束定芳专著-书评

Applied Linguistics 27/4:754-757Oxford University Press 2006While there are numerous publications abroad on teaching foreign languages in China , there are few local publications from China that can inform us about foreign language teaching from within. Dingfang Shu’s book on FLT in China provides us with a good opportunity for access to this kind of information.This volume, accessibly written in Chinese, offers a comprehensive desciption and analysis of FLT in China, on the basis of up-to-date demestic and international research. It focuses on EFL, particularly on some key problems, while providing some solutions as well. In recent years, EFL has received increasing public attention, especially by the government, and the FLT scene has developed rapidly since the reforms and opening up policies which were started in the 1980s. However, its problems have also become obvious and more serious as a result of a changed societal environment which demands more of it. There is now general agreement that the current EFL system and teaching methodology should be reformed.Shu’s book is divided into eight chapters. In Chapter 1, the reader is introduced briefly to six key problems of FLT in China and the author clears up several misunderstandings concerning theoretical research an teaching practice. For instance, Shu shows his doubt on whether it holds true in the Chinese setting that ‘ the earlier one starts learning English, th e better’, as English is completely a school-learned foreign language. Another issue which Shu tries to make clear is that many people hold the view that ‘communicative ability refers to spoken ability’ and this has lead to the phenomenon whereby oral ability in teaching practice has changed from being ignored to being emphasized too much. The fact is, however, that most Chinese learners use English more in written forms. These problems are further illustrated in detail in the ensuing chapters, which are based on some recent experiments in EFL.One of the most obvious problems is that the EFL research which focuses on theory is weak and English teachers are not very familiar with it. A study in 2002 shows that, of several hundred English teachers from about 300 universities, 24 per cent indicated that they never wrote or do not know how to write acdemic articles about their teaching and over 50 per cent of them never participated in any research project. The low participation in research by English teachers, either the rsult or a cause of a poor research environment, contributes to low levels teaching. This is reflected in classrooms, where teaching methodology is not creative. For instance, a study of English teaching methodology conducted at a university showed that 70 per cent of the teachers admit that they are still using the traditional grammar-translation method in class. This may not be the sole cause, but it is an important one. Traditional and inefficient methodology consequently leads to negative attitudes among learners. In addition, a large proportion of them report not knowing good ways of learning English. Thus, in Chapter 6, Shu discusses classroom teaching, including its aims and forms, and strongly suggests that a class should serve the formation of students’autonomous learning abilities, so as to combine in-class and after-class study.This is especially important in the Chinese setting, because many students are used to depending on teachers and classes. However, classes cannot provide them with enough input. Therefore, an autonomous learning ability is necessary for after-class study, and this is important for effective language learning. In order to improve classroom methodology and enhance efficiency, teachers’proficiency in English and their teaching mothodology need to be improved. This is the focus of Chapter 8, in which Shu argues that teachers should have opportunities to receive further trainingin particular areas.Another issue that receives a great deal of attention in this volume is language planning in the context of EFL. In the Chinese educational system, language policies are designed by administrative departments. This means that schools and teachers cannot play a role in curriculum design, syllabus design, and the selection of teaching materials. Shu makes two claims. First of all, language policies should be based on deeds analyses. However, the fact that there are only two syllabi available for over 1,000 univiversities in China, respectively for English major students and non-English majors, shows that at present it is not possible to satisfy the needs of different univiversities and learners. These universities are at greatly different levels, which means that students’ proficiency in English also varies considerably. Thus, Shu emphasizes in Chapter 2 that any English course must be based both on social and on individual needs analyses. Secondly, there is no articulated statewide planning of English teaching across the different educational levels. It should be particularly mentioned that there is no organization to coordinate course and sullsbus design, the compilation of teaching materials and the evaluation of courses at different levels. Chapter 3-5 cover these issues. Chapter 3 focuses on three popular phenomena in EFL in China: English teaching in primary schools, bilingual education, and ESP at univiversities. The issue of starting English courses at primary school level is discussed at length. Shu stresses repeatedly that in the Chinese setting, learning English at an early age is against EFL rules, especially in a situation where there is a severe shortage of high-quality teachers. Moreover, there are insufficient connections between the syllabi intended for different educational levels. Finally, on the basis of the assumption that ‘the longer the period of learning English, the more effective it will be’, the Chinese Ministry of Education prescribes that English instruction is compulsory from primary education to Ph.D level. This amounts to 2,000 hours at least. However, for most learners, instruction is not as effective a it should be.In Chapter 7, the washback effect of English test is discussed as a separate matter, although it is closely related to language policy, as in recent years it has received considerable public attention. Through an analysis of the impact of the two most important English tests in China, NMET(the National Matriculation English Test) and CET(the national College English Test), Shu underlines the negative washback effect in EFL in China. For instance, at second education level, over 90 per cent of schools spend the whole third year rviewing what has been learned and preparing for NMET, and not teaching anything new. Of college students, 59 per cent believe that current EFL teaching is oriented to testing, and not to improve proficiency. Thus the problem is that many students pass a certain test, but their ability to use English remains very low. At the end of Chapter 7, Shu expresses the hope that EFL in China will free itself of the nightmare of exam-oriented teaching as soon as possible and return to theright track.Based on his analysis of these issues, Shu propose a direction for reforming EFL in China, that is, ‘to postpone the starting age of learning English appropriately, to shorten the period of learning it, to strengthen language training and to improve students’ academic studies’. While analyzing the issues, Shu stresses more than once the specific learning environment of Chinese learners, that is, English is a foreign language and learners do not have much contact with it outside classrooms. Obviously, a good learning environment is necessary in EFL, as in some European countries. However, in his reform proposals, Shu does not include the advocacy that the language environment might also be improved, although he considers it important to ‘open China to English media gradually and to improve the English learning environment in C hina’. Another weakness,if it can be considered so, concerns the reported experiments about EFL reform. Most of them are conducted in the Shanghai region, economically the most developed city in China. Schools there already have the best conditions for learning English. It is difficult to assess whether their experiences with EFL reform can be extended to other areas. Finally, the title of the volume is somewhat misleading. The book focuses solely on EFL and no other foreign languages are adressed.Overall, this volume offers sn integrated discussion of various aspects of EFLas currently practiced in China, analyzing the issues in depth. The challenging and original experiments which it reports shed light on attempts to reform and improve teaching. For those who are interested in SLA and in EFL in China, this book is a fascinating read.。