China’s booming English teaching industry may be hurt by last month’s decision to reduce the importance of English on the national college-entrance exam.
English, Chinese and math are currently weighted equally in the crucial “gaokao’’ exam, which determines whether or where a student can attend college. Starting in 2016, the value of the English part of the test in major cities will be dropped from 150 to 100 points while the Chinese section will be raised from 150 to 180 points.
Some Chinese provinces, which can modify the exam for their own region, are considering an even more drastic change. Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Shanghai, may eliminate the English part entirely, according to the Xinhau news service.
There are several explanations. First, Chinese authorities realize that, despite an emphasis on learning English from an early age, most students never come close to becoming fluent. They’re given routine lessons on grammar, reading and writing, but they don’t learn how to speak English, mainly because they’re taught by Chinese teachers who can barely speak it themselves. Also, most students just memorize rules and regurgitate them on standardized tests, a process that rarely leads to mastering a language.
Another factor is national pride. While the Chinese understand the value of English for conducting international business, they worry about the younger generation losing touch with its own culture and gravitating too much toward Western ways.
Finally, there’s a practical motive. While some students will end up studying abroad or working for a multinational company, the vast majority will remain in China and work in jobs that don’t require much, if any, English.
It remains to be seen what effect the changes will have on the demand for English teachers in China, which has been growing steadily over the past few decades. If English is deemed less important, it seems logical that fewer English teachers will be needed. However, most professors at my university feel that English will remain an important part of the Chinese curriculum, regardless of any revisions in the national exam.
Also not likely to change is the pressure Chinese students feel while preparing for the grueling nine-hour, two-day test. Education is the key to success in China, so students know the results will have a huge impact on their future. To fuel marathon study sessions, some hook themselves up to IV bags of amino acids that are hung from the ceiling. Others have been known to faint or suffer serious depression, which in some cases has led to suicide.
