| Home |

Volume 4
August 2009
Article 1

Formats
PDF

Title
A Cultural Framework of “Chinese Learn English”: a critical review of and reflections on research

Author
Eunice Tang

Bio
Dr. Eunice Tang is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include multi-media language teaching and learning, vocabulary input and treatment, English curriculum and teaching in China, and pre-service teacher education.

Abstract
The dramatic rise of Chinese learners in the western classrooms and growing number of western teachers in the Chinese classrooms have raised awareness among researchers, educators and teachers about the “cultural shock” that both learners and teachers face when transiting to a different educational system with a different teaching and learning philosophy. However, no judgement or interpretation can be correctly made on learning behaviour and teaching practices without an understanding and respect of the Chinese characteristics of teaching and learning. This critical review provides a guide to analysis or discussions concerning the ways Chinese learn English. It gives an overview of the history, ideology, structure, centralisation, development and political maxims of English teaching and learning in the Chinese education system and discusses the characteristics of Chinese learners, the English language teaching environment and the contemporary classroom practices in China. It also aims to shed lights to English native teachers on developing teaching or classroom practices appropriate to these Chinese learners

Keywords: Chinese learners, Confucius, English teaching, culture of learning, learning behaviours