Since China's open-door policy of 1978, an increasing number of Western language teachers have entered the People's Republic. Numerous reports criticizing Chinese teaching methods, books, curricula, and students have been written by teachers of English, the cause of which can, in many cases, be related back to teachers' different expectations about language curricula. Dubin and Olshtain's (1986) curriculum framework was utilized in this study to examine the premises of language learning and teaching in China. A questionnaire was sent to teachers and students at seven schools in the People's Republic of China. The questionnaire included a brief needs analysis and questions related to views about language, language learning and education. Data from the 347 student respondents and 34 teacher respondents were used to discuss (i) the priorities of English language teachers and learners in China, and (ii) whether Western methodologies were suitable for use in China. The conclusions drawn from the study were, firstly, that Chinese language teachers and learners rank product over process. Linked to this was the conclusion that no one Western methodology was particularly suitable or unsuitable for use in China. Secondly, it appeared that students in China prioritize passive language skills and passive ways of learning over active language skills and active methods of learning.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-5871 |
| Date | 21 June 1994 |
| Creators | Ngan, Kirsten Nadia |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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