Secondary school English learning and teaching in China: Thirty years of change and its global implication

Abstract

In recent years, ESL instructors and researchers in various English-speaking countries, such as Australia, England,
New Zealand, and the United States, sre having more contact with Chinese students on college campuses and
become perplexed at the discrepancy between their high scores in standardized tests such as TOEFL and GRE
and their actual low language ability, especially in speaking and writing. This paper utilizes secondary studies as
well as interviews with English teachers in China to examine the history and development of English teaching
methods and approaches in Chinese secondary schools in the past three decades. It also specifically discusses
the teaching of English writing in Chinese secondary schools. The aim of this study is to help readers gain a
better understanding of Chinese students’ learning style and strategies, which may lead to more effective
pedagogical assistance in these students’ English learning abroad.