Exploring the Influence of English Subject Reform in China’s Compulsory Education System

Abstract

This paper aims to address the policy reform debate on whether English will continue to be the only mandatory foreign language subject in China's compulsory education system. It explores the role of English as a compulsory subject in China's nine-year compulsory education system and critically reflects the need for English as a compulsory subject in China. This paper presents three research questions: 1) what do learners think about the importance of English in China? 2) What are learners' motivations for learning English in China? 3) What is the learner's attitude towards English learning? This paper studies three questions and uses a qualitative research method to conduct a one-to-one interview with six graduate students who have received nine years of compulsory education in China. The results of the research mainly focus on three aspects: English language's status in China and its impacts, two English learning motivations, learners' attitudes towards English subject learning and English education inequality issues. This paper finds that the globalization of English leads to the globalization of other languages and cultures. It is difficult for Chinese students to choose L2 according to their interests, while unified English learning will alleviate the problem of unfair distribution of educational resources in China. This paper wishes to provide educational implications for reference for Chinese educational policymakers to formulate reforms in the future.