Twenty-First Century Senior High School English Curriculum Reform in China

Abstract

China initiated its eighth round of curriculum reform in basic education in 2001. The senior high school English curriculum, along with all other subjects, was redesigned as part of that reform. The new national curriculum advocated a learner-centered approach to language teaching with an emphasis on providing a common foundation for all students and a keen concern for meeting students' personal interests, individual needs, and learning potentials. The reform reflects a paradigm shift in curriculum philosophy, course structure, methods of teaching, and assessment strategies. All these changes have posed tremendous challenges for senior high school English teachers. This chapter introduces the guiding principles for the design of the new senior high school English curriculum and compares the new curriculum standards with the previous English teaching syllabus. It then reports the significant changes that have taken place in classrooms, as well as the difficulties that prevent the new curriculum from being successfully implemented. Finally, it calls for the development of an effective support system to help teachers cope with the challenges posed by the new curriculum.