New English Curriculum for Chine Primary Schools and
Junior/Senior Middle Schools
Experimental Version drafted by the Education Ministry of the PRC Note on this translation
This English version of China’s new curriculum for English is intended for VSO volunteers who would like to feel better informed about a document that is central to our work. However, it should in no way be regarded as an official translation. In fact, it is neither a word for word translation nor a summary. The appendix to the original, which includes lists of specific language items to be mastered, has been omitted, as have some level descriptors and sample learning activities. Despite trying to make it more readable, this version reflects the repetitive nature of the original, with the same key words cropping up over and over again. Volunteers should also refer to the more official (but still not completely official!) translation of the new English curriculum specifically for nior middle schools available from the Programme Office. Any feedback on this version would be welcome.
Tim Martin
Shaanxi Institute of Education, October 2005
Part 1: Introduction
With the advent of the information age and the global economy, English has become increasingly important. English is the dominant carrier of information and the most widely spoken language in the world. Many countries have made English a cornerstone of quality education when developing strategies for basic education.
Since China’s reform and opening, the scale of its English education has continually grown, attended by significant achievements in teaching and learning. However, English education in its current form is failing to meet the needs of contemporary social and economic development.
The current round of reforms to the English curriculum aim to end the following practices:
●Over-emphasizing the transmission and explanation of knowledge about grammar and vocabulary
●Neglecting to develop students’ ability to u language for real
In their place, the reforms aim to establish a curriculum that:
●Develops students’ comprehensive language competence
●Motivates students, is relevant to their life experiences and cognitive level
●Promotes task-bad teaching methods
●Involves students in experiential, practical, participatory and cooperative learning
●Develops students’positive attitudes, thinking skills, practical abilities, cultural awareness and
autonomy through the language learning process
1.The Nature of the New Curriculum
The new English curriculum strives to accomplish far more than just help students learn English. At one level learning English should involve helping students to:
●Develop a certain level of comprehensive language competence and the ability to u language for
real communication
●Master certain basic language knowledge
●Master listening, speaking, reading and writing skills
However, at another level the curriculum should also rve students’ all-round development, providing them with opportunities to:
●Strengthen their interest in studying English
●Grow in lf-discipline, perverance and lf-confidence
●Improve their cooperative, investigative and thinking abilities
●Develop their memory, imagination and creativity
●Adopt good study habits and effective learning strategies
●Develop as autonomous and lifelong learners
●Build moral integrity and a healthy outlook on life
●Establish both national spirit and an awareness of and respect for cultural differences
●Broaden their horizons and enrich their life experience
●Take part in cultural life
●Develop as individuals
2.Basic Principles of the New Curriculum
The curriculum promotes quality education (as oppod to exam-orientated education) and the all-round development of the students
To promote quality education particular attention must be paid to:
●Valuing each stude nt’s feelings
●Stimulating students’ interest in studying English
●Helping students gain a n of achievement and lf-confidence
The curriculum must go beyond developing students’comprehensive language competence to include areas such as:
●Improving students’ ability to contribute to cultural and social life
●Developing students’ practical abilities
●Fostering students’ creativity应道
The curriculum objectives are holistic and flexible.
The fundamental aim of the new English curriculum is to develop students’comprehensive language competence. This aim is broken down into five general objectives. The objectives are then divided into nine ability levels with descriptors provided for each level. The five general objectives are:
苦瓜粥1.Language Skills眼霜的功效
2.Language Knowledge
3.Attitudes to Learning
4.Learning Strategies
5.Cultural Awareness
This design allows students to progress systematically through each level whilst meeting the full range of the curriculum’s demands.
Students are put at the centre of the curriculum and individual differences are respected Students’ must be at the heart of the new curriculum. For example, their developmental needs must be the central consideration when developing:
●Curriculum objectives
●The teaching and learning process
●The asssment process
●Teaching and learning resources
When implementing the curriculum each student must be allowed to develop individually under the guidance of the teacher:
The curriculum promotes activity-bad methods, experiential and participatory learning
The curriculum promotes task-bad learning whereby, under the guidance of the teacher, the students gain a n of achievement by reaching the goals of the task. Task completion will involve the following types of learning:
●Sensory
●Experiential
小提琴如何自学●‘Hands on’/practical
●Participatory
●Cooperative
In order to improve their ability to u language for real communication, students should also be able to: ●Adjust their learning strategies and control their emotions
●Form positive attitudes towards learning
The curriculum recognizes the important role of formative asssment in promoting student’development
The asssment system should combine formative with summative asssment. The purpos of asssment should be to:
想去旅行
业绩考核方案●Promote students’ comprehensive language competence
●Encourage and motivate students
●Help students become more autonomous learners
●Benefit students’ healthy personal development
●Give teachers uful feedback from which to develop teaching and learning
●Inform the ongoing development and perfection of the English curriculum
Formative asssment should be an important part of the English teaching and learning process with a particular emphasis on:
●Encouraging students’ active participation in learning
●Improving students’ lf-confidence
Summative asssment should focus on:
●Testing students’ integrated language skills
●Testing students’ ability to u language
The curriculum expands the range of learning resources and opportunities available
The curriculum should strive to u and develop resources who content is:
●Realistic
●Clo to the students’ lives
●Contemporary
和差化积公式推导过程●Healthy
●Rich and varied
Active u should be made of:
●Audio visual material
困难申请书●Print media
●The Internet
Students should be encouraged to take responsibility for finding, using and developing learning resources themlves.
3.The Curriculum Design
The curriculum follows the international practice of dividing the general objectives into different ability levels. When designing the nine levels consideration was given to the following:
●The nature of language development
●The different needs of different age groups
●The needs of different ethnic groups and areas
●The economic imbalances that exist in China
The aim is to have designed a system that is holistic and flexible.
The correspondence between the level system and the grade system is shown in the following diagr
am: Primary School Work towards: Notes
Grade 3 Level 1 Students should start studying English in Grade 3
Grade 4 Level 1
Grade 5 Level 2
Grade 6 Level 2 The required standard for the end of primary school Junior Middle School Work towards: Notes
Grade 7 (= Junior 1) Level 3
Grade 8 (= Junior 2) Level 4
Grade 9 (= Junior 3) Level 5 The required standard for the end of junior middle school Senior Middle School Work towards: Notes
Senior 1 Level 6
Senior 2 Level 7
Senior 3 Level 8 The required standard for nior middle school graduation
Level 9 An extension level for specialist schools and able students Diagram 1: The Levels and the Grades
Part 2: Introduction to The General Objectives
The fundamental aim of the new curriculum is to develop students’ comprehensive language competence. This comprehensive language competence is achieved through the five general objectives as shown in the following diagram:
2. Language Knowledge
●Phonetics
●V ocabulary
●Grammar
COMPREHENSIVE LANGUAGE COMPETENCE
Diagram 2: The General Objectives
A further diagram illustrates the more comprehensive nature of the new curriculum compared to the old one:
Diagram 3: Comparison of the Old and New Curriculums
● Language skills and knowledge form the basis of comprehensive language competence
● The students ’ attitudes to learning strongly influence their learning and development
● Successful learning strategies improve the effectiveness of students ’ learning
● Cultural awareness ensures students u language appropriately
The overall descriptors for comprehensive language competence (i.e. a combination of all five general objectives) for Levels 1 to 9 are prented below:
1. Language Skills ● Listening ● Speaking ● Reading ● Writing 3. Attitudes to Learning ● Motivation and interest ● Self-confidence and perverance ● Cooperative spirit ● National awarene
ss 4. Learning Strategies ● Cognitive strategies ● Metacognitive strategies ● Communicative strategies ● Resource strategies 5. Cultural Awareness ● Cultural knowledge ● Cultural understanding ● Awareness of and ability in cross-cultural communication New Curriculum Language Skills Language Knowledge Attitudes to Learning Learning Strategies Cultural Awarenes phonetics vocabulary grammar functions topics Language Knowledge Old Curriculum Language Skills Comprehensive Language Competence
