Overview of academic writing in China A response to Wesley O’Morrow’s materials review, “Texts in context: Textbook choice in an evolving ELT environment” (Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2017)

Abstract

In reviewing the book series, O’Morrow has brought up some excellent points on teacher knowledge
and student achievement. Choosing the right textbooks for students’ needs strongly supports the move
from teaching general EFL into EAP in China’s current curriculum reform (Cai, 2015). While I agree that the
adoption of this Academic English textbook series is a great choice, I argue that good teaching materials
are not enough to resolve the longstanding issues in teaching English to Chinese EFL students. To support
this position, I explain the importance of teacher competence and then discuss student learning skills.
Finally, I examine the problem of teacher/student resistance to change in English language education.