中小学英语课程标准英文版.doc

New English Curriculum for Chinese Primary Schools and Junior/Senior Middle SchoolsExperimental Version drafted by the Education Ministry of the PRCPart 1: IntroductionWith 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 Chinas 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 use language for realIn 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-based 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 process1. The Nature of the New CurriculumThe 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 use language for real communication Master certain basic language knowledge Master listening, speaking, reading and writing skillsHowever, at another level the curriculum should also serve students all-round development, providing them with opportunities to: Strengthen their interest in studying English Grow in self-discipline, perseverance and self-confidence Improve their cooperative, investigative and thinking abilities Develop their memory, imagination and creativityAdopt good study habits and effective learning strategies Develop as autonomous and lifelong learnersBuild moral integrity and a healthy outlook on lifeEstablish both national spirit and an awareness of and respect for cultural differences Broaden their horizons and enrich their life experienceTake part in cultural lifeDevelop as individuals2. Basic Principles of the New Curriculum2.1 The curriculum promotes quality education (as opposed to exam-orientated education) and the all-round development of the studentsTo promote quality education particular attention must be paid to: Valuing each student s feelings Stimulating students interest in studying English Helping students gain a sense of achievement and self-confidenceThe 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 creativity2.2 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. These objectives are then divided into nine ability levels with descriptors provided for each level. The five general objectives are:1. Language Skills2. Language Knowledge3. Attitudes to Learning4. Learning StrategiesThe principle aim of the New Curriculum for the teaching of English is to help the students move from competence to performance (Chen, 2002)1 Chen Xiaotang, one of the people on the New Curriculum (NC) Working Party, said this at a VSO conference in November 2002.1. What does this mean?Well, competence is about what the students know in their minds, their theoretical knowledge, in other words. Performance refers to what it is that the students can do with that theoretical knowledge. Performance refers to what is practical, useful, creative and imaginative. Your job as a teacher is to find ways to help the students knowledge become active, practical, flexible and responsive, rather than inactive, theoretical, inflexible and imitative. Students need to learn how they can control their own knowledge, use it differently in different situations, and be able to make their own decisions about how they learn. This is a big challenge for you as a teacher.Under the New Curriculum English will be seen not only as a tool for communication, but also for thinking, learning and social participation. It also takes into account the students feelings about learning, rather than judging them purely as learning machines. This is reflected in the nine-level attainment-target system, which your teachers have copies of. You should study these attainment-targets, as they focus on achievements and what students can do, rather than placing impossible challenges for teachers and students.New Teaching and Learning Approaches with the New Curriculum: Under the New Curriculum, there are new teaching and learning approaches necessary. These are a big challenge, as they will be: Student-centred2 See section on student-centred learning.2 as opposed to teacher-centred Participatory - as opposed to passive Experiential3 See Glossary3 as opposed to rote Flexible as opposed to pre-determinedThey will encourage: Deductive and inductive reasoning; Critical thinking Interpersonal skills Learning how to learn (learning skills) rather than just cramming Co-operative learning Use-value - in other words, the knowledge the students gain will be expected to help them practically, rather than remain theoretical knowledge that they cant use. Participation Negotiation Self-discoveryEvaluation:The New Curriculum will also encourage varied forms of evaluation: Self- and peer-evaluation; Summative and formative; Judgements on language performance rather than passive knowledge. This suggests a much greater emphasis on speaking as well as the other skills of listening, reading and writing. The phrase youre going to read again and again in this Handbook (see the title page, for example) is: students must move from competence to performance.What challenges are there for future teachers?Lets look specifically now at the kinds of challenges you will face in implemeting the New Curriuclum. The initial challenge for new teachers will be to understand the New Curriculum, especially the new standards. You will have to update your views on language and language education and adopt new approaches to language teaching, including the task-based teaching approach and its practice.You will have to improve your own professional competence in language proficiency, cross-cultural competence, pedagogical competence, and the adoption of new learning strategies in your methods. As well as that you will have to change the teachers role from that of knowledge-distributor to facilitator, organiser, participant and advisor, using the textbook rather than teaching the textbook. (See Part Five on tips for using New Curriculum texts.)How can pre-service training prepare students for the challenges?You and your colleagues will need to incorporate the introduction of the New Curriculum into your syllabus and course designs. In addition, you will need to convince the students of the need for change and make them believe they CAN do it.The implementation of the new curriculum needs contributions from, and co-operation among, many groups of people including: teachers, teacher trainers, educational administrators, educational researchers, community, parents and employers.Whats new?The new rationale: The aims of learning a foreign language are not to be limited to mastery of knowledge and skills in the foreign language. Like other school subjects such as Maths, Music, Art and Physical Education, foreign languages are part of the overall development of all students. Through learning a foreign language, students can enrich their experience of life, broaden their world vision, and enhance their thinking skills. Language learning is most effective when students interest, motivation an attitudes are taken into consideration. New learning strategies should be incorporated into the language curriculum, so that students can become autonomous learners, which is fundamental for lifelong learning. Evaluation should be summative and formative and designed and administered to encourage the learners rather than frustrate them. It should be carried out in terms of what students can do rather than what they cannot do.New Curriculum Targets: Language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing (critical thinking skills and interpersonal skills emphasised for senior high school); Language knowledge: pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, function and topics; Motivation, interest, confidence, co-operation, patriotism and world vision; Learning strategies: cognitive, planning, communicative and resourcing strategies; Cultural awareness: cultural knowledge, cross-cultural competence.New methods of target specification:Students can: understand and follow instructions; identify the change in meaning in intonation; provide personal information and describe personal experience; comprehend simple stories and grasp the gist.New learning and teaching approaches:The New Curriculum advocates process-oriented language learning and teaching approaches, such as experiential learning and co-operative learning: students are encouraged to experience the language, learn the language by self-discovery, participate in discussion and negotiation activities. It emphasises the role of positive affective (emotional) states on the part of the students. It advocates the task-based approach to language learning and teaching; learning by doing and by using the language. It incorporates learning strategy development into the classroom instruction.New evaluation system:The New Curriculum recognises the role the students themselves play in the process of evaluation, e.g., self-assessment. It combines summative assessment with formative assessment. It adopts multiple, flexible evaluation methods and techniques. It emphasises the evaluation of language performance rather than language competence. (See Part Four for details about Evaluation.)Using the Textbook or Teaching the Textbook?The NC expects teachers to become more flexible in their approach to the use of the textbook in the classroom. Traditionally, teachers have gone through the textbook from beginning to end, following the structure of the books, and making sure that classes cover all the content. This attitude to teaching is going to have to change. The NC requires teachers to use the textbook, rather than teaching the textbook. In other words, the teacher is expected to find new and interesting ways with the students in developing approaches to textbook use inside and outside the classroom. What this means can be found in more detail in Part Five of this Handbook.Task-based learning:This is a phrase youre going to be reading a lot about in this Handbook, and come across in your everyday teaching work. What is it? Task-based means engaging in activities that aim to do two things: Fit into the students overall learning-development in English; Help the student to use the language more effectively. In other words, because of the task, the student should be able to learn something of value and use the knowledge as well. Its not enough for the student simply to understand. Thats competence. He or she has to be able to use it as well. Thats performance. For example, if a student is learning about places in a town, not only does the student have to understand the words, but s/he also be able to use them in realistic ways - in sentences, speaking, through listening or reading, or indeed in normal conversation, in arguments, discussions etc. (See Part Five for specific examples of task-based learning activities with Go For It.)In other words, all the tasks, which you engage in with your students as they learn English must fulfil the above criteria.Last Word: Get to know the New Curriculum. You need to study it, discuss it, think about it, ask questions about it, and see how you might work it together with the textbooks. Your first priority, then, is to get to know the textbooks and the NC. Read them together. See how they fit together. Ask questions of your teachers. Dont leave this aspect any longer. Begin working on the New Curriculum and the textbooks TODAY!New English Curriculum for Chinese Primary Schools and Junior/Senior Middle Schools drafted by the Education Ministry of the PRCNote on this translationThis English version of Chinas 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 senior middle schools available from the Programme Office. Any feedback on this version would be welcome.Tim MartinShaanxi 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 Chinas 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:l Over-emphasizing the transmission and explanation of knowledge about grammar and vocabularyl Neglecting to develop students ability to use language for realIn their place, the reforms aim to establish a curriculum that: l Develops students comprehensive language competencel Motivates students, is relevant to their life experiences and cognitive levell Promotes task-based teaching methodsl Involves students in experiential, practical, participatory and cooperative learningl Develops students positive attitudes, thinking skills, practical abilities, cultural awareness and autonomy through the language learning process1. The Nature of the New CurriculumThe new English curriculum strives to accomplish far more than just help students learn English. At one level learning English should involve helping students to:l Develop a certain level of comprehensive language competence and the ability to use language for real communicationl Master certain basic language knowledgel Master listening, speaking, reading and writing skillsHowever, at another level the curriculum should also serve students all-round development, providing them with opportunities to:l Strengthen their interest in studying Englishl Grow in self-discipline, perseverance and self-confidencel Improve their cooperative, investigative and thinking abilities l Develop their memory, imagination and creativity l Adopt good study habits and effective learning strategiesl Develop as autonomous and lifelong learnersl Build moral integrity and a healthy outlook on lifel Establish both national spirit and an awareness of and respect for cultural differencesl Broaden their horizons and enrich their life experiencel Take part in cultural lifel Develop as individuals2. Basic Principles of the New Curriculum2.1The curriculum promotes quality education (as opposed to exam-orientated education) and the all-round development of the studentsTo promote quality education particular attention must be paid to:l Valuing each students feelingsl Stimulating students interest in studying Englishl Helping students gain a sense of achievement and self-confidenceThe curriculum must go beyond developing students comprehensive language competence to include areas such as: l Improving students ability to contribute to cultural an