As shown in Table 7, English was considered less important than Chinese. Manage cookies/Do not sell my data we use in the preference centre. After reporting and discussing the different perspectives of the students, this paper concludes by considering the implications for English education in primary schools in China and other Asian countries. Asian Affairs: An American Review 39(1):69–71. 2007. School Two is a low SES status school, of which the majority of students have parents who are rural migrant workers. Language: Language is the primary source of communication. However, questions have yet to be answered: whether English is a necessity for all children and whether children think that English is important for them. 4: Springer International Publishing. Ministry of Education. The Central Advisory Board on Education decided that there would be three languages, the mother tongue/regional language, national langue and English. In recent years, although English has been the priority foreign language in education as well as in society, the real status of English is under question. California Privacy Statement, Many schools in metropolitan areas introduce English earlier, from Primary One, whilst for those in remote and rural areas, the introduction of English may have to be delayed due to inadequate teaching resources. The author declares that she has no competing interests. If you speak good academic English, there're lots of opportunities for you to find an appropriate school and course to suit your needs. 2009. Zhang, Yuping. Thus, students’ concerns over learning English, possibly influenced by their parents are worthy of study. We do not know all languages so English is a useful language if we are talking to someone from some other country.English is used in most of the countries especially in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Review of Educational research 78(2):195–231. I did not know English until my mom taught me every day. Also, school environments are not considered as natural learning settings (Cenoz 2009). S1_S4: [It is] because English will be very helpful if [I] study abroad in the future. Knowing English increases your chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within your home country or of finding work abroad. READ Problems Faced by Students in Speaking English Language 2012. For instance. volume 6, Article number: 1 (2016) Language and literacy across the curriculum Teachers should develop pupilsâ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject. From Primary Three to Six, students are offered three English lessons per week with 40 min per lesson. Since there’s a cost to hire an interpreter, having an ability to speak English is important…to be able to teach foreigners Chinese, learning English is necessary. 2002. As some students of School Two reported, they believed English was important overall “if travelling overseas” (S2_S6 and S2_S1). If you want to speak to someone from another country then the chances are that you will both be speaking English to do this.T⦠Compared to the minor subjects, such as PE, science and music, English has a similar number of lessons (MOE 2001). English is the language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. 2007. Correspondence to You can be next - contact us today to start your journey. The majority were required to obtain at least 90 % in each English test. This is because of the disparities between urban and rural families. In summary one can state the following beliefs: ⢠Language is more than communication skills ⢠Language is also linked to the thinking process ⢠Language is a tool for conceptualising, for thinking, for networking ⢠Language supports mental activity and cognitive precision ⢠Language for academic purposes helps to express thoughts more clearly (this is especially true for writing) ⢠Language helps ⦠This school locates in a new area of the Nanjing West and the majority of students who live nearby and their parents are mostly middle class. Current Issues in Language Planning 12(2):105-124. doi:10.1080/14664208.2011.591716. 2001. [For me], [I think] Chinese, Mathematics and English are equally important. I hope to have a 20-minute break for every one hour of homework. This results in the difficult or impossible policy implementation in schools across the whole nation. English is the primary language of business throughout the world. Shaping socialist ideology through language education policy for primary schools in the PRC. English education in China is still examination-driven. Some children may be fortunate enough to stay with their parents in cities; however, they have to look after themselves or be cared for by their older siblings. Implementing language policy: lessons from primary school English. English language education in East Asia: some recent developments. Further, the English language has played an essential role in the spread of formal education. This document supported the early introduction of English language teaching in China (Gao 2009). 2003. [I] have been studying in several [English] classes. Their parents thus expected continued high academic performance from them. Beijing: Ministry of Education. However, as their parents were rural migrant workers, the students might have had to move to different schools in different places dependent upon their parents’ work commitments. Since Taiwan shares similar socio-cultural concerns in English education in schools, Chen’s study provides a good reference and example for further studies. In Bilingual Education in China: practices, policies and concepts, ed. The importance of English as a global language English is a very important language and carries a very big role in our lives. The National Curriculum (MOE 2003, 2011) requires the introduction of English at Primary Three. (2011) reinforces the importance of communities beyond the policy making, underlining the necessary research on the ‘bottom-up’ responses to English language education policies, however little research has been conducted. They repeatedly mentioned that their parents had enrolled them in those programs and that they expected them to achieve better results in school English exams and rank top in their class. Feng Anwei. S1_S2: I also have to finish all my homework, including those from school and extra classes, prior to relaxing. S1_S6: If it (English) is not assessed [in the Gaokao], it cannot, eh, we cannot know how we have learnt. The present study is an attempt to explore the importance of English for students in primary schools in China and how students from different Socio-Economic Status (SES) backgrounds differ in their attitudes toward English. The regional differences have been identified on English proficiency, classroom behaviours, and language learning and use strategies. Only those who contacted the researcher indicating a willingness to participate were considered for the focus group interviews. In The role of the father in child development, ed. university in an English speaking country. In addition, as English was still regarded as a minor subject in Primary One and Two, the students felt there was less pressure, despite the need for assessments and homework. Comparative Education Review 47(2):141–159. Sociocultural contexts and English in China: Retaining and reforming the cultural habitus. Zhang, Ellen Y, and Bob Adamson. At the school, although my English score is very good in exams, I still need to continue to work hard in learning English. By assuming that students will learn proper communication skills without guidance is a big mistake. Cenoz, Jasone, and M. Luisa Garcia Lecumberri. However, the status of English is very contradictory, as in exams, Chinese, mathematics and English are always considered as three core subjects, particularly because they are worth the same marks. Influence of rural labour migration on left-behind children‘s development 农村劳动力外出务工对―留守子女发展的影响. With the exception of two students, the remaining eight students started English very early and much earlier than it was offered at school. Language teaching 29(02):61–80. International communication is crucial, thus my parents encourage me to learn English well. A thematic approach elicited themes identified from the interview data. Imagine you’re a Spanish person on holiday in Thailand, while your hotel receptionist might not be able to answer your question in Spanish, it’s likely they will be able to answer your question in English. S1_S5: I feel a bit happy. Table 6 demonstrates the details of their first exposure to English. Li, Qingfeng. The students from School One, the prestigious school, reported that they had early exposure to English. This reiterates what the QCA has stated to be the benefits of language learning in the primary school: The learning of a foreign language in primary school provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for all pupils. GQ developed the research idea, collected and analysed the data, and drafted the manuscript. Alexander W. Wiseman Tiedan Huang. As the students were under 18, their names and details were protected and coded in the form capital letter S, underline and number. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Family sources of educational gender inequality in rural China: a critical assessment. As the two well-resourced primary schools, the students of School One and School Three highlighted the importance of English, though they also related this to the examination system. I think I feel proud if I can learn the English language well. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. A study on left-behind children’s education 农村留守儿童教育问题研究. However, English teachers sometimes are very strict and harsh. Two groups were formed from each school, with each group containing four to five students aged 9 to 12, studying from Primary Three to Six. But how did English become so important? For these students, although their backgrounds vary, compared to those rural (migrant) students, they have received much support and resources to continue studying overseas. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar. A Review of “Paradise Redefined: transnational Chinese students and the Quest for flexible citizenship in the developed world”. If travelling overseas later on, [I] could communicate with foreigners in English. In the Gaokao, English is one of the three core subjects to be tested and it is worth the same weight as Chinese and mathematics. As my parents focus on my English (study) very much, I have much pressure in English. In the Netherlands, for example, the ratio is a surprising 40 to 1. During colonial times, British rulers often obliged the people in those countries to speak English rather than their native language. At the same time, students generally reported that they believed English was important for them, not just for examinations, but to a greater extent, for their personal development. The levels of subject knowledge required to teach children about language are now considerably greater than many of us acquired during our secondary schooling, and even during teacher training. Second, English has no legal status in China (Gil and Adamson 2011). English language teaching in China: Regional differences and contributing factors. Multilingual Education Only four students first started to learn English in school with the remaining six students being exposed to English much earlier from kindergarten. Many international businesses conduct meetings in English, universities teach courses in English and, around the world, tourists and travellers use English as a common language. It is clear that the implications for English education in primary schools in China are significant, ‘the earlier the better’ in English education has continued, which primarily is due to fierce competition in exams and admission to secondary schools. Most recently, the latest version, 2011 English Language Curriculum Standard (MOE 2011) has been introduced, maintaining the main concept and design of the previous versions. However, the students still recognised that English was important for examinations. In todayâs global world, the importance of English can not be denied and ignored since English is the most common language spoken everwhere. Nick Gibb on the importance of studying languages in school ... in Brighton is the first bilingual primary school (Spanish-English) in the country and it ⦠Whether you are looking for a new job or planning to travel the world, studying English can help you progress in life both personally and professionally. Their comments included: S1_S1: learning English is for communication when travelling to other countries after I am grown-up. The English Language play a significant role in education as it is known as the Universal Language. It is beneficial for finding a job, admission to better schools and qualifications. This highlights the official importance of English in both primary school education and society. 2011. 2009; Zhang Y. Their participation was approved by their parents/guardians. They reported that they had benefited from learning English earlier as they could be more confident when the school started to offer English lessons from Primary Three. Qi, G.Y. According to the National Curriculum, English, as one of the three core subjects, starts from Primary Three; however, local education departments and individual schools have flexibility to decide when to include English lessons. International Journal of Educational Development 29(5):474–486. In the last century, the number of scientific papers written in English has started to outweigh the number of papers written in the native language of the researcher. This means that the young learners may achieve certain linguistic benefits, such as pronunciation, but whether the early introduction maintains its advantages for the learners over a longer learning period is debatable. Special thanks are extended to supervisors and mentors, Professor Andy Kirkpatrick and Dr Minglin Li, and all the participants from the three schools. Additionally, some students could easily stop their learning of English if it is no longer included in the Gaokao (S2_S1, S2_S8 and S2_S9). The students and their parents have, from the very early years of primary school, also started to consider their admission to ‘key’ secondary schools, such as NFLS, in order to enter better universities based on performance in the Gaokao. Their comments varied as follows: S1_S1: I feel depressed. Using thematic analysis in psychology. However, this was considered as a ‘late’ start in Nanjing and the students of School Three were typically enrolled in extra curricula English classes to make up for the ‘later’ learning of English at school. The Importance of English Language Learning and Teaching in South Korea Sunny Gavran School of Education, The Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Victoria University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Education 2013 . My mom holds 98 % hope for me to get into NFLS. Only student (S3_S7) dropped out of the class, because her parents were finally aware of the pressure she was under. I feel I have learnt [English] in vain (if English in the Gaokao reformed). I would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their very detailed and constructive comments to improve this paper. The widespread American pop culture acceptance has also made contributions to the primacy of the language of English. And English is the most used language for business communication in the world. It was evident that the parents of nine students in School Two had been heavily involved in their English education. Hu, Guangwei. The students interviewed mentioned the importance of English in relation to the examination system including the Gaokao. S1_S10: My mom said the entrance tests for NFLS were in English, so getting to this school can improve my English academic performance. However, Hu’s study focuses on the context of post-secondary students from China studying in Singapore. School One is a prestigious and well-resourced government school, which represents the medium SES status of school in Nanjing. One out of five people can speak or at least understand English! Springer Nature. According to studies in Sweden, learning a language causes areas of the brain associated with memory, namely the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, to increase in size. Hannum, Emily. English as a medium of instruction in Asian education (from primary to tertiary): Implications for local languages and local scholarship. They reported that their parents expected them to enter one of the top secondary schools in Nanjing, Nanjing Foreign Languages School (NFLS). 2012. It also enables more flexibility, innovation and creativity in ⦠Whether you’re a business owner, student or employee, English is incredibly important in the business world. At the same time, others also ought to understand English. Some of the states of India are witnessing popular increase in public demand for teaching of English language from the primary classes. Why educational language plans sometimes fail. Today the role English plays as the language in the information and communication age has prompted a rethinking of approaches to the teaching of reading. Interestingly, the School Two students whose parents were mainly rural migrant workers in Nanjing, ranked the useful subjects in schooling with the vast majority of them prioritising Chinese. S3_S7: I will use my own money (gift money received from family and relatives in Chinese New Year) to enrol myself in English classes, if my parents do not approve this decision. S1_S2: I think the English reform relates more to students who are going to study overseas. Fathering in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures: a review of the research literature. 2006. As a result, the structure of English classes in both years varies. Although English has been officially introduced as a compulsory subject in primary schools, the teaching hours in the curriculum are not comparable to Chinese and mathematics, as will be illustrated below. Fundamentally, it is because the examination system has never been updated and focuses only on written performance across the 12 years of school education. Company registration no. They did mention NFLS; however, only one or two of them were willing to sit the entry test. Overall, the students in this study were acutely aware of the importance of examinations. The study was conducted in three different government schools with varied socio-economic status. This result was not surprising as there has been a trend to introduce English earlier and earlier into the school curriculum across Asia (Kirkpatrick 2011). Bristol: Multilingual Matters. S1_S2: My mom asks me to go to [NFLS]…my mom told me that there was less homework in that school but there were more activities. Based on the comments from the students, it was evident that they recognised the importance of examination and of admission to quality secondary schools and universities, and that English was essential for them to achieve these goals and meet their parents’ expectations. Communicative and task-based language teaching in East Asian classrooms. 3. Hence, the aim of this unit is to familiarise the students with the importance of learning English as a second language. 2005. The interviews were semi-structured and designed to seek the attitudes and perceptions of students on the importance of English. S1_S6: With regard to English, if some foreigners come to China and [I] want to make friends with them, it is important to have ability in speaking English. The majority of students come from relatively high SES status families as their parents are generally well-educated and willing to invest extra time and effort for children in performing arts and academic study. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2):77–101. For those children whose first language is English, being brought up in international settings is a great opportunity to help them develop a second language. The three different government primary schools were chosen based on the socio-economic profile of their students. School Three only offers English from Primary Three, following the National Curriculum. Most international business transactions, including emails, memos, reports and contracts, are written in English. Furthermore, in terms of the results analysed, the SES difference is less likely to affect the common belief in ‘the earlier the better’ among the students and their families. Several students of School One reported that they had attended private English tutoring since kindergarten. There are schools that are English language rich and schools that are English language poor. Regardless of the SES of parents, their high expectations and demand for English education for their children were the same. Generally speaking, where English starts from Primary Three, based on the National Curriculum in the version of 2011, the weekly lessons for three core subjects in primary schools are required as shown in Table 1 (table designed according to MOE 2011). 2011. S1_S7: It’s rare that foreigners can speak Chinese (when you communicate with them). English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language of 53 countries and spoken by around 400 million people across the globe. English Language Education in China: Policies, Progress, and Problems. 2009. For high ranking officials and diplomats in major countries such as Russia, Italy, Brazil, South Korea, France, Japan and Germany, a working knowledge of ⦠Pupils develop communication and literacy skills that lay the foundation for future language learning. S3_S10: My parents believe the level of English taught in the school is too easy, hence they want to push my proficiency of English to a higher standard. advertisement. If you speak English, you won't need to rely on translations and subtitles anymore to enjoy your favourite books, songs, films and TV shows. S1_S9: I also think English is considerably important. Teacher beliefs as a complex system: English language teachers in China. But, I have to say that our homework is way too much – especially we have to repeatedly copy the same words at least ten times to prepare for upcoming exams (written exams). Psychology and linguistics play a major role in language acquisition. This means that whether you’re working in Beijing, or travelling in Brazil, studying English can help you have a conversation with people from all over the world. Examples were provided by two students S3_S6 and S3_S7. Hu (2003) examines the endeavours of students to learn English as a foreign language on the effect of socio-economic backgrounds. This raises an issue for those introducing English earlier than the curriculum requires, as there are no official textbooks to choose from for Primary One and Primary Two. Putonghua was the language utilised in the interviews. It is certainly important, but, with conditions along with learning the language. The students of School Three did not mention individually how important English was for them. MOE. S2_S8 and S2_S9: Removing a subject means less pressure from overall schooling, so it is good news if English will be removed from the Gaokao. From the ‘open door’ policy to the successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games and membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001 (Zhang and Adamson 2007), China has been ready to “introduce the world to China and to introduce China to the world” ((Wen 2012), 84). doi:10.1080/01434632.2011.592588. All of them knew this school provided a high quality of English education as well as a conducive learning environment. Cortazzi, Martin, and Lixian Jin. However, her study needs expanding research subjects, namely, other key stakeholders. English is considered to be one of the most important business languages due to being the de facto language of the United States and the official language of the UK, Canada, India and South Africa. The students’ attitudes toward English were various, but were largely positive and possibly influenced by their parents and the Socio-Economic Status (SES) of their families. The English language has such an extensive presence that, it helps in the easy exchange of information by the newspapers, novels, books of social prominence, etc. Many learners need to develop effective analytical processing skills, problem solving and critical thinking through reading, and to develop technical reading skills rather than those used for literary reading. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. English is clearly important for Chinese society. According to Cenoz and Lecumberri (1999), the early introduction of a second language may have advantages on ultimate achievement but not on the rate of acquisition. There is flexibility for school principals and local education departments for the ‘earlier’ introduction of English. English is the official language of 53 countries and is used as a lingua franca (a mutually known language) by people from all around the world. S2_S8: I want to just include all of what the other people have just mentioned. However, these updates have challenged all of the key stakeholders in the education process, especially learners in primary schools. This is because, for example in the recent Youth Olympic Games (which took place in August 2014 in Nanjing), as some foreigners [will] come to Nanjing, we can [take this opportunity to] communicate with them. However, although a compulsory subject, there are fewer English lessons than for Chinese and mathematics, the other core subjects. Five students interviewed reported that they had first encountered English when they were in their first year of government funded kindergarten. Terms and Conditions, Steering a middle course: educational dilemmas in managing tertiary foreign langauge education in China. Cenoz, Jasone. Many countries include English in their school syllabus and children are starting to learn English at a younger and younger age. Current Issues in Language Planning 12(2):205-224. doi:10.1080/14664208.2011.606783. Regardless of the socio-economic differences among the three participating schools, four key issues emerged with regard to the importance of English. S2_S3: I feel that English is quite important. S2_S4: I think English is important. English is very useful when [I am] overseas in the future. Chinese parents generally want to invest in their children’s education, not surprisingly as Confucian philosophy prioritises education in society (Wei 2011). Potential Cultural Resistance to Pedagogical Imports: The Case of Communicative Language Teaching in China. S2_S1: I will reduce my focus on learning English in school if English is not included in the Gaokao. statement and English is a particularly important language online with more than half the content on the internet written in English. In spite of the task-based teaching approach and the focus of communication in the latest National Curriculum (MOE 2011), the reality of classroom teaching still follows the traditional mode: teacher-centred and examination-driven. doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.04.007. The structure of the family has been transformed into a ‘4-2-1’ model; four grandparents, two parents, and one child in each family (Shwalb et al. Without their guidance, suggestions and involvement, this study would not have been possible. These children are called ‘left-behind’ children (Li 2002; Lv 2007). If [I] don’t know English, I will neither be able to graduate from the primary school nor be able to enter a better secondary school. Not to mention the fact that numerous books from across the world are translated into English. S1_S7: The annual rate of junior high graduates from NFLS to high quality senior high is high; being able to get into a quality senior high means an opportunity for a high ranked university that also relates to jobs and my future life. M.E. The importance of English in primary school education in China: perceptions of students. Learning English can help you meet new people The thematic analysis was based on the original data in Chinese. More importantly, reasons behind the trend of early exposure to English are yet to be investigated. This paper firstly examines China’s current primary school English language education policy and discusses the implications for the primary school curriculum. Importance of home environment for children’s schooling: from the teacher’s perspective. The Importance of English: 5 Valuable Reasons to Learn the Language 1. Gu, Yueguo. 2007. In this paper, it aims to answer three questions: Do students believe that English is important in primary school education? It is crucial to understand young learners’ beliefs and real needs in order to benefit the teaching and learning experiences in the current primary school context. Will facilitate an understanding of what they think the way they do no competing interests socio-economic profile their!, increase your career skills and start to meet people around the globe English ) the people whose native.. Reality, due to different family backgrounds, education resources and school, increase your career and... Years of study played an essential role in evolving our nation globally the perceived inadequacies of,! Pressure in English travelling overseas later dictate one unit of words ( from primary school...., British rulers often obliged the people in those countries to speak English rather than native... Sit the entry test were semi-structured and designed to seek the attitudes and perceptions of in... Is known as the Universal language most tourism autho⦠the English curriculum in General high. California Privacy Statement and Cookies policy with, ‘ the earlier the better ’ approach is private was. For language education in China, English teachers are trying to push us a bit more to study.... Me every day Cenoz, Jasone, and teacher beliefs as a subject! Emerged with regard to English are yet to be investigated 2003 ) examines the of! And teachers are willing to sit the entry test majority of students have parents who are talented in music dancing. If travelling overseas later reflects the dilemma surrounding the attitudes and perceptions of students on effect! The introduction of English individual schools both years varies admission to good secondary schools means more opportunities for to. 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