The gaokao is a national college entrance examination. Since the 1970s, Chinese universities have selected students for admission based on their score in the highly competitive and rigorous test. O n December 7, 2013, the Chinese Ministry of Education released a draft reform plan for the gaokao which said that English will not be included on the test in the future. Instead, students can take English tests more than once each year and only the highest score will be counted. The plan will be piloted in selected provinces and cities and promoted nationwide from 2017.

Although the reason for the reform is not mentioned in the plan, it’s widely considered as a method to cool down C hina’s obsession with English. Soon after the plan’s release, Beijing’s education authorities announced they would cut the value of the English section from 150 to 100 points. Meanwhile, other provinces are also working on their own reform details. The role of English in modern China has become a subject of public scrutiny.

Pro

Yang Junheng

Media commentator

Learning English is not a bad thing. Most non-Englishspeaking countries in the Western world also learn English as their second language. Learning English has laid a solid foundation for the communication between China and the rest of the world since the start of the implementation of the reform and opening up. However, some people think setting English as the students’ only choice of foreign language is not suitable in today’s plural world. For example, Spanish is spoken by 500 million people in nearly 20 countries around the world. The communication between China and the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America will become more frequent, so more people who can speak Spanish will be needed. The fact that students treat English as the only choice of foreign language will make China more dependent on English-speaking countries, and limit China’s communication with other countries.

Con

Wang Zhiyao

Media commentator

English is the native language of 400 million people around the world, and there are 800 million people using English as official language or second language. Removing English exams will result in many people losing the opportunity to recognize and understand the world. Our native language is like a door to the outside world, while English is a window. Only with the door and window together can we understand the world in a comprehensive, accurate and objective way.

Pro

Wang Jinzhan

School teacher

Personally, I think the reform will have a great influence on high school students in China and its primary and secondary school education as well. The society has been calling for reducing students’ burden, but the burden has only gotten heavier. So what we need is more than just words. We need a practical action just like the new reform to actually alleviate burdens on our students. The whole world is making efforts to understand China, so our teenagers should learn different foreign languages besides Eng

lish. China has a profound culture, but in recent years there were a lot of problems with passing on our culture to the younger generation. Some children begin to learn English in kindergarten before they can really master Chinese, which will turn out to be a fruitless attempt. After the reform is implemented, students can spend more time on Chinese culture, and I think that’s a good thing.

Pro

Cai Fengmao

English teacher

I think English tests should be removed from the gaokao. Nowadays, our English education has increasingly deviated from the normal path. Last year, middle school English education was affected by the latest education reform, so the students I’m currently teaching became an experimental subject for the new textbook. But the new textbook is filled with long articles and difficult grammar, which widens the gap between good students and weak ones. To help students through the exam, teachers have to shift focus from oral practice to grammar, which is also the reason why Chinese students are mostly mute English learners (people who can read and understand English as a second language but cannot speak it well). If English is removed from the gaokao, our focus should be on the new assessment method. What’s the point of the reform if grammatical knowledge still plays an important role in routine assessments? It will be a practical reform only when importance is attached to vocabulary, oral practice and listening skills.

Con

Zhao Chali

China.org.cn

People still cannot talk with others in English after 10 years of English class, which is not because English is not compatible with the Chinese education system, but we have been learning to take exams rather than to communicate. Our English exams are so rigid that even native speakers are confused with the tough questions. In this case, new reform plans seem to comply with public opinion. We can have English take all the blame and people vent their anger when we alternate from one extreme to another. But after several decades it will bring stronger negative effect than English obsession. When information flows closely connect the world, people should look at the world from an international perspective, and English is a good tool to expand one’s scope. Meanwhile, China, with its growing market economy and important role in international trade, needs more international talents. English study is important for us to train high-level personnel.

Pro

Long Minfei

Media Commentator

The reform is of positive significance in two respects. First, English reverts to its original role as a communication tool. Despite its importance around the world, it’s just a language. It is not necessary to encourage all people to learn it, especially in a “mute” way. Language study should be a hobby. Second, removing English from the gaokao is not the same thing as removing all the English exams from school. The plan said that students can take English tests more than once each year, so their future will not be determined by one final test as in the past. Actually, the reform does not imply a decreased interest in learning from the Western world, but a “retreat to advance” strategy. The motives of learning English will be diversified after it’s removed from the gaokao. People will learn it as a hobby,for vocational needs or to pursue personal dreams. Some with a practicable goal can learn English in a rational way, while others can be relieved of the study task.

Con

Hua Ti

Media commentator

It’s impossible to reduce study burden through kicking English out of the gaokao. The students, teachers and parents will never agree to spend English study time on rest or recreation when one’s future is still determined by a final exam. Instead, they will save the time for other gaokao test subjects. The burden-reducing will just be empty talk. In today’s world, English is the leading language. It’s a universal and efficient tool in the exchange of technology, economy and culture. The more proficient students are, the more the country will benefit. If one thing matters, it’s better to learn it early and systematically.