming a combination with computer-and Web-based courses.

College English is not only a language course that provide basic knowledge about English, but also a capacity enhancement course that helps students to broaden their horizons and learn about different cultures in the world. When designing College English courses, therefore, it is necessary to take into full consideration the development of students’ cultural capacity and the teaching of knowledge about different cultures in the world.

All the courses, whether computer-based or classroom based, should be fully individual-oriented, taking into account students with different starting points, so that students who start from lower level will be taken good care of while students whose English is better will find room for further development. College English course designing should enable students to have a solid foundation in the English language while developing their ability to use English, especially their ability to listen and speak English. It should ensure that students make steady progress in English proficiency throughout their undergraduate studies and make it conducive to students’ individualized learning so as to meet the needs of their development in different specialties.

Teaching Model

In view of marked increase in student enrolments and the relatively limited resources, colleges and universities should remould the existing unitary teacher-centered pattern of language teaching by introducing new models with the help of multimedia and network technology. The new model should be built on modern information technology, particularly network technology, so that English language teaching will be free from the constraints of time or place and geared towards students’ individualized and autonomous learning. The new model should combine the principles of practicality, knowledge and interest, mobilize the initiative of both teachers and students, and attach particular importance to the central role of technically attain to a high level of interactivity, feasibility and operability. In addition, it should take into full account and incorporate into it the strengths of the current model while fully employing modern information technology.

Colleges and universities should each design a PC-based or intranet-or campus-network-based multimedia listening and speaking teaching model that suits their own needs in line with their own conditions and student situation. Those in more favorable situations may deliver listening and speaking course via the Internet. The teaching or reading, writing and translation can be conducted either in the classroom or online. In either case, however, enough teachers should be guaranteed for instructions or lectures.

An important indicator of the successful reform of the teaching model is the development of individualized study methods and the autonomous learning ability on the part of students. The new model should enable students to select materials suited to their individual needs, make up for the limitations of the conventional classroom teaching of listening and speaking, and track down, record and check the progress of learning as well as teaching and coaching, so that students will be supervised to learn on their own initiative, and their listening and speaking abilities and other language abilities will be improved at a faster pace.

For effective reforms of the teaching model, the proportion of teaching hours or credits for computer-based English courses should be increased. It is proposed that the credits acquired via computer-based learning account for 30%- 50% of total.

Changes in the teaching model by no means call for changes in teaching practices or approaches only, but, more important, consist in changes in teaching philosophy, and in a shift from the teacher-centered pattern, in which knowledge of the language and skills are imparted by the teacher in class only, to the student-centered pattern, in which the ability to use the language and ability to learn independently are cultivated in addition to language knowledge and skills.

Evaluation

Evaluation is a key component in College English teaching. A comprehensive, objective, scientific and accurate evaluation system is of vital importance to the achievement of the course goal. It not only help teachers obtain feedback, improve the administration of teaching, and ensure teaching quality but also provides students with an effective means to adjust their learning strategies and methods, and improve their learning efficiency.

Evaluation consists of formative assessment and summative assessment.

Formative assessment includes students’ self-assessment, peer assessment, and assessment conducted by teachers and school administrators. By keeping a record of students’ in and outside of classroom activities and online self-learning data, keeping files on students’ study results, conducting interviews and holding meetings, students’ learning process is under observation, evaluation and supervision, thus contributing to the enhancement of their learning efficiency. Formative assessment is particularly important in computer-based teaching which is characterized by students’ independent learning.

Summative assessment refers to final tests and proficiency tests. These tests are designed to assess student’s all-round ability to use English. Students’ scores in reading, writing and translation should not substitute for or offset the scores in listening and speaking, or vice versa.

To evaluate the results of the set goal, colleges and universities may administer tests of their own, run tests at the intercollegiate or regional level, or let students take the national test in accordance with the different requirements set by the Requirements. Whatever form the tests may take, the focus should be on the assessment of students’ ability to use English in communication, particularly their ability to speak and write in English.

Government education administrative officials at different levels and colleges and universities should regard the evaluations of College English teaching as an important part of the evaluation of overall teaching quality of each school.

Teaching Administration

A system of teaching administration should be established that is accountable for the whole process of College English teaching. To ensure that the set teaching objectives can be achieved, efforts should be made to strengthen the guidance for and supervision of the teaching process. For this purpose, the following measures should be taken:

A system of teaching and teaching administration documentation should be established.

Documents of teaching include College English Curriculum of the colleges and universities concerned, as well as the documents stipulating the teaching objectives, course description, teaching arrangement, teaching objectives, course description, teaching arrangement, teaching progress, and methods of assessment for all the course within the program. Documents of teaching administration include documents registering students’ status and their academic credits, regulations of assessment, and guidelines for teaching.

Efforts should be made to promote the credit system.

College English program should adapt itself to the overall credit system of the colleges and universities concerned and should account for 10% (around 16) of the total undergraduate credits. The credits students acquire by computer-based independent learning should be equally acknowledged.

A system of faculty management and development should be established.

The quality of teachers is the key to the success of College English teaching reform and to the long-term development of the discipline. Colleges and universities should lay emphasis on the training and development of College English teachers so that they can better adapt to the new model of English teaching. Meanwhile, opportunities should be created so that the teachers can enjoy sabbaticals and engage in advanced studies, thus ensuring a sustainable improvement in their academic performance and methods of teaching.

 2007-6-19 Accessed from http://www.sjtunet.com/